EP0076287A1 - Plant pot, especially for container-grown plants - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for cultivating plants cultivated in containers, this device having the shape of a container of polygonal section, preferably square or rectangular, made from a moisture-resistant cardboard material (1, 2) with a bottom (2 ) which can be mounted inside the container, and with tear regions (4) provided in the side walls of the container.

Description

PLANT POT, ESPECIALLY FOR CONTAINER-GROWN PLANTS. The present invention relates to a plant pot which is especially intended for container-grown plants.. Container-grown plants are plants which are allowed to obtain highly developed root systems inside pots or containers or wrappings of one kind or another, before the plants are trans¬ planted to the intended permanent location-

The previously known containers for such plants all have the drawback that the container must be removed be¬ fore the plants is set out. This operation will often injure the roots, and no matter how carefully it is done the tips of the root hairs may easily be affected so that growth is set back, thus partially defeating the aim of growing plants in tainers, which is to provide uninterrupted growth.

After the plant has been removed from the containe the container is theoretically available for re-use, but all experience shows that. such containers are not returned to the plant nursery or grower but instead, are stored to no purpose-or are utilized for other purposes. This is the case for pots and containers made of rigid materials. In an attempt to solve this problem, plants have been cultivated in bag-like contain¬ ers of plastic foil. The idea is that the plastic foil is to be destroyed, e.g. burned, after the plant has been set out. Such containers, however, still have the disadvantage that the plant root must be unpacked before planting, and a further drawback is that bag-like containers of plastic foil are not cap able of retaining their shape. This applies particularly to , the bottom of the bag. Containers of plastic foil are very well suited for mechanical filling with growth medium and mechanical planting of plants in the container, but as the root grow and the growth medium swells, the container of plastic foil will bulge out at the bottom, so that the container bottom becomes almost semi-spherical and the container cannot stand upright. It should also be noted that as the plant becomes larger and larger its center of gravity rises, and if at the same time the container bottom becomes rounder and rounder, the container plants will have to be supported in some way, for example, by placing the plants closely together to lean against each other, but this practice has the disadvantage that when one or two container plants are removed from the group, perhaps a number of the other plants may fall over and branches, shoots or leaves will be injured or broken.

There thus exists a need for a plant container which not only is suitable for mechanical filling of growth medium and mechanical planting of the plant, but which there¬ after as the plant continues to grow in the container remains capable of standing stably upright. In addition, the container should hold the plant root consolidated and prevent the growth of roots through the container so that the root from one plant will not grow intertwined with roots from an adjacent plant.

The pots and containers used heretofore have also been of a generally round cross-sectional configuration, and experience has shown that the growing parts of the root tend to follow this cross-sectional configuration of the container, growing in a circular and entangled fashion and causing the plant to become root-bound, which is undesirable for root growth. Experience has shown that such root-binding can be eliminated' y providing ribs or elevated portions in the pots and containers, but- this requires special arrangements when the containers are being made and produced. In the present invention, root-binding is prevented in a far simpler and more practical manner. There is also a great need for a container which permits container-grown plants to be planted without risk of damage to the roots and root hairs, and this is also obtained with the present invention, while at the same time the problem of getting rid of the containers after planting disappears of itself.

In accordance with the invention the above aims are obtained with a container which also is inexpensive to produce, since it is made of wet-strength carton material. The container can be mass-produced in large quantities in a flat state so that the containers are inexpensive to transport from the manufacturer to the nursery, grower or other user. Upon receipt by the user, the carton container is erected and the bottom folds out into the correct position automatically, in a manner known per se. The container has a rectangular shape which prevents root-binding and renders the container well suited for mechanical filling and planting. The flaps which form the bottom are so dimensioned that the bottom peaks upwardly inside the carton, the bottom thereby becoming sufficiently reinforced and supportive that soil or growth medium which swells during the growth of the roots will not manage to make the bottom bulge out. Thus the container will stand stably during the period of use. The rectangular shape also provided good utilization of the space available to the user. At appropriate locations in the side walls of the con¬ tainer, there are linesof weakening in the form of perforations cuts or the like where regions of the carton can be torn out, which is done when the plant is being set out, the plant being planted with the carton remaining around the root. The con¬ tainer is not removed, and the root therefore will not be injured. The root develops further in the new surroundings through the tornr-out regions of the container side walls, and in time the material in the plant container will decompose _- in the soil. In this manner the plants obtaxn uninterrupted growth and a very uniform and protected transition from one growth environment to the other.

