Reader support helps keep the reviews honest and the site humming. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.7 Best Fertilizer For Cedar Trees | Roots Deeper, Needles Greener

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One 18-pound bag covers every evergreen in your yard with no mixing needed.

This is the pick for anyone with a mix of cedars, pines, firs, and broadleaf evergreens who wants one product to rule them all. Espoma’s Evergreen-Tone uses a 4-3-4 NPK ratio (4% nitrogen for green needles, 3% phosphorus for roots, 3% potassium for hardiness) plus 5% sulfur to keep soil acidic so your cedar stays dark green, not yellow. Its Bio-tone microbes (beneficial soil bacteria) feed the soil so nutrients release slowly over weeks — no risk of burning shallow cedar roots, which common lawn foods do. You just sprinkle the granules around the drip line (the circle under the outermost branches) and water in; it’s ready to use straight from the bag.

The 18-pound bag feeds a dozen or more mature trees in spring and again in fall without restocking. The brand says feed twice a year — early spring and late fall — to keep evergreens at their peak. It is approved for organic gardening, so no sludge or synthetic chemicals leach into the surrounding beds.

Compared to the 4-pound Holly-Tone bag below, the Evergreen-Tone bag is 18 pounds versus 4 pounds, so for a whole landscape of cedars and evergreens, this is the better value. The catch is that it is granular and needs to be watered in — if you hate dragging a hose, the spikes below may be simpler. Buyers report that their trees stayed deep green through the season with just two applications.

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If you grow blueberries and hydrangeas alongside your cedars, this one organic feed covers them all.

This is the pick if you have a mix of cedars, azaleas, blueberries, and rhododendrons and want one organic feed for all of them. Holly-Tone uses the same 4-3-4 NPK ratio with 5% sulfur and the same Bio-tone microbes as the Evergreen-Tone above, and it is approved for organic gardening. The 2-pack gives you two 4-pound bags — you can keep one in the shed and one in the garage for spot treatments.

Owners mention that it “improved blueberries and azaleas” in the garden, though one reviewer noted “no color change on hydrangeas after 2 weeks” — the pH shift takes longer for bloom color. The granules have a strong smell for a few days after application, but that fades after watering. The pack is listed at 128.0 ounces, while the TPS liquid below is 32.0 ounces.

The main difference from the Evergreen-Tone is the bag size — at 4 pounds per bag versus the 18-pound Evergreen-Tone, Holly-Tone is better for smaller gardens or for homeowners who want to try the product before buying a giant bag. If you have a large hedge of mature cedars, skip this and grab the Evergreen-Tone for fewer trips to the shed.

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If your cedar sits in compacted or sandy soil, this powder adds living microbes that help roots pull more nutrients from the ground.

This product delivers more than just NPK numbers. The FoxFarm Happy Frog formula has a 4-3-4 ratio (matching the Espoma picks above) but it is boosted with beneficial microorganisms and mycorrhizal fungi — tiny soil fungi that partner with roots to pull more water and nutrients. This is especially helpful in sandy soil that leaches (washes away) fertilizer fast.

The mixing ratio is 2 tablespoons per 1 gallon of water, and the brand recommends monthly feeding during the growing season. Customers note it “brought one plant back to life” and has been used effectively on smaller ornamentals around the garden. The formula is tailored for low pH feeders like Japanese maples, hydrangeas, dogwoods, and evergreens, so it matches precisely what a cedar’s root system evolved to absorb.

Compared to the Miracle-Gro powder below, the FoxFarm feed is a monthly routine versus every 7-14 days, so it requires a bit less frequency once you have your cedars established. Just mix it into the topsoil or top-dress around the drip line and water in. The powder does have an organic aroma (some buyers describe it as earthy), so keep the bag sealed in your shed.

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If your cedar looks pale and you need a green-up in a week, this fast-dissolving powder delivers nitrogen immediately.

When your cedar looks pale or you want a quick green boost before a big event (or just after transplanting), this soluble powder is the fastest way to deliver nitrogen to the foliage. The formula is designed for acid-loving plants like azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons, and cedars — and it feeds as soon as you water it in. The mixing ratio is 1:144 for indoor use and 1:18 for outdoor plants, so one 80-ounce bag covers a lot of ground.

