japanese maple not doing anything

Question

Not producing leaves, not growing and looks like a stick in the ground.

Answer 1

There's a good chance it's dead, if it looks like a stick in the ground. Use a knife to scrape the bark on the trunk -- if you can't find green tissue underneath the surface, the tree is dead. Also try bending the branches -- if they snap apart, all brown, they're dead. If they bend, and have green tissue, they're still alive. If you want to try again, read these articles for some tips:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/how-and-when-to-plant-trees.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/japanese-maple/