FR2490925A1 - Plant pot holder with water reservoir - uses permeable porous pot resting in impermeable water container with top water level defined by wall openings - Google Patents

Abstract

The compound pot is used in the cultivation of indoor plants and comprises a permeable and porous e.g. unglazed earthenware pot (1) in an outer vessel (2) made of impermeable material. The vessel is at least as high as the pot with its base zones including openings (2b) which define the upper level of retained water and which are used for refilling. Retained water may occupy a max. of 20% of the pot height, the side of the vessel may be vertical, and the vessel may have an enclosing square section. Floor ribs may lift the pot above the invert.

Description

Method and device with water reserve for the cultivation of plants in pots.

The present invention relates to a method and a water reserve device for growing plants in pots.

Many devices are known for growing plants, consisting of containers in the bottom of which is provided a space intended to be filled with water, so as to constitute a reserve of water which, most often by the capillary action of 'a wick plunging into said reserve, ensures prolonged humidification of the soil contained in said containers.

These devices have many drawbacks arising in particular from the fact that - they include an artificial separation between the water reserve and the earth; - they operate for a limited period of time, taking into account the putrescibilite of the locks or their scaling; - they are complex to manufacture and, consequently, expensive; - that they are made from materials (most often plastic materials) which exert a harmful influence from the agronomic point of view or the physiology of plants; - they require a repotage of the plants bought in horticultural pots, then a repotting of the latter which are thus subjected to a handling and a transplanting dangerous for their health.

There are also known devices not comprising a wick, but in which the inner container containing the soil has, at its bottom, perforated depressions plunging into the reserve of water contained in an outer container, so that the earth contained in said depressions play the role of wick. If these devices are not affected by the defects inherent in the use of textile wicks, they nevertheless have the last three aforementioned drawbacks of pots, tubs or planters fitted with such wicks.

 I1 is finally common to arrange the flowerpots in plates or in saucers, mainly in order to receive the excess of irrigation water which can thus form a small reserve of water.

However, in this case, the direct evaporation of the water contained in the assistant is very rapid, while the evaporation of the water which permeates the earth, through the porous wall of the pot, is also very important; the water vapor being, in both cases, completely dispersed in the surrounding outside air.

An object of the present invention is to remedy the shortcomings or drawbacks of the known methods and devices intended to ensure prolonged moistening of the nourishing soil of plants cultivated in pots.

This objective is achieved by a method and a device according to which a pot produced in a permeable and porous material such as a "classic horticultural pot obtained in unglazed terracotta, is housed in an external container executed in a impermeable material whose side wall has a height at least equal to or substantially equal to that of the inner pot, and is provided, in its lower part, with a filling orifice whose bottom delimits the height of a water reserve that can receive the lower part of this container.

As can be understood, the method and the device according to the invention tend to integrate the conventional horticultural pot into a water reserve system and to make this pot play the capillary function usually devolved to textile wicks.

This method and this device offer several advantages.

The device is simple, easy to execute and implement, and also very economical.

 I1 makes it possible to avoid the operation of transplanting the plants after their purchase, and makes possible their cultivation in conventional horticultural pots in unglazed terracotta which, by the balance achieved between humidification and aeration is excellent from the point in terms of agronomy and plant physiology.

 I1 authorizes the constitution of a large water reserve allowing a prolonged irrigation of the soil of the pots and whose spontaneous evaporation contributes to obtaining a balanced vapor exchange, through the wall of the pot, between the vapor generated by the water contained in the latter and that emanating from the water of said reserve.

These aims, characteristics and advantages, and others still, will emerge more clearly from the description which follows and from the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is an axial sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a view identical to Figure 1, illustrating the device in the operating situation.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the outer container.

Figure 4 is a plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a partial view in vertical section, showing an alternative embodiment of the means ensuring the passage of water below the inner pot.

Reference is made to said drawings to describe an interessaht example, although in no way limitative, of making the device and implementing the method according to the invention.

This device consists of an interior pot 1 made of a permeable material, and an exterior container 2 made of a waterproof material.

The inner pot 1 is made of a material having a porosity sufficient to allow a passage or exchange of air and water through its walls, in at least its lower part.

 I1 is, preferably, constituted by a conventional horticultural pot made of unglazed terracotta, of general frustoconical shape or other.

According to the method of the invention, this pot is housed in the waterproof outer container 2, which can be made of all suitable materials such as plastics, enameled terracotta or woven worms, etc.

The outer container 2 may advantageously have a parallel-piped shape and have a square cross section.

Advantageously, the invention combines an inner pot 1 of generally frustoconical shape and an outer container 2 of square horizontal section and whose inner bisectors have a dimension substantially equal to or barely greater than the largest outside diameter of the upper part of said pot. .

One of the vertical side walls 2a of the container 2 is provided with an opening 2b, the lower edge of which delimits the height of the water reserve 3 constituted by the lower part of said container.

The opening 2b is arranged in the lower part of the container 2, so that its lower edge delimits a reserve of water whose height corresponds to about 1/5 of the height of said pot.

The side walls 2a of the outer container preferably have a height equal to or substantially equal to the height of the inner pot.