Reviewers point out it “truly helped our rhododendron to recover and look stunning this summer” and noted that the “easy mix ability in watering can or with hose” makes application simple. The manufacturer recommends feeding every 7 to 14 days, which is more frequent than the granular or spike options — but you get visible results within a week, per the reviews. The bag is resealable with Velcro (shoppers say it seals well as long as you keep powder off the closure).

The main downside versus the FoxFarm above is that this is a synthetic feed — it delivers nutrients fast but doesn’t build soil biology. For container cedars or seasonal feeding, that is just fine. For a permanent landscape planting where you want to improve the soil year over year, the organic granular options or spikes are a smarter long-term move. At 5 pounds (80 ounces), this bag holds a lot of product, but it is still lighter than the 18-pound Espoma Evergreen-Tone bag.

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Hammer in a spike in spring, walk away, and your cedar gets 3 months of steady nitrogen without any mixing.

For anyone who wants to feed their cedars without measuring, mixing, or smelling granules, these TruSpikes are the answer. Each 5-inch spike is packed with a 12-3-3 NPK formula (12% nitrogen for lush green needles, 3% phosphorus for root strength, and 3% potassium for overall health) and releases continuously for up to 3 months. You hammer them into the soil at the drip line in spring and again in fall — that is two applications per year.

Buyers report that these spikes dramatically improved trees in sandy, nitrogen-deficient soil where granular feeds leached away. One buyer mentioned their fruit trees “went from sparse foliage/death to lush, green, thriving” after using these spikes, and another noted that pine trees “brought them back to life in a matter of 2 weeks.” At 3 pounds for 12 spikes, the set covers a modest hedge or a few mature trees. The spikes are designed not to break, crush, or smash — you can hammer them straight into the ground without a plastic cap.

At 3 pounds total, these are lighter than the Old Farmer’s Almanac 24-spike box below (6 pounds), so for a longer hedge line, the larger box saves you a repurchase trip. The 12-3-3 ratio is also higher in nitrogen than the 4-3-4 Espoma or FoxFarm picks, which is ideal for encouraging dense needle growth on established cedars that have already set their root systems. For a handful of trees, this is the simplest path to deep green needles.

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When your cedar hedge looks rough after winter, this liquid feed revives it in a week — something granules can’t match.

If your cedar hedge took a beating over winter or is planted in sandy soil where granules wash away before they can work, this concentrated liquid delivers nutrients directly to the roots in a form they can use immediately. The 32-ounce bottle mixes at 2 tablespoons per gallon of water, and the brand makes it clear this is “made for arborvitae trees” — which are close cousins to cedars — so the nutrient profile is designed for their growth cycle.

Owners mention that this product “kept newly planted arborvitae alive through Chicago winter” while neighboring unfertilized trees died. Another reviewer with sandy soil noted that fertilizing every 2 weeks “reversed branch die-off” and “restored green growth.” The liquid format is ideal for spot-treating individual trees or for use with a hose-end sprayer to cover a long hedge fast. At 32.0 fluid ounces, the bottle is compact but you get a lot of concentrated doses — expect around 16 full watering-can batches per bottle at the 2-tablespoon rate.

Compared to the spikes above, liquid feeds require mixing and more frequent application (every two weeks in the growing season), but they are class-leading for speed of action on a struggling tree. If your cedar looks stressed today, this is the pick to reach for before the slow-release options kick in.

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For a long cedar hedge, 24 spikes feed every tree for a full year on just two trips out.

When you need to feed a long row of cedars that runs the length of your property, this is the most efficient way to do it. The box contains 24 TruSpikes (the same patented design as SimplyGro spikes above) each 5 inches long and packed with a 13-3-3 NPK formula — the highest nitrogen ratio in this list, which drives dense, deep green needle growth on conifers. The spikes contain natural ingredients like molasses that help feed soil microbes as they break down.

The manufacturer recommends feeding once per season — early spring and late fall — so a 24-pack covers about 12 trees per application (two spikes per tree). At 6 pounds total, this box is exactly double the weight of the SimplyGro 12-spike pack, so if you have a large hedge, the per-spike cost here is lower. Like the SimplyGro spikes, these are designed not to break, crush, or smash when hammered into the ground — no plastic cap or special equipment needed.

If you have a smaller yard with just two or three cedars, this box is overkill — you would have spikes leftover for two years. The SimplyGro 12-pack or the Espoma Holly-Tone 4-pound bag would be a smarter buy for smaller landscapes. But for a substantial privacy hedge or multiple trees, grabbing this box means you only think about fertilizing twice a year.