What kind of dirt/potting soil are they planted in? What kind of nutrients are they already getting from the soil/potting medium? I have NEVER followed the directions on fertilizer for fear of the DREADED FERTILIZER BURN, which is a very real possibility. That is when you give them more fertilizer than is necessary, and people tend to do this. When it comes to fertilizer, people think "more is better", and that isn't necessarily true, especially if they planted in relatively decently soil. What I do is feed them on the interval suggested, but I only feed them half-strength - half the amount suggested. I feel they are getting some nutrients out of the soil (unless you truly planted them in a totally soilless medium with no fertilizer or amendments added. I've had excellent results with this approach, and the best part is I don't have to worry about fertilizer burn, which can really damage a plant. I also plant my tomatoes with compost, so I know they are getting nutrients from that as well. If you didn't plant yours with compost, you can still "side-dress" them with compost, and the worms will carry the nutrients down to the roots where they are needed, so you don't even have to work it into the soil. Just make sure to cover it back up -- e.g. all tomatoes should have mulch to keep the soil from splashing up on the plant during a rain, because as you likely know, most tomato diseases come from the soil. So all you have to do is get some well rotted cow manure (don't worry, it doesn't smell at all) pull the mulch back, side dress the plants, and put the mulch back. Then you can use less of the chemical fertilizer.

Hope this helps. I do know that things like Miracle Grow can burn faster than other kinds of fertilizer. It doesn't mean it a BAD fertilizer --- I use it myself --- just that it needs to be used with care.
Happy Gardening! MacThayer

Are your plants in the ground or in containers? If in containers, how big are they and what mix are they filled with. All that makes a big difference on how often and how much you feed.

Many who grow in containers use the MG weekly but at 1/2 diluted strength.

And yes, it most definitely is possible to over-feed your plants. ;)

Dave

You're mixing it according to the directions (1 Tbs per gallon of water), and you're putting it on the plants at the high end of the frequency range they recommend (they say every 7-14 days, and you're every 7), but you're only giving them about 1/4 what the manufacturer recommends per established plant, so I would think you'd be OK. Here's what MG says about the amount of solution per plant:

"At planting use 1 cup (8 ounces) per plant. As plants grow, increase the amount of solution until reach 1 gallon per plant per feeding."

Thanks! Yes, it looks like I am actually feeding about 1/2 the recommended dosage based on instructions.

These tomatoes are in containers, either 10-gallons or 2 Topsy Turvys. And the ones in the ground are in a square foot garden (soil depth approximately 6".) If anyone is curious as to how well tomatoes grow in the SFG, the ones in my SFG are the biggest plants at about 3 feet high.

Wow...2 tbsp...that's a ton for 8 plants, especially every week. I can't tell you to cut back dramatically though because your plants have probably become chemically dependant on it now. I use about 1/2 tsp mixed into 2/3 spray bottle full of warm water every 2-3 weeks for 7 tomato plants in containers.