FR2855013A1 - Shrub producing process, involves guiding part of shoots of shrubs during their growth, along plane of frame, and homogeneously maintaining density of shoots in plane and limiting growth of shoots in orthogonal direction - Google Patents

Abstract

The process involves guiding a part of shoots of shrubs during their growth, along a plane of a frame. The density of the shoots is homogeneously maintained in the plane and the growth of the shoots is limited in orthogonal directions of the plane. The plane is vertical and includes an axis of the trunk of the shrubs. A network of branches that are parallel and slightly inclined with respect to a horizontal plane is formed. Independent claims are also included for the following: (a) a shrub susceptible to be obtained by a process of producing shrubs (b) a hedge of shrubs that are obtained by the process of producing the shrubs.

Description

1- TO 2855013

  The present invention relates to a process for the production of shrubs, to the shrubs obtained and to hedges produced with these shrubs.

  The technical field of the invention is that of the production of shrubs.

  A hedge is usually used to close a property or to isolate manholes or shelter a garden or a building from the wind; to obtain a thick plant screen, the young seedlings of shrubs intended to form a hedge are spaced, when they are planted, from a distance of about 0.50 to 1 meter; the ordinary growth speed of most species requires waiting several years before obtaining a real hedge: six years are often necessary to obtain a dense, regular hedge, not very thick, two meters in height.

  When one of the shrubs of a hedge dies, it is difficult to reconstruct a homogeneous hedge identically; in fact, the shrubs adjacent to the dead shrub hinder the growth of the young plant replacing the old one. On the other hand, we observe a root competition when two subjects are planted within one meter of each other; moreover, the cost of acquiring and maintaining a hedge is relatively high.

  An object of the invention is to remedy these drawbacks.

  An objective pursued by the invention is to facilitate the planting, growth and maintenance of a hedge of shrubs.

  An objective of the invention is to reduce the cost of growing and maintaining a hedge of shrubs.

  Another object of the invention is to facilitate the transport and transplantation of shrubs from one place to another.

  An object of the invention is to provide an improved process for the production of shrubs.

  According to a first aspect, the invention provides a method of cultivating young plants of shrubs and shrubs in which a substantial part at least of the shoots of the shrub - or shrub plant is guided during their growth, along of a plane, by maintaining a density of shoots substantially homogeneous in this plane and by limiting the growth of the shoots in directions orthogonal to the plane; this plane is generally substantially vertical, and contains the axis of the trunk of the shrub.

  According to another aspect of the invention, at least part of the shoots are guided to form a network of main branches or branches substantially parallel to one another, slightly inclined relative to the horizontal, so that these 10 branches or branches extend along at least one plane, until a shrub whose length is at least equal to its height, and whose ratio of its length - and / or its height - to its width or thickness, or lying in a range from 1.5 to 30, preferably ranging from 2 to 20, more preferably ranging from 3 to 10.

  A result of the invention is also to propose shrubs having these characteristics.

  According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a hedge formed from these shrubs in which the spacing of the shrubs is at least equal to or greater than their height, in particular greater than 1.5 or 2 m.

  The cultivation of shrub plants is carried out in pots or in the ground; in the latter case in particular, the tuft of roots of the shrub is preferably housed in a container; The shrub is then transported to the place of its provisional or final establishment, and the container is buried on site; this facilitates the subsequent extraction of the shrub for use in another location.

  A container with solid walls, of cylindrical or frustoconical shape, is preferably used for this purpose, inside which are preferably provided draining materials and an openwork basket or net surrounding a clump agglomerated at the roots.

  For guiding the shoots or twigs during their growth, use is preferably made of an armature comprising a network of rods, bars or similar filiform supports, which extend along the plane of development of the shrub; the shoots or twigs are secured to these supports by non-metallic links such as staples or ribbons made of plastic, textile or wood material, in order to avoid injuring the plant; easily breakable links are chosen to facilitate their removal and replacement.

  The invention makes it possible to avoid losing many shoots or twigs, which after orientation along said (or said) plane (s) contribute to the rapid production of a uniform and dense plant screen.

