JD Van Deventer's Kwekery/Nursery
We're proud
of our roots!
-JD van Deventer's Fruit Tree Nursery, Montagu South Africa
About Us
We are a family-run, stone and pome fruit nursery and chilli- farm, located at the base of the Langeberg mountains, just off of the R62. The Van Deventer's have been farming in Montagu for over four generations, starting with our great-grandfather in 1923, and nurserymen since 1978- we're proud of our roots!
Our Fruit Trees
Our fruit trees are grown in the Western Cape with the utmost dedication and care, using our family's expert knowledge and skills to ensure that our trees remain disease and pest free. All of our seedlings are propagated from fully certified plant material (whenever possible).
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Our Services
We grow quality fruit trees from both seeds and cuttings, expertly growing and then budding or grafting both the understock (root system) and the graft (scion) material to match your exact specifications.
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If you cannot find what you are looking for under our cultivar list, please contact us and we shall endeavour to accommodate you!
Handy Hints and guidelines;
Choosing the right cultivar and rootstock for you;
The rootstock (understock) and fruit tree cultivar that is best suited for your farm (or garden) is dependant on a multitude of factors, including;
-your soil type
-soil pH
-your water pH
-your available water
-your water quality
-the minerals available in your soil
-the availability of sunlight in your area
-the average number of cold hours in your region
-the amount of arable land you have
-the cultivars currently on your farm (due to cross pollination)
-your customers preferences
-the pests/ diseases in your area
-your farms altitude
- how much pruning, fruit/ flower thinning and maintenance you are willing to do
P.O Box 138,
Montagu, South Africa
6720
Please feel free to contact our nursery for helpful advice and recommendations as to what varieties would work best for you and your farm!
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Grafting 101
Grafting is a process in which two or more different varieties of a plant species (and sometimes genus) are joined together to produce a tree that will be hardier, healthier and/or more productive than any one variety on it's own.
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When grafting, the uppermost plant material is known as the scion. This is the part which contains leaf buds and will eventually produce fruit. The scion is the variety that is chosen for it's stem, flowers, leaves and fruiting properties.
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The lowermost part of a graft is known as the understock. This is the part of the graft that forms the roots. It is important that the rootstock (aka understock) is chosen for it's hardiness, root structure, vigour and vascular properties (ie; it's water and mineral uptake abilities). It also helps us to alter the overall height of the tree.
Sometimes, a third genetically-similar plant is grafted in between the scion and the rootstock, this forms the stem or trunk of the plant and is known as the interstem. This is generally chosen for hardiness, height control, disease resistance, or, as a way to bridge the gap between two plants that could not be grafted onto each other directly.
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The success of a bud or graft depends on a multitude of factors, including but not limited to;
-the age of the grafting material (ie; fruit trees younger than 5 years old are better for grafting)
-the time of year at which the grafting is done
-the time of year at which the scions are collected
-the way in which the graft is done
-the genetic similarities between the grafting materials
-the prevention of diseases and pests entering the site of the cut
-the correct alignment and binding of the cambiums of the scion and the understock.
Side note; Budding is a very similar process to grafting, however, the scion comprises of a single bud rather than a branch, and the process is slightly less invasive -as less of the rootstock is disturbed.