I had a really bad slug infestation on my balcony garden last year. Because they were eating on everything, and were in the thousands almost, I had to resort to "poison" bait. Not one of the toxic ones, because I have cats, but ones based on Iron phosphate.

Still, it resulted in another pest: all those slimy slugs crawled under the floor cover and died there. Disgusting. Everything was full of flies and stank.
But mainly, it was mentally horrifying.

This year, I want to do it differently. Instead of killing them, I want prevention.

I already looked up online, but all "natural predators" are bigger ones, like ducks and toads, but of course that isn't viable on my small balcony.

So, I thought about already killing them in the egg stage.

What natural killers, like nematodes or bugs, do they have in this life stage?
What can I do to attract them?
How is that regulared by natural balance?

Anyway, I got outside and dug up some soil samples from different locations and spreaded them in the pots, hoping that there are some eggs or critters in there that are currently hibernating and then improve the natural balance in the summer.
It was only one hand full of dirt per big pot, but that should be enough I believe. It's only the catalyst/ starter culture after all.

Btw, I'm currently building up the soil for the following season. Last year has been absolutely great with organic living soil, and I want to improve on that.

The new soil, consisting of spent mushroom blocks, some soil, leaf matter, and more:

And the old one from a few months ago, when I harvested my hemp tree:

I plan to reuse it of course! No-till, a shit ton of organic matter, very well aerated with deep roots from the decaying plant that was previously in there. Extremely healthy dirt 🤌👌

Some pedologists like to split out every little detail when classifying a soil profile. Others? Not so much....

Pedologists are a prickly bunch; tons of strong opinions, so lumpers and Splitters have some epic arguments

To understand what might be lost, ecologist Janet K. Jansson taps molecular methods to explore Earth’s underground microbes, from the permafrost to the grasslands

For all the time I spend looking at various techniques and growing tips, I know shockingly little about soil, especially when you buy it at a garden center. Lemmy has treated me quite well every time I've asked for gardening advice, so once again I come to all of you to ask: What exactly differentiates potting mix and in-ground soil? What should I be looking for when purchasing soil? Is the type I choose all that important? Enlighten me soil scientists, and add any other fun tidbits you think I should know.

New method relies upon seismic technology that normally measures how the ground shakes during earthquakes.

The study

I just wanted to post two things. Spodosols are the best soil order and Spodosols are the best soil order. I do not give a damn about productivity, just look at that thing and tell me otherwise.

Canonical YouTube link

I've recently tried mixing the used coffee grounds in baking soda, and I'm seeing a very visible chemical reaction. I haven't tried putting it in the ground yet though.

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adi7918