From: songbird@anthive.com   
      
   T wrote:   
   ...   
   > We had a massive thunderstorm yesterday.  Tons   
   > of drama.   
   >   
   > My two bilberries now have new leaves at the   
   > end of every branch.  And they are so healthy,   
   > they are pretty!   
      
     that's good to hear.   
      
      
   > Could it be the nitrogen water?   
      
     rain is usually better than well water,   
   especially out west.   
      
      
   > Or, maybe a good wash off for any tiny aphids   
   > or something else I could not see?   
      
     a good rain will help with aphids but better   
   yet is some lady bugs or other predatory insects   
   that will eat them.  also keep an eye out for   
   ants herding the aphids (yes, they will herd them   
   like farmers herd animals and harvest their   
   milk or other products).   
      
     we potentially have many different kinds of   
   aphids in our area but there are so many lady   
   bugs that we rarely see them.  i've seen aphids   
   on plants five times in close to 20 years of   
   Agardening here.  there's a graying green type   
   that like brassicas that i've seen twice of   
   those five times.  i just pulled the plant and   
   buried it.  they were weeds or random plants   
   that were not true to type so i didn't mind   
   doing that to them.   
      
     insecticidal soap used according to the label   
   will help if you do have bad infestation or it   
   may also help to trim off some of the worst of   
   an infestation and destroy those trimmings.   
      
      
     songbird   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)