The invention is characterized by the features recited in the appurtenant patent claims, and will be explained in greater detail in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1, in perspective view, shows an erected plant container of carton material, and

Figure 2 shows a cross section through the carton of Figure 1.

The carton which is utilized in the plant container of the invention is intended to have sufficient wet strength that it will not begin to decompose in the course of the time necessary for a container-grown plant to develop into a state ready for permanent planting. This period of time varies from one type of plant to another, and it is not a problem to give the carton the wet strength required in each instance. The carton has four side surfaces 1 and a bottom 2 as shown in Figure 1, where the side surfaces are drawn transparently for the sake of clarity. y The bottom 2 consists of four flaps which are formed and interlocked in such,manner that the bottom becomes closed when the flat carton container is folded out into position for use. The dimensions of the gussets or flaps at the bottom, however, are such that the bottom 2 rises inside the carton container, as may clearly be seen in Figure 2. The bottom thereby obtains, as explained above, good supporting capability and rigidity, and it will not bulge outwardly under the pressure from the growing root and swelling growth medium inside the container. Drainage openings 3 are provided in the bottom, in a number and of a size as required. In this container, which is well suited for mechanical filling and planting, the plant develops well and the rectangular shape has proved to prevent root-binding. Because the bottom peaks up wardly inside the carton, the container will stand upright stabl and securely so that the possibility of a plant's overturning an becoming damaged as a result is almost eliminated.

When planting takes place, the container and plant together are planted at the future growth location, and to give the roots the possibility of growing out into the new surroundings before the carton has decomposed, the container has removable regions 4 which are defined by perforations 5. The regions may be provided with tear tabs 6 so that they are easy to tear out. After a certain time, the wet-strength carton will decompose in the soil where the plant is planted and becomes part of the mulch. To reinforce the upper edge of the container and prevent penetration of moisture in the area where there is no soil inside the container, the carton con¬ tainer has a fold-over edge at the upper inside edge of the container.

The tear-out regions 4 may be of different shapes and sizes, and in the drawings three arbitrarily chosen versions are illustrated. In addition to the above-mentioned advantages, viz., that the carton container stands stably during the entire growth period, prevents the roots from becoming root-bound and enables planting with little or no damage to the root system, this container also permits planting to be accomplished far more quickly than with previously known kinds of containers, since, for example, removing a tight-fitting plastic bag around a root clump is time-consuming, in addition to the fact that such removal may easily lead to the root damage described previously.

The example illustrated hereinabove is intended merely to illustrate the invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection provided by this patent, as the embodiments of the invention will necessarily be adapte to the requirements of each individual kind of plant, e.g., sire plants will require higher or lower containers in relation to the cross-sectional dimensions andlarger or smaller tear-ou regions.

In addition, the carton material itself may contain growth-inducing agents, trace substances, fertilizer or other substances for which there may be a need.

Claims

Patent Claims.

1. A device for the cultivation of container-grown plants, characterized in that it constitutes a container of polygonal, preferably square or rectangular, cross section, of wet-strength carton material (1,2) , having a bottom (2) which rises inside the container, and in that the side walls of the container have tear-out regions (4) .

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the tear-out regions (4) are defined by perforations 1.5) or some other type of weakening.

3. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that the tear-out regions (4) have tear tabs (6) .

4. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the carton material, at the upper edge of the container, is folded over (at 7) , preferably inwardly.

5. A device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bottom, in a manner known per se, is composed of interlocking areas (2) which, when the container (1) is folded out from the collapsed position, automatically slide in self-locking fashion into each other and determine the cross-sectional configuration of the container.