Bespoke Sterilisation Tank for Plant Nursery

New plant pot sterilisation tank transforms cleaning process at South Lincolnshire nursery

Last we were approached by Penny Dawson of Hugh Nunn Wholesale Ltd, a plant nursery in South Lincolnshire with an unusual project!

Penny was looking for a better way to clean and sterilise their plant pots, trays, netting and nursery equipment for reuse on the nursery which would also reduce their plastic waste. Their existing system was time consuming and relied on handwashing and using chemical disinfectants to sterilise the pots. The Horticultural Development Company (HDC) ‘Wet heat treatment' to sterilise pots for re-use’ factsheet^* detailed the exact solution they required, basically a sterilisation tank using hot water, but finding such a tank was proving difficult.

After some further research online, Penny came across us, Sedgbeer Processing, who design and manufacture equipment for the poultry processing industry, specifically in this case, hot water dip tanks and wax tanks.

Penny had a list of key requirements for the tank which formed the start of the design process. The main purpose of the tank was to sterilise plant pots and trays for re-use on the nursery, killing off fungal spores, pathogens, viruses and weed seed. Drainage was also important, so the basket which would hold the pots in the water needed to have an appropriate drainage system so the tank could easily be emptied. It was essential to be able to heat the water to 70 degrees centigrade with a 1°C level of accuracy. Finally, the tank and lid needed to be insulated to reduce heat loss and make heating the tank as efficient as possible.

With this list of requirements and some basic dimensions, we set about designing a wet heat treatment tank. Tom, owner and product designer at Sedgbeer said “Using our experience building similar tanks, it was easy for us to adapt the design to suit this application”.

We calculated the exact power requirements needed to heat the tank up to 70°C from cold, within just a couple of hours and then maintain that temperature. The tank was supplied with an electrical control panel, with temperature control to +/- 1°C and an auto fill box. “This means the staff can be really precise in maintaining the water level and temperature during use, without needing to constantly monitoring it” said Tom.

Having a bespoke tank built to their exact requirements has not only reduced their plastic waste, but it has hugely improved the whole cleaning process for the staff at the nursery.

“It has transformed the way we approach things on the nursery, now instead of everyone dreading the disinfectant tank and pot washing area, they almost, look forward to organising, cleaning and sorting out the pots and trays!” said Penny.

^*The Horticultural Development Company (HDC) Research Project HNS 147 Factsheet.

Featured in Horticulture Week magazine online: https://www.hortweek.com/nursery-commissions-poultry-equipment-manufacture-unusual-project/ornamentals/article/1815543