Van Senten Waterplanten

Location:

Aalsmeer, Nederland

Crop:

250 species of aquarium plants

Surface:

14,000 m²

Type of installation:

Irrigation

Realized:

2022

Van Senten Waterplanten recently opened their third branch in Kudelstaart. A unique nursery, where plants are cultivated entirely on water, which means maximum water quality is critical. Stolze is proud to have advised and provided the company with the best water-technical system for this specific cultivation. We spoke to Brian and Martijn van Senten about the success, history and future of the family business.

It all started in 1965 in Vinkeveen, when their grandfather J.W. van Senten made the step from growing vegetables and pot plants to aquarium plants. As one of the first aquatic plant nurseries, he sold aquarium and pond plants to wholesalers throughout Europe. In the 1980s, the company expanded with a new branch in Aalsmeer, where sons Jan and Daan also joined the business.

More than 30 years later, it is the turn of the third generation. Cousins Brian and Martijn are jointly responsible for the day-to-day management and have led the process surrounding the purchase and renovation of the new branch. A shortage of space at the current locations, where cultivation was carried out on improvised tables under cultivation tables out of necessity, necessitated the acquisition of a new nursery in Kudelstaart in 2021. A spacious greenhouse with sufficient expansion options for the future.

Stolze as a total supplier for water

This former cluster rose greenhouse has been completely transformed into an aquatic plant nursery in recent months. The choice for a fitter was quickly made, says Brian: "We've been a satisfied customer of Stolze for years and they always come up with ideas, which gave us a lot of confidence to take on this renovation project with them." Stolze integrated a total package for water technology, including an ebb and flow unit, water storage and a fully closed system so not a drop of water is wasted. We also supplied a CO2 system with an equal distribution throughout the greenhouse.

24/7 guaranteed water quality

Maximum water quality 24/7 is essential for Van Senten Waterplanten. This applies to no less than 200m3 of water that flows over the cultivation tables continuously. To guarantee quality, the company, together with Stolze and Van der Ende Groep, tested a new sieve bend that can finely filter an enormous amount of water in a short time. A return water system equipped with a pressure-fed sieve bend came out best in the test. No less than 85m3 of water per hour is circulated via this closed system. The water is then filtered under high pressure, which separates any algae or duckweed. Even in the event of a malfunction, the water remains at the correct level, thanks to the spring-loaded valve that ensures the tables do not empty in the event of a power failure.

Renovation with a view to the future

The Van Senten family believes the company will have a bright future. The new nursery has plenty of expansion options, which were also taken into account during the renovation. For example, Stolze has set up the pipeline network and the water space in such a way that the capacity can easily be expanded with extra ebb and flow pumps, silos and pipes. Stolze wishes them every success in the new nursery!