  In order to facilitate the subsequent separation of the shrub and the frame, the shoots or twigs are preferably guided so that they extend on one side only of the frame.

  The frame extends along the growth plan (s) chosen for the shrub; The frame preferably comprises a rectangular frame comprising four uprights joined in pairs by their ends, and a network of bamboo wires or rods extending parallel to one another, and fixed to two uprights opposite of the frame.

  The geometric shape (substantially matching a flattened rectangular parallelogram) of the shrubs obtained allows them to be placed side by side along parallel planes, which facilitates their transport; their transport and transplantation are further facilitated by limiting the mass of the culture substrate and rooting contained in the container, to a value of the order of 40 to 80 kg.

  Also for this purpose, the constituent materials of this substrate are preferably selected, so that the density of the substrate is less than 1500 kg / m3, in particular situated in a range going from 800 to 1200 kg / m3; according to a preferred embodiment, this substrate consists essentially of organic potting soil, river sand, peat, and pozzolan (or expanded clay); the proportion by mass of each of these constituents can be of the order of 20% to 30%, in particular close to 25%.

  The present invention therefore also relates to a shrub capable of being obtained by a method according to the invention. These shrubs are characterized in particular in that all of their branches extend essentially on each side of the trunk in the same plane or in two vertical half-planes intersecting along the axis of said trunk, preferably said branches being substantially parallel to each other. to each other in said plane or in each said half-plane, and more particularly still along a frame to which said branches are linked, said frame having a planar or dihedral configuration according to two vertical half-planes.

  More particularly, the roots are contained in an openwork basket, housed in a pot as defined above.

  The shrubs according to the invention can also, when they are dead, be used as decorative or utility objects.

  One can in particular keep guided branches during cultivation and 10 enhancements without their leaves in a luminous glass frame whose shape remains that of the hedge after pruning.

  It is also possible to use shrubs according to the invention as a gate leaf, in particular by adapting the pot in which the roots are contained on a rotating plate and by having the branches so that they only extend d 'only one side of the trunk in a half-plane.

  Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will be understood through the following description which refers to the accompanying drawing, and which illustrates without any limiting character a preferred embodiment of the invention.

  The single figure is a schematic perspective view of a shrub 20 according to the invention.

  The transportable and orientable shrub 1 illustrated in this figure was installed in a hole 2 dug in the ground 3 of the location.

  On a bed 4 of backfill provided at the bottom of the excavation 2, a cylindrical container 7 of axis 6 has been placed, which contains a mass of culture substrate 8 of 25 lI'b shrub in which the latter is rooted; the roots 10 and the substrate clod 8 are surrounded by a perforated basket 9 matching the shape of the internal faces of the container 7.

  Optionally, a plate 5 can be arranged rotatably mounted on the bed 4 along the vertical central axis of the excavation 2, this plate supporting said container 7.

  The arrangement of the pot 7 or of the basket 9 in an excavation 2 and on a rotary plate, is particularly suitable for implantations of mobile hedges, in particular in front of a picture window or a veranda.

  The shrub 1 has a trunk 11 of axis 6 and a bundle of twigs 12, 13 5 extending on either side of the trunk, along a planar structure 14 for guiding the growth of the shrub ; alternatively, the branches and the structure can extend in a dihedral configuration formed by two vertical half-planes intersecting along the axis 6 of the trunk.

  The structure 14 for guiding the growth of shoots and twigs 12, 13 10 comprises three vertical uprights 15 coplanar 22 one of which extending substantially along the axis 6 serves as a stake for the shrub, two horizontal bars 16 connecting the uprights 15, as well as two oblique crosspieces 17.

  The uprights, bars and crosspieces 15 to 17 form a rectangular frame 14 having a length 18 close to three meters (generally varying from 1 to 4 15 meters) and a height 19 close to two meters (possibly varying from 0.5 to 4 meters ); wires 20 are stretched on this frame to support and guide the shoots and twigs during their growth taking place largely horizontally, along these wires, forming a network of parallel branches.

  As illustrated in the figure, the growth of the twigs and shoots of the shrub 20 takes place on one side of the frame 14, behind that, over a width or thickness 21 close to 0.4 meters.

