Lewis Horticulture is an industry leading Australian owned production nursery providing superior genetic selections of Mediterranean tree crops, together with specialist knowledge and skills for growing pomegranates, high density olives, and figs.

These high value, in demand tree crops, have been selected due to their increasing demand, durability and ability to grow in adverse environments, requiring significantly lower water requirements than many other tree crops.

The Lewis Horticulture story starts on the fertile soils of the River Torrens at Underdale where Malcolm and Hartley Lewis’s father Raymond operated a successful market garden for many years before its compulsory acquisition to make way for a new university.

Managing director Scott Lewis said, “it was during these market gardening years that Malcolm and Hartley developed their love for horticulture and growing.

“Malcolm developed his skills and experience through working alongside and mentoring by industry legends, Doug Smart and John Lasscock, in addition to undertaking three years of further study and training at the Royal Botanical Gardens Adelaide. Malcolm’s younger brother Hartley completed his bachelor of agricultural science majoring in horticulture at Adelaide University and Waite Institute.

“In 1973 Malcolm purchased land on Grange Road at Findon and commenced his first business. In 1978 Hartley and Malcolm ‘teamed up’ and combined their skills to create Lewis Landscaping Service and Nurseries purchasing a 3-acre (1.2ha) greenfield site at Ledger Road Beverley.”

This business has now transitioned to become Lewis Horticulture. This entire site at Beverley was fully developed into an advanced propagation and production nursery.”

Within a decade it became obvious that the Ledger Road nursery was unable to meet the demands for the range of plants being grown and that further expansion was necessary.

In 1988 a 75-acre (30ha) property at Virginia was purchased and developed as a modern growing facility, this site had capacity and a range of structures permitting a broad range of indoor and outdoor plants to be propagated and grown, supplying the national retail sector, local government, landscaping markets and specialist commercial fruiting tree crops.

Ongoing research, seeking suitable crop diversification and improved genetics continued during this period and Hartley, during a visit to Italy’s National Research Council (CNR), Lewis Horticulture was able to form an important alliance with Italy’s largest research institution, permitting it access to key research data and the importation of the new genetics of very high yielding, low vigour olive trees.

This important development allowed Lewis Horticulture to further develop and commercialise the Italian research, developing full mechanisation of ‘over the row’ harvesting and mechanical pruning of olive trees in Australia, creating world leading developments.

The initial introduction of these genetics has led to further important developments of low vigour tree varieties and selections that Lewis Horticulture believes will steer the industry to its next stage of profitable olive oil production for many decades to come.

A similar situation has occurred during a visit to the Volcani Institute, Israel where Hartley Lewis was able to select high level genetics of pomegranates and import them into Australia.

Lewis Horticulture is the Australian holder of this important gene pool of improved and internationally grown pomegranate selections.

In addition, Lewis Horticulture has established research plantings of these pomegranates, olives, and figs at its Virginia nursery, allowing further and ongoing observation, development of differing management techniques, systems learning and choosing suitable selections for differing purposes.

Mr Lewis said all tree varieties are grown and observed for multiple years prior to release to commercial growers.

“Whilst Hartley Lewis oversees the propagation and production of these important tree crops, Malcolm links with growers, providing technical support, updates with learning and general assistance to those who wish to advance their skills and knowledge, or simply make good planning decisions.”

By 2002 the business had consolidated fully onto the Virginia site and Malcolm’s son Scott had joined the business in 1998 in a full-time capacity having completed studies at Urrbrae and University of South Australia with a Bachelor of Agricultural Business.

In 2014 Scott progressed to become managing director of Lewis Horticulture, transitioning ownership and management from Malcolm and Hartley, both of whom still work and assist in the business.

Scott Lewis said the pomegranate, olive and fig market is seeing increased consumer demand for fresh Australian produce.

“Lewis Horticulture’s improved genetics and growing systems are assisting in fulfilling this demand. Lewis Horticulture is continuing its commercial tree offer which extends to all states of Australia and has further commercial products pending.

“We thank all for their support over the past 50 years that has allowed us to develop and grow to our present position.”