Ab Pip as in Newtown? I don't know, my niece's were pretty much bug free with no spray but it's (or was ... I'm working on her and her acres :) ) the only apple within sight and her pear is extremely hard and late. I'd love to put a scion from her tree there but I think it would be the same problem different apple. If you meant AR Black it seems fairly bug resistant. By the time that tree was bearing the bugs were winning the organic battle and I was giving up and not even trapping. I'd still get a handful that weren't perfect for storage but were edible. I had some perfect apples from it during my neglect period but nothing to get excited about. Most of the damaged late term apples from it were apple maggot, they're constant all through the summer. I didn't start spraying (which is where I am a newbie) until late June/early July last year and there were some curculio drops but nothing like from the Cortland/McIntosh. But they are rock hard, or if I was writing a catalog, "crisp" (I wonder if the kids that stole a branchful in September will be stealing any this year). I hope my flowers are off and it's not going to rain so I can get out and spray today. A good fruit set of McIntosh without a wave of curculio drops will be heaven.

Thanks All. Harvestman, I checked back on my notes and last month's weather (from the Weather Channel- I don't keep notes on temps :) ). The tree opened first blooms on 5/2, and was likely at full bloom when we had 4 days of rain starting on 5/7. The first 3 days were mostly in the 50's, while the 4th day heated up to almost 80. I'm hoping for this to explain it, but it is also possible that the cold/wet conditions encouraged FB. I should also note that the Hudson's Golden Gem tree less than 10 feet away bloomed within 1 day of the Red Boskoop (they were two of the first trees both this year and last) and HGG is covered with apples (I've had to thin quite a bit). Sharppa, I haven't seen any other signs of FB, so I am crossing my fingers. I did a quick check for cankers and didn't see any earlier today. I'll keep an eye out for it though. Scott, how do you normally deal with blossom blight? Does it normally spread into the trees? I'm not sure how much I need to prune off, given it seems to be pretty dry and not spreading further (that I can see).

Donna, thanks a lot for your help! This bulb I'm talking about is one I purchased recently and it's sitting in coconut coir, basically all under the surface in a small pot. My gut tells me it's not really a big bulb and it has just seen 2 huge scapes ( 4 flowers on each) through blooming. I have to go easy on watering and fertilizing as the medium tends to retain water for too long and I'm not sure what the root situation is like. So, judging by what I guessed and what you said, the stash of nutrients in the stems might come in handy... I guess I'll just leave them on for the time being. BTW, below is the flower of that bulb. Does anyone have any idea what the hybrid name might be? It's really rather deep dark red. Bought it at a local florist's, not a supermarket, and the tag had a really dark, "Carmen"-like flower in the picture... Thanks again!

Elizabeth....I did post pictures of the johnsonii I have acquired and used in my pollination but have clearly stated that it is "a CLONE" of johnsonii. If it is "the real Johnsonii" or not..I am in no position to state so. This will be my last post in this thread and would want to just share my thoughts on these "Oldies but Goodies". I started collecting Hippeastrums/Amaryllis just 4 years ago. What bulbs I acquired of varieties are what I share pictures of grown under my care and growing conditions. If I share pictures of flowers other than mine, I always state who grew it and where it was grown if ever. If my flowers differ from others, I ALWAYS understand that variances are very possible. I should think that everybody (regular members)should understand this now and further explain to others (newbies). This is one reason why we are all here...to learn and share the wonders of growing this beautiful plant that we love...the Hippeastrum/Amaryllis. It involves educating oneself through one's own experience and others. Perhaps a lifetime education that should be based not only on what's written but also on new developments. The possibilities are endless...Let's move on, enjoy and grow beautifull amaryllises.