This past June I hired a landscape company to redo my backyard using a forest pansy tree as a central anchor. Unfortunately the weather turned unseasonably hot and I covered the tree with a landscape shade. The leaves seemed limp although the tree was adequately watered, perhaps too much. By August the red coloration of the leaves turned to a faded green. There was no new growth after the planting although the tree did not die. The only growth was a small shoot at the base which my landscaper said was another tree.
The planted tree was a mutliple. My questions is two fold. Should I leave it as a multiple or prune to have a single trunk? When the new leaves come in Spring - hopefully they will - is it reasonable to hope they have new, shiny red leaves? Should I be using any particular fertilizer.