2022 - In spite of a pretty big case of oystershell scale which I didn't realize until mid winter, the tree did fine. I tried scrubbing the scale off early April with a toothbrush and soapy water as some had suggested, but mostly just covered myself with soap. I ended up scraping off all I could with my thumbnail (worked well), continuing to do that whenever I went by. Then in early April it got a good coat of Neem Oil. It seemed to help, they were set back anyway. I would occasionally scrape off a few but mostly didn't pay much more attention, until December when I realized it still had a light but definite scale issue. This time I used a plastic mesh pad and the reliable thumbnail and on a mild day patiently got off all I could see, doing a more thorough job than previous. I'll again spray Neem next spring.

The end of May it put out a dozen blooms! I nipped all but 3 off - it is still a young tree - thinking to let it set one or two apples. I thought it was sturdy enough for that. It was exciting to imagine finally getting a taste of this apple. But imagination was all I got as I decided it was just too small and later nipped off the rest. Maybe next year!

2021 - Doing fine, good growth.

2020 - Strong growth, healthy, 2 1/2'^.

2019 - Doing fine.

2018 - Good leafing, many rootstock suckers (removed). Cut off top 5" to graft onto a crab seedling (in case bottem doesn’t heal) [unfortunately graft didn’t take]. But tree did OK. Two 6" branches, a 2" one and top 8" growth. Plus looks like fruit buds on trunk? Coming along. Another root sucker growing. Bottom injury looks to be healing.

2017 - Good growth, rough leaves, insect leaf damage. Rib high. But bottom 3" eaten around late summer. Not much to be done but hope for best! Maybe not really girdled; can’t tell for sure.

2016 - Grafted 2016 (Fedco scion) on small seedling, a sucker transplanted from next to outhouse sapling, transplanted to east of fence (new orch). Small but 6" healthy scion growth 18" up on healthy rootstock (leaves large, healthy).

Online Notes: Fedco -  Fall-Winter. Chance Seedling. New Sweden, Aroostook County, Maine. Orchardist and fruit explorer Steve Miller of northern Maine introduced me to this seedling growing on the side of a potato-house earth berm in Aroostook County, Maine. Bears extremely well and the fruit is large, beautiful and the quality is very good. We’ve grown to like the apple very much. Large and absolutely magnificent round-oblate fruit. Perfectly shaped. A beautiful spotless red-violet color. Noticeably ribbed, but overall appearance is round. Keeps remarkable well, and tastes better in January than in October. A very decent dessert fruit that would likely be good for sauce. Very hardy. Z3-5.."