The pot 1 rests on the bottom 2c of the container 2. In order to avoid blocking the axial orifice cleaning in the bottom of the pot, the device according to the invention comprises means making it possible to reserve a space below said pot, this space allowing the passage of the calf below the latter. These means are preferably constituted by ribs 2d (Figures 1 to 3) or by channels 2e (Figure 5) which is provided with the bottom 2c of the container; these ribs or channels may have a cruciform (as illustrated) or other arrangement and their length being greater than the diameter of the base of the pot.

For the same purpose, it would also be possible to provide the base of the pot with elevating projections, but this would require special manufacture of the pots, so that the abovementioned solutions are more advantageous and preferable.

The external container associated with a pot of determined dimensions, is designed so that there remains a small space e between the peripheral surface of the upper rim 1b of the pot and the internal surface of the upper part of the external container.

The association of a frustoconical interior pot and an external container of square section meets this need because the space, annular 4 included between the upper part of the pot and the surface of the water reserve and delimited, moreover , by the external lateral surface of the said pot and the internal lateral surface of the said container, opens at the upper part of the assembly, only at the four angles of the latter. In this case, the annular space 4 constitutes an aeration and vapor exchange chamber.

When the device comprises an inner pot of circular section such as a conventional horticultural pot, and an outer container of quadrangular section, for example square, the latter may also include, at its top, a horizontal obturating wall provided with a circular opening of diameter barely greater than the largest diameter of the pot, or portions of angular obturating wall 2f whose free edge is provided with a notch; said obturating wall or said portions -of obturating wall delimiting the space e and the chamber 4 for ventilation and vapor exchange.

It is understood that, according to the device and the method of the invention, the permeable pot l such as a conventional horticultural pot which can therefore be the pot containing the plant which one has just bought from the florist or from the nurseryman, is housed in the waterproof container 2 on the bottom of which it rests by its base.

Water is introduced into the container 2, through the opening 2b for example, until its level reaches that of the lower edge of said opening.

 It is thus possible to maintain the irrigation of the soil contained in the pot until the water reserve dries up, the lower part of the latter bathing in said reserve fulfilling the function of a wick by the phenomenon of capillarity which occurs through the porous wall of said pot.

As shown by the arrows in Figure 2, an equilibrium exchange is created, through the side wall of the pot, between the evaporation produced by the water reserve and that which emanates from the water permeating the earth contained in this latest ; the excess steam condensing on the walls of said pot and of the container and flowing, by runoff, into said reserve.

Claims (10)

1. - Water reserve device for growing plants in pots, characterized in that it comprises a pot (1) made of a permeable and porous material such as a conventional horticultural pot obtained in unglazed terracotta, this pot being housed in an outer container (2) made of a waterproof material, the side wall (2a) of which has a height at least equal to or substantially equal to that of the inner pot, and is provided, in its lower part, with a filling opening (2b), the bottom of which delimits the height of a reserve of water which the lower part (3) of this container can receive. 2. - device with reserve of water for the cultivation of potted plants according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening (2b) formed in the side wall of the outer container (2), is arranged so that its edge lower delimits a water reserve (3) of a height corresponding to approximately 1/5 of the height of the interior pot (1). 3. - Water reserve device for growing plants in pots, according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the side wall (s) (2a) of the outer container (2) is or are vertical (s). 4. - Device with reserve of water for the cultivation of plants in pots, according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it combines an interior pot (1) of generally frustoconical shape and an exterior container ( 2) of square horizontal section whose internal bisectors have a dimension substantially equal to or barely greater than the largest outside diameter of the upper part of said pot. 5. - Device with reserve of water for the cultivation of plants in pots, according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the external container (2) comprises, at its top, a sealing wall (2f) in one or more portions. 6. - Device with reserve of water for the cultivation of plants in pots, according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the external lateral surface of the pot (1) and the internal lateral surface of the container (2 ) define a chamber (4) for ventilation and gas exchange, above the surface of the water reserve (3). 7. - Device with reserve of water for the cultivation of plants in pots, according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means (2d or 2e) making it possible to reserve a space below the pot (1), which allows the passage of water below the base of the latter. 8. - A water reserve device for growing plants in pots, according to claim 7, characterized in that the bottom (2c) of the container (2) is provided with ribs (2d) on which the pot (1) rests. . 9. - Water reserve device for growing plants in pots, according to claim 7, characterized in that the bottom (2c) of the container (2) on which the pot (1) rests is provided with channels (2e ). 10. - Water reserve method for growing plants in pots, characterized in that a pot (1) made of a permeable and porous material such as a conventional horticultural pot obtained in unglazed terracotta, is housed in an outer container (2) made of an impermeable material, the side wall (2a) of which has a height at least equal to or substantially equal to that of the inner pot and in the lower part of which a filling opening (2b) is provided , so that after introducing a certain amount of water into said container, a water reserve (3) is created in the bottom of the latter, the height of which is determined by the lower edge of said opening and which, by the capillary action of the wall of the pot, allows the irrigation of the nourishing earth contained in the latter.