Annton Nursery is based in Cambridge, a fertile growing area with moderate climates and rich soils.
Renowned for their ‘Enrich with Nature’ brand, Annton are significant players in the industry providing a wide range of products to big retailers such as Mitre 10 and Bunnings. With a focus on sustainability and exceptional plant quality, the team are keen advocates of nursery automation to assist.
Since 2012, we have enjoyed working together on ways to increase productivity and crop yields. Along with supplying general bags, pots, trays and other nursery consumables, we have installed a potting machine and more recently, a customised heated rolling bench system.
Before the new install, the team at Annton’s had persevered with heavy steel benches to support their propagation efforts in a 9m x 21m greenhouse. Along with rust issues, the benches were clunky to use, took up valuable growing space and were not designed to maximise productivity.
When approaching PrimeHort for a new hydroponic benching solution, our first task was a site visit to refresh our understanding of Annton’s growing environment. We set a goal to fit at least 75% of the floor space into benching in the greenhouse and introduce a heat source for faster propagation and long-term cost efficiencies.
We specified heated hydroponic rolling benches in aluminum for longevity. Customised to suit, they are easy to move around (much lighter than steel), durable, and safe. Each tabletop rolls side-to-side to maximise usable areas, and walkways can be shifted to suit while taking up the least amount of space possible.
The best heating solution for Annton’s was a piped, hot water system using a boiler for the heat source.
For propagation, the importance of heating cannot be underestimated. Increasing soil temperatures with heat mats or piped hot water will help fragile seedlings form a good root base. Faster seed germination and higher plant survival rates are further reasons to invest in heated propagation.
Ornamentals, shrubs, and crops such as peppers, tomatoes, melons and cucumbers all benefit from heating.
While a piped, hot water system is initially higher to set up than an electric blanket model because it requires a boiler unit, the long-term running costs are more efficient.
“We are very happy with our heated bench system and have seen a noticeable increase in our germination rates and seedling emergence. Just as importantly, our team are enjoying an easier workspace, with light benches to move around and efficient walkways. Installation was completed in a couple of days, with little to no disruption to our productivity.”
Steve Burton | Owner of Annton Nursery.
If you are weighing up the return on investment, heated benches will generally have a payback period of about three to five years. As an investment guide, an electric blanket solution e.g., a basic 1.2m x 5m heat mat starts from about $1600+GST. Piped, hot water solutions will be circa $30k +GST plus the Boiler Unit circa $15k +GST, including the install (depending on location).
We hold a basic level of rolling benches in stock, but due to the tailored nature of this product, growers should allow for a lead-time of about 16 weeks from initial quote to installation.
If you are interested in heated propagation to boost profit in your business, please get in touch.
