Rocks don't help. They just take up space. The soil fills up the spaces between the rocks after the first heavy watering so you're back to the same spot again.
Miracle gro is just really nto that great.
A full day is usually not enough to let the soil dry out. I have a hard time believing that the soil is DRY after one day... can you still feel any dampness in it about 2 inches below the surface after that time?