There’s more photo’s but I don’t know how to share them.

TL;DR: windy balcony up high invaded by aphids, what to do?

Situation
I have a balcony some 10 storeys high, in the Netherlands, and like to make it into a lush miniature balcony garden, so I have a lot of plants.
Unfortunately the balcony often gets a lot of wind, and nearly all the plants are being invaded by aphids of various sorts. Many of the plants are dying or struggling, with a small exception of the broccoli, hedera helix, some gifted alium bulbs, and a recently added hop plant which grows like there’s no tomorrow.
The balcony only has an open front; the sides and top are all closed. Despite that, even the plants in the back are regularly shaken by gusts of wind.

What I’ve tried

  • given the plants plenty of water and nutrients with worm compost
  • squished a bunch of the aphids (not my thing, but worth a shot)
  • added local flowering plants to attract natural enemies
  • added other flowers like common marigold and a ladybug flower seed mix
  • led the rose plant to the front of the balcony
  • added two hedera helix plants in the hopes they’d grow into a sort of frame around the front, but they’re not doing much yet
  • bought and spread out ladybug larvae multiple times over the past few years
  • added two bee/insect hotels
  • filled a pot with leaves and placed it upside-down on a large planter, hoping to attract earwigs and other aphid enemies
  • added a ladybug hotel; a wooden box with horizontal slids, filled with leaves

The ladybug larvae help a little, but the problem with an open balcony is that eventually they fly away.

Effects of plants on attracting enemies and repelling aphids
I’ve been trying to attract natural enemies like ladybugs and hover flies by adding flowering plants, but it’s not working.
This year I’ve had about half a dozen marigolds flowering, and a few other plants, but they don’t last long because of the aphids. The rose plant and white grape plant are also suffering from white fuzzy aphid-like bugs, shown in the photo, in addition to the green aphids.
Even the mint plants and rosemary, which supposedly aphids don’t like, were attacked by the little green bastards.

–

I’m running out of ideas.
I’m thinking of putting more native and local plants on the front of the balcony, but the way it’s going now, I’m not sure if they would survive.
The lower half of the front is behind glass, blocking direct outside access to passing insects. Maybe it would help if I lead climbing plants along the front sides and the top? The challenge there is that it can get very windy, and this being an apartment building, I can’t have plants escaping the balcony.

I’d prefer to solve this in a natural sustainable way, do I haven’t used the soap option.
I can keep buying ladybug larvae, but that will get expensive with the amount of aphids every year.

Please oh wise internet, can you help me?

  • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
    8·
    2 days ago

    Dude it’s soap, not glyphosate.

    Personally I wasn’t able to get rid of aphids until I used pyrethrin. I tried evening else first, but sometimes you really have to use the big guns.

    • RamblingPanda@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
      1·
      2 days ago

      I had the best results with packing the pot into a bag and then blasting them off in the shower. That gets a little bit more complicated if the pot is bigger or your plants are rooted in the garden. But some spray bottles have a pretty powerful blast.

  • The_v@lemmy.worldEnglish
    8·
    2 days ago

    The fuzzy thing is a wooly aphid/mealybug in the sub-family Eriosomatinae.

    As for controlling them:

    Predators - parasitic wasps are by far the most effective on aphids and mealybugs. The second is lacewing larvae.

    Insecticidal soap works pretty well on them if sprayed directly on them.

  • .Donuts@lemmy.worldEnglish
    7·
    2 days ago

    I’d prefer to solve this in a natural sustainable way, do I haven’t used the soap option

    Do it, this works wonders. Spray the affected area with a soapy water mix (<5% “groene zeep” is plenty, you really only need a few drops) and rinse it off after a few hours.

    The soapy water mixture has less surface tension so they literally drown. Do this for a few weeks at most and you should be good.

    You can also use a mix with alcohol (I have 4/5th water, 1/5th 70% alcohol and a few drops of soap) for the tough guys, but bear in mind alcohol is way more harmful for your plants than just soap is.

    Good luck!

    Edit: there’s natural soaps you can use like biological dish soap - you don’t have to use a specific kind, you just want to reduce water surface tension

  • CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    6·
    2 days ago

    Soap is easy and it’s probably got less microplastics than the compost.

    Ten stories is usually above most insects, so I bet if you successfully interrupt the reproductive cycle they won’t be back. They probably came in on one of the plants or soil.

  • Medic8teMe@lemmy.caEnglish
    52·
    2 days ago

    You can make an insecticide from spicy peppers onions, ginger and garlic boiled in water to extract the oils. Chop and smash the veggies good first to help release the juices. Add them to a pot and bring to a boil then simmer for half an hour. Careful it makes your house smell delicious.

    Strain, cool and add to a spray bottle. The oils and capsicum will burn all soft shell insects. Add a drop of dish soap for best results the surfactants help hold it to the bugs but it isn’t necessary. Spray plants liberally a couple of times a day making sure to get in the branch crooks and under leaves as well as the soil surface.

    It works especially well for aphids and spider mites but be assured it will kill good bugs too. Insecticide is insecticide regardless of what it is made of.