MMM-ish miracle grow?

[HipGnosis]

Is there a Mustachian miracle grow alternative?

I did a soil test of my lawn and found out it only needs nitrogen.  So I bought some urea, which is 46% nitrogen (vs 5-15% of 'regular' lawn fertilizer).  Urea is not 'time release', so I'll have to do smaller doses more often...

But I still need fertilizer (plant food) for my flowering / decorative plants.
What's out there?

[sol]

Maybe this isn't helpful to you, but around here it's free.

Depending on where you live, many local municipal wastewater treatment plants offer either free compost, or free fertilizer, made from recycled biosolids.  It's all EPA-certified (by law) and often superior to what you can buy in bags from the hardware store.  You usually have to show up with a truck, and either shovel it yourself or be prepared to take an entire pallet.  Sometimes you have to schedule a pickup, other places you just roll up and take whatever you want.

I could never understand how local lawn care companies were making money from $75/mo maintenance contracts when they were applying $30 worth of fertilizer every month, then I figured out they're all getting it for free.

[Fishindude]

No test needed, grasses crave nitrogen and will take just about all you will give them.
Urea is a very good economical solution, much cheaper than buying Scotts turf builder, or something like that.
It's also a good ice melt if you need this material in the winter, and the grass around the edges of where you use this will really take off in the spring.

If you want good flowers and garden area and already have decent soils, till in some horse or cow manure.

[robartsd]

Maybe this isn't helpful to you, but around here it's free.

Depending on where you live, many local municipal wastewater treatment plants offer either free compost, or free fertilizer, made from recycled biosolids.  It's all EPA-certified (by law) and often superior to what you can buy in bags from the hardware store.  You usually have to show up with a truck, and either shovel it yourself or be prepared to take an entire pallet.  Sometimes you have to schedule a pickup, other places you just roll up and take whatever you want.

I could never understand how local lawn care companies were making money from $75/mo maintenance contracts when they were applying $30 worth of fertilizer every month, then I figured out they're all getting it for free.

Some areas also collect "green waste" as part of the solid waste stream and provide free or cheap compost made from that. Of course you can also just compost on site.

[GuitarStv]

Pee in a bucket, and then spray it over your lawn.  Seriously.  If you eat meat, the odds are that your urine will be reasonably high in urea anyway.  You should have a steady stream of fertilizer with minimal effort this way.  Saves money by not flushing as often too.

[ANewLeaf]

Serious gardener here.  For your flowers and veggies, find a farm supply store, google or read the boxes to find out what's in the organic, slow release fertilizers.  You can then buy these components in bulk individually and mix your own fertilizer.

Miracle Grow, etc are just distilled compounds, but the organic options will usually tell you what components they're using (lime, canola meal, etc.)  So For instance, I make up a complete fertilizer for my veggies from alfalfa meal, lime, rock phosphate, bone meal, and kelp meal.  Slow release, works awesome.  Do some digging online for recipes suitable for your region and soils.

[letired]

Are these indoor or outdoor plants?

For most outdoor plants, you might be able to do a combination of compost and mulch, which as a bonus, ought to increase soil carbon over time, which increases the soils' ability to hold nutrients and moisture.

[Cranky]

Miracle Gro is not that expensive.

[Telecaster]

But I still need fertilizer (plant food) for my flowering / decorative plants.
What's out there?

I don't know how mustaschian it is, but I use fish emulsion.   The stuff reeks, but plants love it.   

[robartsd]

But I still need fertilizer (plant food) for my flowering / decorative plants.
What's out there?

I don't know how mustaschian it is, but I use fish emulsion.   The stuff reeks, but plants love it.

Most fertilizer's reek - it's the smell of the abundant nitrogen escaping.