Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Full Moon Maple (Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum')— schedule & NPK
Also called golden full moon maple.
More about full moon maple
About Full Moon Maple
Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum' · also called golden full moon maple · flowering
Golden full moon maple is a slow, refined deciduous tree with rounded, fan-pleated chartreuse-gold leaves that glow through summer and flush orange-red in autumn. Unlike palmate Japanese maples its foliage holds bright golden colour well, but only in dappled light. It needs shelter, even moisture, and free-draining acidic soil to avoid scorch.
Growth habit: Slow-growing, rounded to broadly spreading deciduous small tree with horizontally layered branches and distinctive circular, pleated leaves.
Watch for — Sun scorch and bleaching: The golden leaves burn and fade in strong sun. Plant in dappled shade with shelter from wind, and keep soil evenly moist to reduce stress.
What fertiliser full moon maple actually wants — and why
Full Moon Maple is an acid-loving plant — it can only take up nutrients in acidic soil, so the feed itself matters less than using an ericaceous formula and never liming.
An ericaceous (acidic) fertiliser, formulated to keep the soil pH low and supply iron and trace elements in a form acid-loving roots can absorb. Ordinary feeds and any lime lock out iron and yellow the leaves.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for full moon maple: match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed full moon maple, and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For full moon maple:
Feed sparingly in early spring with a balanced slow-release or ericaceous fertiliser. Avoid high-nitrogen and late feeds, which cause soft growth that scorches and frosts. A leaf-mould mulch usually meets the tree's modest nutrient needs in decent soil. In practice: an ericaceous feed in spring as growth resumes, repeated through the main growing months; never apply lime, bonemeal or wood ash, which raise pH.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when full moon maple is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for full moon maple
Follow the ericaceous product's own rate — these are formulated for the plant, so the dilution on the label is right for full moon maple. The variable that actually matters is pH, not concentration.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water full moon maple first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the full moon maple watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding full moon maple
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for full moon maple:
- Brown, scorched leaf margins from too strong or too frequent a dose.
- White salt crust on the soil surface.
- Soft, lush growth that fruits or flowers poorly.
Signs you are under-feeding full moon maple
- Yellowing leaves with green veins (iron chlorosis from high pH).
- Weak growth, poor cropping and an overall pale, stressed look.
- Stunted new shoots in spring despite adequate water and light.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full full moon maple care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Flush full moon maple with rainwater (not hard tap water, which raises pH) if salts build up; better still, mulch with pine needles or composted bark and water with rainwater to hold the acidity.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for full moon maple
Organic options
Composted pine bark, pine-needle mulch, used coffee grounds and an organic ericaceous feed gently maintain acidity. UK: Vitax or Westland Ericaceous; US: Espoma Holly-tone or Dr. Earth Acid Lovers. Slow, soil-improving, hard to overdo.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A liquid or granular ericaceous feed — UK: Miracle-Gro Ericaceous, Vitax or Westland; US: Miracle-Gro Acid-Loving Plant Food or Espoma Holly-tone. Pair with rainwater and an acidic mulch for it to work.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising full moon maple — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does full moon maple need?
An ericaceous (acidic) fertiliser, formulated to keep the soil pH low and supply iron and trace elements in a form acid-loving roots can absorb. Ordinary feeds and any lime lock out iron and yellow the leaves. Full Moon Maple is an acid-loving plant — it can only take up nutrients in acidic soil, so the feed itself matters less than using an ericaceous formula and never liming.
How often should I feed full moon maple?
Feed sparingly in early spring with a balanced slow-release or ericaceous fertiliser. Avoid high-nitrogen and late feeds, which cause soft growth that scorches and frosts. A leaf-mould mulch usually meets the tree's modest nutrient needs in decent soil. Feed sparingly in early spring with a balanced slow-release or ericaceous fertiliser. Avoid high-nitrogen and late feeds, which cause soft growth that scorches and frosts. A leaf-mould mulch usually meets the tree's modest nutrient needs in decent soil. In practice: an ericaceous feed in spring as growth resumes, repeated through the main growing months; never apply lime, bonemeal or wood ash, which raise pH.
What strength of feed for full moon maple?
Follow the ericaceous product's own rate — these are formulated for the plant, so the dilution on the label is right for full moon maple. The variable that actually matters is pH, not concentration.
What does over-feeding full moon maple look like?
Brown, scorched leaf margins from too strong or too frequent a dose. White salt crust on the soil surface. Soft, lush growth that fruits or flowers poorly. Feeding full moon maple an ordinary fertiliser, or growing it in hard tap water / limey soil, is the defining mistake — it triggers lime-induced chlorosis (yellow leaves, green veins) no amount of feeding fixes until the pH comes down.
Should I flush the soil of full moon maple?
Flush full moon maple with rainwater (not hard tap water, which raises pH) if salts build up; better still, mulch with pine needles or composted bark and water with rainwater to hold the acidity.
Keep reading
- Full Moon Maple care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water full moon maple — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
- How to fertilise peace lily
- How to fertilise bird of paradise
- How to fertilise hoya
- All 2464 fertilising guides in the Growli library