  In order to guide the growth of the shoots along the wires 20 of the structure 14, they are deformed as they grow, and they are temporarily joined to these wires by collars or ligatures made of plastic or plant material 25 (woody ) to, on the one hand facilitate the subsequent removal of these fasteners when the branch portion of which it is secured has taken a final position, and to avoid injuring the shrub on the other hand.

  In order to limit the growth of the shoots 12, 13 in directions orthogonal to the plane 22 of the frame 14, they are deformed so as to fold them down and flatten them along the rear face of the frame 14, and they are temporarily secured to the trellis 20 of sons of this structure.

  According to a preferred embodiment, the perforated basket 9 is made of polypropylene and the substrate 8 is composed of potting soil at a rate of 30% by mass, river sand at a rate of 30% by mass, peat at a rate of 20% by mass and pozzolan, at a rate of 20% by mass, and has a density close to 800 to 850 kg / m3.

  The present invention makes it possible to obtain a rapid installation, both in creation and in replacement, of a hedge of shrubs.

  Another advantage of the present invention is to allow a larger area of foliage for each subject, to ensure its chlorophyllian assimilation, as well as less root competition.

  Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a ready-to-use shrub with reduced hedge maintenance costs.

  Finally, the present invention is particularly suitable for operation in a rental setting, taking into account the possibility of transporting shrubs.

Claims (14)

  1. A method of producing shrubs (1), characterized in that at least part of the shoots (12, 13) are guided during their growth, along a plane 5 (22), while maintaining a density of homogeneous shoots in this plane and limiting the growth of shoots in directions orthogonal to this plane.   2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the plane (22) is substantially vertical and contains the axis (6) of the trunk of the shrub.   3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a network of parallel branches or branches is formed and slightly inclined relative to the horizontal.   4. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the ratio of the length (18) to the thickness (21) of the shrub and the ratio of the height (19) to the thickness (21) are located in a range from 3 to 10, 15 and in which the length (18) is greater than the height (19).   5. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the roots (10) of the shrub are contained in a basket (9) perforated housed in a pot (7).   6. The method of claim 5, wherein the capacity of the pot (7) is in a range from 40 to 80 kg, and wherein the growing medium of the shrub has a density less than 1500 kg / m3 , in particular located in a range from 800 to 1200 kg / m3.   7. The method of claim 6, wherein the substrate consists essentially of organic potting soil, river sand, peat, and pozzolan or expanded clay, the proportion by mass of each of these constituents being in the range of 20% to 30%, individuals close to 25%.   8. Method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, in which the pot (7) or the basket (9) is placed in an excavation (2) and on a rotary plate (5).   9. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, in which the shoots or twigs are guided so that they extend on one side of a frame (14) comprising a network of filiform supports (20), to which they are secured by ligatures, staples or collars made of breakable plastic or vegetable material, which frame (14) constitutes a structure having a planar or dihedral shape.   10. Shrub capable of being obtained by a process according to one of claims 1 to 9 characterized in that all of its branches (12) extend essentially on each side of the trunk (15) in the same plane or in two 10 vertical half-planes intersecting along the axis of said trunk, preferably substantially, parallel to each other in said plane or in each said half-plane.   11. shrub according to claim 10 characterized in that said branches extend further along a guide frame (14) to which said 15 branches are linked, said frame having a planar or dihedral configuration in two vertical half-planes .   12. Shrub according to claim 10 or 11 characterized in that the ratio of the length (18) to the thickness (21) of the shrub and the ratio of the height (19) to the thickness (21) are located in a range from 3 to 10, and in which the length (18) is greater than the height (19).   13. Shrub according to one of claims 10 to 12 capable of being obtained by a process according to one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that its roots are contained in a said perforated basket (9), housed in a says pot (7).   14. Hedge of shrubs (1) capable of being obtained by a process according to one of claims 1 to 9 or shrubs according to one of claims 10 to 13, in which the spacing of the shrubs is greater or equal to their height, and in particular greater than 1.5 or 2 meters.