Esselen Kwekery/ Nursery

History:
Synonymous with Start Ruby is Esselen Nursery. Ferdi Esselen is considered the "Father of Star Ruby" in South Africa. Currently with his son, Leon Esselen following his legacy of nurserymen and horticulture that spans four generations. Ferdi started his nursery career in 1952 while working for various estates in South Africa and Swaziland. He has been a pioneer in the South African citrus industry, and not only has he rendered a valuable contribution by testing new scion/ rootstock combinations on his farm, he has also introduced the concept of high density plantings to this country.

The South African Star Ruby, which originated at Esselen Nursery, was produced from 12 seeds from Weslaco, Texas, which were given to Ferdi Esselen by Dr Anton Hough in 1974. A mother block of these 12 nucellar selections were then planted for horticultural and virological evaluations and from this block, selection lines 1, 6 and 8 were selected. They make up the basis of the South African Star Ruby grapefruit industry.

Situated close to Malelane on the banks of the Crocodile river and overlooking the Kruger National Park, Esselen Nursery specializes in citrus trees. Currently an average of 540 000 trees are produced at any one time, with approx 250 000 sold per annum. The production of the nursery throughout the year can be summarized as follows: seed germination takes 14-20 days; transplantation of small seedlings into seedling trays and moving them to the greenhouse where they are kept for 3-4 months, thereafter, seedlings are transplanted to 4 liter containers and then budded with the best possible propagation material. Trees are ready for sale within 14-18 months from seed.

The nursery is a member of SACNA (South African Citrus Nurserymen's Association) and is committed to the cost effective production of horticulturally superior trees in compliance management principles. Growers are supplied with a tree certificate.

Services:
The nursery has an experimental section where new cultivars are developed. Ordered trees are cultivated according to specific requirements of each individual farmer.Cultivar recommendations are made only after a climatic analysis has been done for the farmer.

Analysis of soil, determination of tree spacing’s, the selection of a suitable rootstock and the development of a suitable planting strategy, are essential for the commencement of citrus farming and here the nurseryman plays a vital role.

Planting guidelines and an aftercare program for young trees, are indispensable and thus the farmer and nurseryman have to work hand in hand over a long period.

Propagation material:
As an accredited nursery we only buy propagation material from the Citrus Foundation Block (CFB). This facility is situated in Uitenhage, near Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape.
Cultivars which are identified as having good commercial potential are listed for entry into the CFB. The horticulturally selected parent material undergoes shoot - tip grafting. This is to free the material from harmful virusses and other pathogens. The material is indexed to ensure virus freedom, and cross - protected with a mild strain of citrus tristeza virus (CTV).
Parent trees are then propagated in a screened insect - free environment, and planted in the field. After evaluation for trueness - to - type, these trees form the certified source of material for future budwood multiplication.
Budwood from the selected cultivars is cut from the parent trees, and multiplied in insect - free increase blocks, as well as shadehouses, depending on commercial demand and priority.
Through a rigorously controlled procedure, budwood is cut and processed, ensuring that each cultivar is isolated and correctly identified. In this way each bud can be traced back to its original source plant. All budwood we receive is treated with fungicides, placed in marked and coded bags and pre-cooled before dispatch.

We have an on-going mission to look into new and more effective methods to improve the nursery's productivity, save costs and ultimately be an advantage to the citrus industry.