Brad and I use Miracle Gro in the first month or so, when the plants I've grown from seed need that extra boost. We don't use it later because we, like others, don't want bushy foilage without the fruit. We just bombard the soil with lots of compost and goodies before planting and rarely use anything else. I believe my yields are more weather dependent than nutrient dependent...especially in MA. I can go one year with a thousand yellow pear tomatoes (no lie) to the second year, less than 100. Weather...it makes or breaks ya! And others I know in central MA say the same thing. My 2 cents. "I'd rather be snowshoeing..." Babs