Miracle-Gro vs. organic compost, kelp, fish extract, blood meal, bone meal, alfalfa pellets etc
In my opinionated opinion, the question of "soluble chemicals" vs "organic feeding" depends more on the gardener and on the situation than on the plant.
Most plants benefit greatly from rich, organic soil that retains enough water, drains well enough and is well aerated. Over several months or years, plenty of organic matter like compost is likely to help your soil reach that happy state.
There's no question that if you can feed the soil well with organic material, and maintain a varied and dense population of soil microbes, and aeration, they will feed your plants well.
And it is really easy to use too much fertilizer and kill your plants overnight. Did it say "teaspoons or tablespoons?
I think that's why many gardeners are passionate about "organic fertilizer is the best kind to use".
However, if your soil or soilless mix is NOT richly organic, and the plants are yellowing and hungry right now, soluble chemicals are the fastest solution. Hence Miracle-Gro might be needed - NOT too strong or too often and only WITH enough drainage that you can flush accumulated salts away without drowning roots.
Also, in containers, you might be able to maintain the kind of flourishing soil life that benefits most from a pure organic approach. Aeration might be a problem. In that case, some compost and some chemicals might be needed.
Outdoors in beds, if you can get your hands on enough compost and you're looking a year or two ahead, mulching and compost are the best fertilizers.
In containers, soilless mixes and chemicals are very practical. Soil in pots, especially highly organic soil in pots, tends to become compacted and squeeze all the air out. But some people can probably grow that way because they know how to maintain aeration and drainage even in pots with heavy soil
Is that what the question was getting at?
