Business is challenging, with staffing headaches, rising costs and weather challenges… we hear you! But smart growers are turning to mechanisation to raise productivity and profitability, and nursery automation doesn’t have to break the bank.
As a team, we are privileged to support growers of every shape and size, and we recognise that budgets vary considerably, and ROI must stack up quickly when it comes to nursery automation. So today, we’re focusing on a few of our favourite low-cost nursery machinery and greenhouse solutions. We review the entry-level gear that’s making a compelling difference for our customers – boosting productivity, dramatically saving time and keeping morale high (without the hefty price tag).
We believe in the power of mechanisation, so to support your goals, we’re running a birthday special. In 2025, PrimeHort turned 23 and we have teamed up with UDC finance to offer you 0% finance over 3 years (on purchases made before 30 June 2025).
So without further ado and in no particular order, let’s map out a few affordable options for you to consider:
This semi-automatic nozzle seeder packs a punch for its price! Suitable for almost all seed types, don’t be fooled by its size. This seeder can sow two trays a minute at 99% accuracy with pelleted seed. It can also be used for sowing irregular native seeds. A range of different nozzle sizes are available to match your seed type. Possibly 20 times faster than manually sowing by hand, what a game changer for a market gardener or commercial vegetable grower! Portable to move around the nursery, this humble machine will have you reaping the rewards immediately.
Price indication: approx. $10,000
Grower feedback: “The SEM100 is very simple to run, even for just a few trays. It doesn’t need large production runs to make it worthwhile. Mechanisation has made a huge difference. We used to have 4 people working 5 hours a day – now we’ve only got 1. Most of that is thanks to mechanisation.” Southern Cypresses.
Read more: The Power of a Seeder
Cost-effective in every sense – conserving water and optimising your efforts in the greenhouse. This affordable irrigation boom should pay itself off within the first year of installation. Suitable for small to medium sized greenhouses, the Monorail Irrigation Boom is not heavy or stressful on the greenhouse frame. Basic programming includes, speed adjustment 1-10m per min, watering date & times, number of watering passes, pre-drain setting, and creation of watering zones. Best still, this heavy-duty galvanised steel monorail is very quick to install and super easy to use.
Price indication: customised to suit, starting from approx. $20,000
Read more: Irrigation Systems to Maximise Crop Yields
The Tray Washer Mini is a maintenance free, simple to use machine, suitable for virtually all types of trays. As growers know, when nursery trays are not carefully washed and sanitised, plant disease, pests, viruses and other nasties can thrive. By cleaning the trays the next seedlings can get off to a clean and healthy start. When done manually, tray washing is a slow process and lacks quality control. Seedlings grown on a commercial scale that have health issues can be destructive to growers as they try to rectify the problem.
The Tray Washer Mini is built in marine grade stainless steel with fast rotating spray arms driven by a high pressure pump (not included).
Price indication: approx. $19,500
Grower feedback: “We are very happy with the tray washer. It does exactly what we want. We can easily wash 400-500 trays an hour. We’ve also noticed a 12% increase in yield of our microgreens, simply by washing our trays. I don’t know why every microgreen grower doesn’t have one.” Longkeeper Farm, Peter Thornley | Owner
Read more: Microgreens – Maximum Results!
An absolute cost-effective star for efficient potting in nurseries! Built to handle large pot sizes (10–35 cm), it features an impressive peat storage capacity of 2000 litres and a peat discharge rate of up to 100 litres per minute, ensuring fast, consistent operation. This portable bagging machine packs a punch for the price tag.
Price indication: approx. $28,990 +GST
Grower feedback: “The TV3 Machine has worked well for us – we are really happy. We were potting 16,000, 2.5L pots a day with about 10 people de-flasking, potting and laying out. We have potted up 100,000 2.5L pots in 2 weeks, so we’re pretty stoked!
What is also important for us is the versatility of the machine. We know we can use second-hand pots if we have to, or even PB Bags. It is a relatively low-cost machine with good versatility and that’s what we like.” Dr. Jo Stephens | Select Breeding Solutions.
Read more: Productivity, it’s in the bag!
Thermostat-controlled and designed to warm the roots of plants, these Heat Mats encourage germination, propagation and growth of seedlings by delivering constant, uniform heat to the base of seed trays and plant pots. The mats are easily installed onto a growing bench or flat grow surface – simply plug in and plant up – very cool (well hot!)
Each Heat Mat is energy efficient, making them inexpensive to run.
Price indication: starting from $615 per mat, with made-to-measure options available.
Grower feedback: “As a wholesale nursery with an online retail store, our products are either propagated from cuttings or seed in our own nursery. By using Heat Mats we have seen a real increase in our germination rates. The mats were very easy to install, with no disruption to our workflow. The heating element is laminated in foil sheets, so the temperature across the entire surface is very even, meaning zero cold spots or wasted space. We highly recommend using this simple and cost-effective product.” Nurseryman
Read more: Heated Propagation Drives Success
NEW! The economical Superb Output Fan Heater has both winter and summer settings. Designed to keep your greenhouse cool or warm depending on the season, this simple unit will prove hugely beneficial to plant health. Half and full heat settings ensures maximum energy efficiencies. Robust stainless steel construction means it’s built to handle challenging, humid conditions.
Price indication: $1850+GST
Boost productivity and precision in your potting line with this clever little unit! The Da Ros Fert Dosing Unit is a plug & play attachment that seamlessly integrates onto your existing NT2 or NT3 conveyor (200mm or 300mm width) and will deliver a consistent, measured dose of fertiliser to each pot as it moves through. No more inaccurate or wasted doses, it also removes the tedious effort of manually dosing each pot. This modest accessory has a production capacity of 1600 pots per hour.
Price Indication: Less than $5k +GST
Nursery Plant Carts make light work of transporting plants, flowers, greenhouse supplies, and heavy loads. These versatile carts are ideal for nurseries and are safe and easy-to-use. The SmartGro Cart prevents physical strain on your team while saving hours every day carting things from A to B. Heavy-duty, hot dipped galvanised frames, weldmesh deck and anti-tip protection make these carts a number-one choice for a busy workplace.
Price indication: $625+GST
Grower feedback: “We are in a period of scaling-up and rely on smart products to assist our land restoration projects. A simple but extremely effective time-saver for us in the nursery is the SmartGro Plant Cart. We now have four carts to help with the heavy lifting and we highly recommend them for shifting plants quickly and reducing the manual labour on your teams. They are designed well, solid with galvanized steel. We were impressed at how easy they were to put together.” Brodie Davis, General Manager | Project Parore
Read more: Nursery Plant Carts – Meet Our Winners
NURSERY AUTOMATION – SECOND-HAND GEAR
We regularly have second-hand machinery for sale. Priced to sell, fully serviced and ready to go, be sure to check the second-hand page on our website frequently because growers are often trading their gear with us. Likewise, if you have automation that you’ve outgrown, this could be an excellent option to upgrade more affordably.
We hope this article has highlighted how nursery automation can be an attainable goal for most growers. It can also be done in stages to keep your initial outlay modest.
Increasing productivity begins with making smart choices around automation, and we are here to support your decision making with expert advice, while adhering to your budget.
So don’t wait to automate! Scale up your profitability – talk to us today.
