Question
Hello Stephen, I have a combination of dwarf alberta spruce, cypress-(eastern red cedar and aborvitae) in the yard. What's the best fertilizer you recommend and how often should it be applied.

Answer
Mike:
It would be to your advantage to have a soil sample evaluated first.  By having an analysis done, this will establish a baseline of "where your soil is now" and what is needed to add for your particular trees. Contact your local county Agricultural Extension office in your county for information (usually in the county seat town). Check the telephone pages under State Govt. offices. In many states if not all, this is a free service. It involves taking a small quantity of representative soil (1-2 pints)into that office.  They send it off to a lab. You get the results and a recommended fertilizer.  Generally speaking, if you are fertilizing your lawn, there is enough fertilizer to sustain trees in the landscape.  Most soils have the basic nutrients that trees need to sustain them, but there may be some additives for optimum growth. A soil test can ID those. Soil drainage is always important along with things like pH.

Regards
Steve