Danfoss VLT drives and pumps help greenhouse grow ‘greener’
Water and sunlight are well understood as being essential to plant growth. But, as one of the largest nurseries for cut-stem flowers in the central U.S., Len Busch Roses in Minneapolis knows there is an additional factor: air. In fact, airflow is so important to the growth of Len Busch Roses’ flowers that the company recently turned to Danfoss to provide a variable frequency drive (VFD) to power the fans used in its largest greenhouse.
“As plants grow, they not only consume water; they also expire water,” said Rene Vahk, senior technician for Len Busch Roses. “All the water vapor and heat make greenhouse plants very sensitive to rapid changes in humidity and air temperature. In fact, small differences within the plant microclimate throughout the greenhouse will limit the size of blossoms and stems. Air that is too humid can also condense on leaves and petals, causing disease problems.”