GB2406255A

GB2406255A - Plant Container

Info

Publication number: GB2406255A
Application number: GB0322557A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Donal Geraldine Mc
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-09-26
Filing date: 2003-09-26
Publication date: 2005-03-30
Anticipated expiration: 2023-09-26
Also published as: GB2406255B; GB0322557D0

Abstract

A plant container 1 where plants 6 extend though holes 7 in side or bottom surfaces of the container, at least some of the plants having a collar (8, fig.2) around their stems lying adjacent to and on the inner surface of the container. The container may be a hanging basket, trough or planter. The preferably flat collar may have an opening (10, fig.2) formed by a plurality of intersecting cuts (11,12,13 fig.2) not reaching the edge of the collar, forming a number of flaps (15, fig.2). The collars are preferably made of a water impervious material, and may also have a pad of absorbent material impregnated with fertilizer. Also claimed are methods for assisting retention of compost and providing a slow release of nutrients, and a plant collar.

Description

1 2406255

PLANT CONTAINER

This invention relates generally to the field of plant containers. Such containers come in a variety of forms including hanging baskets, troughs and planters. In addition to planting up the container with plants and potting compost or the like through the open top of such containers, plants are also often additionally inserted through holes in side and/or bottom surfaces of the container.

Such plant containers are often formed from metal and/or plastics in open work form or of basket-weave (which is inherently open-work in form) and provided with a separate liner, sometimes with an intervening layer of moss. It is through the holes in the liner that the plants would then be inserted. Such liners are commonly made of plastics material which is generally impervious to water or from a fibrous material (forming a liner of pre-formed shape) which can absorb water to some extent but retains its form even when damp. Such liners are better at retaining potting compost or the like (which term is intended to encompass soil of all kinds, and any other suitable growing medium for plants) than was the case previously when moss was often used to line hanging baskets, but the moment a hole is created in the liner to insert a plant through the side or bottom of the container into potting compost or the like therewithin, the potting compost tends to escape through the hole so formed, creating a mess beneath the hanging basket, trough, planter or the like.

The present invention has been developed with a view to reducing or overcoming this problem.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plant container, such as a hanging basket, trough or planter, planted up with plants and potting compost or the like to provide a display with at least some of the plants extending through holes in side and/or bottom surfaces of the container, said at least some plants each having a collar associated therewith, each said collar being positioned around the stem(s) of an individual plant so as to lie adjacent to and on the inner side of said surface(s), each said collar having an opening therein configured so that the stem(s) of a said plant can extend therethrough with the material of the collar closely surrounding the said stem(s).

Preferably each collar is generally flat and has a circumextending edge, and each collar opening is formed at least in part by a plurality of intersecting cuts formed within the collar without reaching the edge. As a result, flaps are defined between pairs of intersecting cuts. This enables the collar to be mounted over the crown of a plant or over its roots by deflecting the flaps and allowing the flaps to return substantially to a plane defined by the remainder of the collar to substantially close the collar opening thereafter about the stem(s) of the plant.

The collars may be formed of a material that is generally impervious to water and in that case the collar may be modified so as to act as a slow release supply of nutrients to the plant. This is achieved by attaching a pad of absorbent material to the impervious material on the side which is not intended to lie against the inner side of the plant container. The absorbent material is impregnated with fertilizer so that moisture in the potting compost may dissolve fertilizer impregnated into the pad.

Accordingly, the invention provides in a second and alternative aspect thereof, a method for assisting retention of potting compost or the like within a plant container, such as a hanging basket, trough or planter, of the kind in which plants are inserted through holes in bottom and/or side surfaces of the container in producing a display; the method comprising mounting a collar around the stem(s) of each such plant so that the collar lies adjacent the inner side of a said surface to assist in obstructing passage of potting compost or the like in which the plant is planted from falling through the hole through which the plant is inserted.

In a third alternative aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for providing a slow release of nutrients to individual plants planted through holes in bottom and/or side surfaces of a plant container, such as a hanging basket, trough or planter, into potting compost or the like; the method comprising mounting a collar around the stem(s) of each such plant so that the collar lies adjacent the inner side of a said surface; the collar comprising an impervious material to which a pad of absorbent material is attached on the side thereof that does not lie adjacent the said inner side, the absorbent material being impregnated with fertilizer, allowing moisture in the potting compost to dissolve fertilizer impregnated into the pad, whereby the pad acts as a slow release supply of nutrients to the said plant.

The plant collar itself is believed novel per se, although plant collars have been used around the stem(s) of plants, for example brassicas, when planting in open ground, to prevent disease or attack by pests.

