I'm about to give up my organic balcony gardening experiment. This is a cry for help. - SLRPNK
slrpnk.net
I’m a bit emotional right now. But in the bad way to be fair. I just got stung by a wasp without any reason, after having to take a extensive shower before because my body was totally itchy from all the mites and whatnot. UGH! 😫 I’ve been pretty proud in the beginning of this experiment, because there were lots of wild bees, beetles and other cool critters around here. It’s basically like being in nature. But I forgot that nature sucks… 🥲 For example, imagine laying in the grass and just chilling. Beautiful for the first 5 seconds, but then, you begin getting stung in the asscreek by a dozen ants and get everything ruined. Nature is basically dead in my area, so only the asshole bugs survive here. The whole balcony is swarmed by aphids/ mites as well as ant colonies that protect those suckers from ladybugs and other beneficial predatory insects. The aphids droop honeydew everywhere, which attracts lots of yellow jacket wasps, which in return could kill my girlfriend in minutes because she’s highly allergic. I didn’t even realise that asshole (the wasp, lol) is there until I got stung just by existing. I’m right about to pull the trigger and get my pesticides (neem oil/ pyrethrum extract) out. Also, I began to hate soil even more than before. I have to hunt for slugs every evening, because they’re everywhere, and I can barely stand a chance against them. There are gnats living in it too, as well as other unwanted guests. The plants in soil are starting to spread diseases and pests to my otherwise healthy plants in hydroponics. I will for example harvest my weed soon, and there are bugs sticking in the buds like in a glue trap. I have no idea how I should get them out of them, it’s just disgusting. I also largely prefer hydro compared to soil, not only because there are less pests, but also because due to the much lower water demand and control it gives me. The soil is guzzling water like crazy and still the plants are looking way less healthy. Spraying neem oil on my hydro plants and just not using soil anymore seems to be the way better choice right now. Sorry for the rant. It had to be. What should I do? [https://slrpnk.net/pictrs/image/abcab711-8e31-4a20-b815-5451bc94ee7f.jpeg] [https://slrpnk.net/pictrs/image/5118c329-a388-4d27-a98b-6b46ab594451.jpeg] [https://slrpnk.net/pictrs/image/8f265a42-979f-49c9-8677-dfd16487257e.jpeg] [https://slrpnk.net/pictrs/image/b7441209-c4d6-4539-843a-e4ab60184566.jpeg] [https://slrpnk.net/pictrs/image/1f63d8cb-592b-48ad-89ed-22a8d26f6215.jpeg] [https://slrpnk.net/pictrs/image/b38499c5-18a8-4add-af7e-d2351c63501b.jpeg]
  • @[email protected]English
    35•12 days ago

    Okay, just from the pictures, let me say what I think is happening:

    1. You’re growing too many different kinds of plants in a small space.
    2. You’re growing Cannabis, which draws literally every sweet-sensing pest.
    3. Those things on the underside of the leaves you posted are Ladybug larvae, and they are GOOD.

    You clear this up in about a week with a few simple things:

    1. Get a clutch of ladybugs from your local nursery or plant stores. This should be available almost everywhere in the US.
    2. Although I don’t want to advocate for this because I love local pollinators, get a pheromone trap for the stinging insects. They cost about $10, and don’t lure honeybees, but WILL kill local carpenter bees and yellow jackets.
    3. For the aphids, get a soap-based spray, or make it yourself. It’s pretty much just dish soap and water, but there are guides online. Spray EVERY MORNING AND AFTER SUNSET. This plus the ladybug clutch will make quick work of the aphids.
    4. I see you have Basil in containers, move that AWAY from the plants that are infested with scale or aphids.
    5. Depending on where you live, your nursery’s may sell Mantids. Get them. They are beneficial, but ruthless in eating and killing anything in their grasp, including wasps.
    6. If you have wasps around, there is a nest nearby. Inspect your building awnings, trees, or under anything shaded and find that nest. It’s not two doors over, it’s within 100ft of where you got stung. Find it, set a pheromone trap around your plants (not where you think the nest is), then after a lot of them are dead, go find and remove the nests next.

    Don’t leave standing water around, and make sure that you stay on schedule with the soap spray. Most of this will be cleared in just a week.

    Edit: also for the slugs and stuff, you’re growing a lot of stuff in a mostly shaded area, so you’re just asking for slugs. Line a general area around your plants with Diatomaceous Earth. It’s cheap, easy to use, and doesn’t harm anything that doesn’t crawl. Also, organic.

    Double edit: DO NOT spray this black bugs with the striped butts. Those will be ladybugs soon that eat all the aphids. They are good.

    • Günther Unlustig 🍄OPEnglish
      3•12 days ago

      You’re growing Cannabis, which draws literally every sweet-sensing pest.

      Funnily enough, my weed is pretty much the only thing (and chillis) that isn’t much affected. The willow is the worst one, and the pepino second.

      Those things on the underside of the leaves you posted are Ladybug larvae, and they are GOOD.

      Those larvae pictures are already a bit older, maybe two weeks? They probably got killed by the ants or wasps, because I rarely see them around anymore.
      I also rarely see any other aphid eating insects anymore, only ants and ants carrying carcasses :(

      • @[email protected]English
        6•12 days ago

        Okay, so why are you coming here with this dire plea, but not giving up to date information?

        Makes me think you don’t actually care and might be lazy…

    • @[email protected]English
      3•12 days ago

      Wasps fly a rather straight pattern back to their nest. Find the nest by using some food they like, such as a sugar drink, and see where they fly to when they leave. Move the container closer until you find the nest.

        • @[email protected]English
          1•12 days ago

          That helps to kill the animals if I understand you correctly. Your last point was to find them. It may surprise you, but I did not research the suggestions you made and don’t know their alternate uses. You could get rid of a nest after finding it without also killing the bees in your area (at least, public services handle that and I didn’t hear otherwise).

          You can find them and get them removed all without shouting :-)

    • @[email protected]English
      1•11 days ago

      Lacewings Are better ladybugs will only hangout during the initial stages and once there isn’t enough to go around most will leave.