Anyone have any experience using Foxfarms Happy Frog Fertilizer for Japanese Maples? My bloodgood is planted in the middle of the yard, getting full Sun all day. 1st year it was planted, it suffered from the sun. Basically at leaves drying out by July. (Zone 10b - Southern California). Read some reviews on this fertilizer which stated that it helped with high heat. So I gave it a shot and I saw a huge improvement in handling the heat stress after the 2nd season after planting. Tree also started "blooming" right after using this. Not sure if it's due to this fertilizer or the maple has started to get established? I've also came across some silica treatment which also claims to help plants handle heat stress. Gave it a shot combined with the Happy Frog. And the 3rd season. tree suffered from zero scorching. Tree made it with full leaves till the fall. (didn't see any fall colors though). It stayed the same crimson red it was during Summer. I have to say I was close to just removing the tree because of the leaf scorch but after the 3rd season, I think the tree will do okay. This will be the 4th season. Haven't been using the products as much but will likely do so in June. Cliff-notes: 1) Happy Frog Japanese Maple Fertilizer (thumbs up) 2) Silica (thumbs up)
Hi vbx, I don't know the products you have listed, but there are similar in the uk that promise everything to help maples. IMHO they don't need any after a few years in the ground. I use a very small amount of slow release feed for ericacios plants for first few years only. I put it down on the 1st May. If you water correctly and do not allow compaction of the soil surrounding the tree you will see all the seasons colours without having to spend hard earned money when you don't need to. Hope this is of some help to you.
Sorry for the Necro Bump of an old thread, but i wanted to know a bit more about the Silica treatment as well. I have a japanese maple in the south side of the house, hence lot of hot sun, hence i would like to use the silica treatment as well to reduce the effects.
