You do realize that most of the produce you purchase at the grocery store has been fertilized with synthetic fertilizers? It is of NO concern!

Well it's a potted plant so organic fertilizer won't work very good. The fertilizer in it is not the reason to not use miracle grow, don't use it because it holds way to much moisture and will most likely lead to root rot. If your must use it, you need to cut it with perlite and pine bark or coco chips. A decent mix is 1 part miracle grow citrus mix, 1 part chunky perlite and 1 part coco chips or pine bark fines

The fertilizer is the least of the issues with miracle gro, one of my largest problems with it is that you don't know everything that goes into the bag and, as others have said, it holds too much moisture. A good bagged mix will tell you exactly what is in the bag and will often be a mix of peat (or worm castings), recycled forest products, bark fines, pumice, sand, and some fertilizers, soil builders, and PH adjusters. A good bagged mix that you can find where you live is going to vary, but all of them give you the transparency to know what is in your mix. I, personally, have always looked at what I might add to the right mix and then looked for a bag that contains those ingredients. I had to switch to bagged mixes for all of my plants a number of years ago, and I have tried many different mixes. When I've found good mixes it has always been because I looked for a bag that matched up with what I might use. Four winds growers has a good writeup for a beginner on what to look for in a good mix.

here's the bush they are beating about.. well.. in this case... the tree ...

a tree is a tree as far as media goes ..

trees in pots want a sip of water .. then near full drainage ... and near drying before the next sip of water ..

media with too much peat holds too much water for most trees .. long term ... not to mention houseplant peeps who simply love their plants too much and water their babies too much .. so mix that with the wrong media.. and you have problems ..

roots also need air .. especially trees ... and that is why you add all the big chunks of whatever.. to aid in air.. but also increase the drainage ...

the problem with the product named is that is is a catchall for all plants ... regardless of plant needs .. and it tends toward the more common houseplants that like growing in a sponge ...

so when you balance that out with you wanting to grow trees in pots.. indoors.. there is a big problem ... you dont want sponge bob media pants .. lol ..

you can overcome all of this by watering properly .. but it can be much easier if you start with a good media proper to the plant you want to grow ...

and.. imo.. moisten all media.. BEFORE use ... start with media that is useful ... even the big chunky stuff .. take a few days in a grocery bag or some such.. and keep adding water .. until everything is moist .. NOT SODDEN ... just moist ... so when you plant the plant ... you water it in to settle the soil .. but you arent wasting weeks trying to wet the media at the same time ... e.g. my garden is all sand.. i dont wait until august and go plant things in dry play sand .. i do it in spring.. when its all moist ... or in fall when its moist .. i dont try to make dry play sand wet.. after i stick a plant in it ...

good luck ...

ken

ps: you can get many things to winter over .. if you put houseplants outside in full shade for summer ... and then you can torture them for the winter .. indoors ... a prime growing season to offset the not so prime winter ...

Thanks for the advice all!

Gardengal, always love listening to what you have to say. Thank you))

Mike, what a very kind thing to say! Thank you 😊

You are a gift here and I think a lot more should appreciate that if they do not already. I have been very successful on many fronts because of you and I owe you those words here. Hoping all is ok with you)