The invention is hereinafter more particularly described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. I is a generally schematic overall perspective view of a plant container in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of an embodiment of plant collar useful in the plant container of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view through a preferred embodiment of collar, taken along the line III-III in Fig. 2.

Referring first to Fig. 1, there is shown, generally schematically, a conventional wire-form hanging basket, generally indicated 1. Such plant containers are formed from metal, usually plastics coated metal, or from plastics, in an open- work form. To prevent potting compost or the like simply falling through the sides and bottom of the container, it must be provided with some form of liner 2. Such liners are commonly formed of plastics material, commonly plastics sheeting, or from fibrous board material which has a generally solid form corresponding to the shape of the wire-form basket. Plants 3 are planted into potting compost or the like 4 through open top 5 of the container. Plants 6 may also be planted through holes 7 either pre-formed in the liner or formed at will by the user when planting up the container.

To prevent potting compost or the like simply falling through the opening 7, I employ a plant collar 8, shown to an enlarged scale in Fig. 2, within the container and adjacent its side or bottom surface in which the hole 7 is formed.

Plant collar 8 is generally disc-like in form, though its circumextending edge 9 need not be circular in form as shown in Fig. 2 but could take any other selected form such as square, hexagonal, etc. Opening 10 is formed generally centrally in collar 8. As shown, opening 10 in this embodiment is formed by a plurality of intersecting cuts 11, 12, 13 within the material of the collar which do not extend as far as edge 9. The cuts may be formed without any removal of material.

Alternatively a small amount of material is removed to form an opening (here shown in dotted lines at 14) through the material of collar 8 where the cuts would otherwise intersect. In either event, a plurality of flaps, such as 15 are defined between each pair of intersecting cuts. These enable the collar to be pushed over the crown of a plant, or alternatively over the roots of a plant by bending back the flaps so formed, to effectively enlarge the opening, the flaps being allowed to return, thereafter, substantially to the plane of the remainder of the collar so that the collar closely surrounds the stem(s) of the plant. When the plant, with collar, is then inserted through a hole such as hole 7 of Fig. l from the inner side of the plant container, collar 8 will largely effectively obstruct hole 7 so as to restrict the likelihood of potting compost inserted into the container around and about plant 6 and any other plants with which it is planted up falling through the holes such as hole 7.

Alternative arrangements in which collar 8 is formed as a split-collar with a single cut running from its centre (which may have a small opening such as that shown at 14 in Fig. 2) to its edge can be used, but are considered less reliable, as there is always the risk that the split along the line from centre to edge may open under some conditions to possibly allow some spillage of potting compost.

Collars 8 may be formed of any impervious material such as polythene.

Liner 2 and collars 8 may be formed of the same material, such as black polythene.

However, I have found it particularly beneficial to make collars 8 out of a composite material (see Sectional view of Fig. 3), which has a pad 16 of absorbent material attached to one side of an impervious sheet 17. The impervious sheet may have a plurality of punctures 18 therein for the purpose explained below, but arrangements without such punctures are also contemplated. Such composite materials are commonly used as wound dressings and are sold, for example, under the Trademark Melolin. In the case of wound dressings it is the impervious material which is placed against an open wound and moisture in the wound is drawn through the punctures into the dry pad of absorbent material on its other side. In the case of plant collars 8, however, the pad 16 of absorbent material is suitably impregnated with a fertilizer. When the collar is used over a plant in a plant container as described above so that the pad side of the collar does not lie adjacent the inner surface of the plant container in use, moisture in the potting compost or the like is enabled to dissolve nutrients from the fertilizer-impregnated pad to feed the adjacent roots of the plant. When punctures 18 are present, they allow air to pass through the impervious sheet, which will have a slight drying effect on the pad 16, thereby preventing it from absorbing and retaining too much water, for example when the container is watered, and so avoids the risk of the plant rotting by being over wet. These punctures are so small that potting compost will not pass therethrough.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated herein primarily with reference to wire-form hanging baskets, it is not so restricted.

The invention is applicable to any form of plant container in which plants are inserted through holes in side and/or bottom surfaces of the container to form a display, and expressly includes arrangements in which the container may have an outer lining of moss with an inner lining formed of plastics sheeting or pre-formed of board, and basket-weave arrangements similarly lined.

