On Thu, 27 Jun 2013 18:28:00 +0100, David Rance
wrote:



I have had a very strange experience this year. In Reading I have a
smallish back garden with three apple trees, three plum trees and a goat
willow. This last I planted there some fourteen or fifteen years ago by
mistake (I didn't know what it was because I found it growing in one of
my pots). By the time I identified it, it was rather too big to move and
so there it was, getting bigger and bigger until it was taller than the
house! So early this year I decided to do something about it. I cut it
down to about seven foot in height.

The relevance of this story is about to become clear. The willow struck
out with dozens of new shoots which are now a foot or more long and are
thick with aphid. I thought about trying to get rid of them - until I
noticed that my plum trees, normally very attractive to aphids, were
completely clear and look more healthy than they have done for years.

I relate that for what it's worth!

You may want to look up 'sacrificial planting' - from memory
nasturtiums are a good aphid attractant.
--
rbel