This is the first time I hear Chemical fertilizer is better than organic in the summer.Organic fertilizer or slow release during very hot weather is known to be problematic. A lot more fertilizer can be freed than you'd expect, because metabolism is sped up.
Better to use chemical fertilizer, because you can know the exact dilution. And when water stress is already a problem, better not to fertilize at all during the hottest part of summer. The tree will probably shut down anyway.
The symptoms do match fertilizer burn, which is why I asked.
Also 7 biogold pyramids seems like a lot for a single tree.
How you'd reckon that after removing the biogold, things stayed the same and new foliage keeps dying?
So adding chemical fertilizer reduces salt in the water? Not sure I understand the logicYou can dose the chemical fertilizer to be really dilute. You can give chemical fertilizer with less salts in the water than ordinary tapwater.
You'd be adding fertilizer, but at the same time, you are adding less salts and thus less salt stress than with ordinary watering without even fertilizing.
If you have organic fertilizer, it releases salts proportional to the temperature. Because higher temperatures mean higher bacterial metabolism.
The problem would be if you add chemical fertilizer to tap water at a recommended dose, and you want to give the plant all the fertilizer they need the coming month in one watering period.
You can't give a plant all that fertilizer through one application of chemical fertilizer, during a heat period, during which drought stress is already a thing.
This is also why when they grow plants in the desert, they often add chemical fertilizer to all the water the plants get.
Now I remember that when I first moved to Florida, I had the exact same thing happen. I still don't know what happened but my guess is fungal issue. I had the azaleas in shade the entire time so I know it wasn't sun burn. I also checked for insects and could not find any. I'd try fungicide and see if that helps.Unfortunately, the same problem continues. All new shoots dry up in this way after a short time.
I'd try fungicide and see if that helps.