She wants small fruits for her pre-schoolers so I thought of Pippins, but I remember being told that they were difficult to grow, and I'm not sure the taste necessarily parallels that of a Fuji.

I think the ideal tree would be pretty compact, as it would go in a small suburban yard in San Leandro, CA. (Perfect if the boughs were short enough that kids can pick the fruits off of daddy's shoulders. :) I would want small toddler-hand sized fruits that are sweet and crunchy off the tree. It also needs to be relatively easy to maintain, as the parents have their hands full with the kiddies already.

I know the criteria are very specific but anything close enough would be great. Many thanks to anyone who can suggest varieties- I'll gladly do the research myself. :)

The rootstock has more effect on tree size and age of bearing than most other things. Get one on a dwarf or semi dwarf.

The Fruitnut

Fuji is a wonderful apple, and widely available on the full range of rootstocks, from standard to full dwarfing. But Fuji is not the only good apple around, and you may benefit your cousin by expanding your search criteria.

There are several apple varieties technically classified as "crabs" that are medium-small apples and very tasty indeed. The expert around here on these "lunchbox" or "pocket" apples is Lucky, who may provide his opinion if he notices your post, but a couple of the best varieties are Callaway and Chestnut. There are several others whose names momentarily escape me. With a little looking, you should be able to find these varieties on rootstocks such as M-26, or the semi-dwarf M-7, which might also fill the bill.

As for maintenance, while there are a few newer apple varieties that advertise resistance to certain apple diseases, keeping an apple tree and its fruit disease and insect free depends more on the prevalence of diseases and insects in your area than on the variety of the tree. It would be nice to be "fully organic", and not to have to spray at all, but most of us have to if we want our trees to prosper and produce edible fruit. It isn't much fun for a child to pick an apple off the tree and find the core full of black frass and a couple of codling moth larvae. If the children begin to associate apples with worminess, there goes all the fun. And you can grow healthy, non-toxic apples with some early chemical sprays, as I do here every year.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

This is my favorite tree. It is producing tons of great apples and I've only had it a few years.

I never saw a crab apple when I was a kid and I wouldn't assume that the kids will love their small size- kids often don't want to eat what they are not used to. Actually I never saw a kid turn away a fruit because it was too big- if anything large size is an attraction. They do seem attracted to bright red (I think that unfortunate tendency is hard-wired in our DNA).

I get a good chance to see what kids are attracted to at an annual picking party one of my clients has at his orchard (I make my living installing and caring for small orchards). About a hundred kids come every year. Ideally, they generally like a tree they can climb in, but I realize you can't wait that long.

If you are planting one apple, I would choose one that stores well and also can be used for baking if Mom or Dad likes making pies, crisps and other treats. Teaching kids to enjoy desert built around fruit can lead to a lifetime healthy association.

But if small and quick to yeald are absolutely essential I guess storage won't matter much. I'd take the kids to a local grower and let them choose the apple they'd like best. That way, they'd be invested in the project and learn more.

Applenut