Claims

Claims: 1. A plant container, such as a hanging basket, trough or planter,

planted up with plants and potting compost or the like to provide a display with at least some of the plants extending through holes in side and/or bottom surfaces of the container, said at least some plants each having a collar associated therewith, each said collar being positioned around the stem(s) of an individual plant so as to lie adjacent to and on the inner side of said surface(s), each said collar having an opening therein configured so that the stem(s) of a said plant can extend therethrough with the material of the collar closely surrounding the said stem(s).
2. A plant container according to Claim 1, wherein each said collar is generally flat and has a circumextending edge, and each collar opening is formed at least in part by a plurality of intersecting cuts formed within the collar without reaching said edge, thereby defining flaps between pairs of intersecting cuts enabling the collar to be mounted over the crown or the roots of a said plant by deflecting the flaps, and allowing the flaps to return substantially to a plane defined by the remainder of the collar to substantially close the collar opening about the stem(s) of the said plant.
3. A plant container according to Claim I or Claim 2, wherein the collars are formed of a material that is generally impervious to water.
4. A plant container according to Claim 3, wherein each collar comprises a pad of absorbent material attached to the impervious material on the side thereof that does not lie adjacent the said inner side, the absorbent material being impregnated with fertilizer, thereby allowing moisture in the potting compost to dissolve fertilizer impregnated into the pad, whereby the pad acts as a slow release supply of nutrients to the said plant.
5. A plant container according to Claim 4, wherein the impervious material has a plurality of punctures therein that are sufficiently small to prevent potting compost passing therethrough, but which allow air to pass through the impervious material.
6. A plant container according to any preceding claim, wherein the plant container is formed from metal and/or plastics in open-work form or of basket- weave, and is provided with a liner, the said holes being formed in side and/or bottom surfaces of the liner.
7. A plant container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
8. A method for assisting retention of potting compost or the like within a plant container, such as a hanging basket, trough or planter, of the kind in which plants are inserted through holes in bottom and/or side surfaces of the container in producing a display; the method comprising mounting a collar around the stem(s) of each such plant so that the collar lies adjacent the inner side of a said surface to assist in obstructing passage of potting compost or the like in which the plant is planted from falling through the hole through which the plant is inserted.
9. A method for providing a slow release of nutrients to individual plants planted through holes in bottom and/or side surfaces of a plant container, such as a hanging basket, trough or planter, into potting compost or the like; the method comprising mounting a collar around the stem(s) of each such plant so that the collar lies adjacent the inner side of a said surface; the collar comprising an impervious material to which a pad of absorbent material is attached on the side thereof that does not lie adjacent the said inner side, the absorbent material being impregnated with fertilizer, allowing moisture in the potting compost to dissolve fertilizer impregnated into the pad, whereby the pad acts as a slow release supply of nutrients to the said plant.
10. A method according to Claim 9, wherein the impervious material is provided with a plurality of punctures therein that are too small to allow potting compost or the like to pass therethrough, but are effective to allow air to pass through the impervious material.
11. A method according to any of Claims 8 to 10, wherein the plant container is formed from metal and/or plastics in open-work form, and is provided with a liner, the said holes being formed in side and/or bottom surfaces of the liner.
12. For assisting retention of potting compost or the like within a plant container, such as a hanging basket, trough or planter, a method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
13. For providing a slow release of nutrients to individual plants planted through holes in bottom and/or side surfaces of a plant container, a method substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
14. A plant collar for use in a plant container according to any of Claims 1 to 7 or in a method according to Claims 8 or 12 or to Claim 11 as appendent to Claim 8, the collar being generally disc-like in form so as to be adapted to lie adjacent to and on the inner side of a bottom or side surface of the container through holes in which surface plants are inserted to form a display, the collar having an opening therein configured so that the stem(s) of a said plant can extend therethrough with the material of the collar closely surrounding the said stem(s).
15. A plant collar according to Claim 14, wherein the collar opening is formed at least in part by a plurality of intersecting cuts formed within the collar without reaching the circumextending edge thereof, thereby defining flaps between pairs of intersecting cuts enabling the collar to be mounted over the crown or the roots of a said plant by deflecting the flaps, and allowing the flaps to return substantially to a plane defined by the remainder of the collar to substantially close the collar opening about the stem(s) of the said plant.
16. A plant collar according to Claim 14 or Claim 15, formed of a material that is generally impervious to water.
17. A plant collar according to Claim 16 or for use in a method according to Claims 9, 10 or 13 or to Claim 11 as appendent to Claim 9, the collar having a pad of absorbent material attached to the impervious material on one side, the absorbent material being impregnated with fertilizer, allowing moisture in the potting compost to dissolve fertilizer impregnated into the pad, whereby the pad acts as a slow release supply of nutrients to the said plant.
18. A plant collar according to Claim 17, wherein the impervious material has a plurality of punctures therein that are sufficiently small to prevent potting compost passing therethrough but which allow air to pass through the impervious material.
19. A plant collar substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.