GB2052234A

GB2052234A - Product for use in seeding plots and process for manufacturing the product

Info

Publication number: GB2052234A
Application number: GB8019994A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Karlholms AB
Current assignee: Karlholms AB
Priority date: 1979-06-21
Filing date: 1980-06-18
Publication date: 1981-01-28
Also published as: FI801942A; BE883924A; GB2052234B; NO801786L; SE7905479L; NO150461C; DE3022838A1; IT1131622B; DK264780A; FR2458983B1; CH647645A5; FR2458983A1; NO150461B; IT8022906A0

Abstract

A dry, light fibre board material, adapted to disintegrate to a suitable consistency when put into use has seed and nutritive substances incorporated in it. The board is composed of organic natural fibres like wood, straw, peat, alone or in admixture.

Description

SPECIFICATION Product for use in seeding plots and process for manufacturing the product.

The invention refers to a product for use in seeding plots of ground, e.g. for the lay-out of lawns and garden plots in quite general terms, and to a process for manufacturing the product.

The most usual way of laying out lawns is to spread grass seed and to follow this by watering.

One of the disadvantages with this method is that a great amount of the seed is going to lie so close to the surface that the individual seeds may tend to collect in patches during watering, which easily can result in an uneven distribution of grass on the finished lawn.

Another disadvantage with the method is that the seed lying on the ground constitutes an attractive and easily accessible feed for birds, so that to compensate for the anticipated loss, it is necessary to increase the amount of seed that is initially sown.

If a lot of birds are about, e.g. during flocking in autumn, there may be iittle if any seed left to grow in extreme cases.

Another disadvantage with the conventional method is that the weeds present may get out of hand and fully or partly suppress the growing grass.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a product for use in the seeding of plots of ground comprising a fibre board adapted to disintegrate after being put into use and containing the seed to be sown and nutritive substances for promoting the growth of the seed.

The fibre board itself may be composed of organic natural fibres, like wood, straw, peat, alone or in combination. It can be prepared as a dry, light product that is therefore easy to handle and to lay-out. Once placed in position, watering to start the growth of the seeds will also begin the disintegration process.

The board is able to provide a firm anchorage for every single seed before germination, so preventing disturbance during watering before the seed has rooted, and at the same time it offers in general a protective and progerminative environment. The board also acts during the critical period of germination as a hindrance to weed growth.

Pre-germinated lawns are already known in form of rolls or flat rectangles of turf. The disadvantages with these are the relatively great weight, which demands a heavy truck for transportation plus the difficulty that they are perishable during storage, in particular if they have to be delivered over a long distance or if there is delay in laying them out, e.g.

due to adverse weather.

The present invention, however, gives an easily transportable product which is well suited for storage, and because of its low weight it may easily be taken away by the customer's own vehicle. The low weight furthermore makes it easier to lay-out, especially for the preparation of lawns on steep ground, e.g. on the banks of roads.

The materials in the board are preferably chosen from among the organic natural fibres of trees, bushes, herbs, peat and, advantageously mixtures therefore, which are easily disintegrated, unlike bark which may also contain undesirably high ambunts of resin compounds.

When using fibres which have poor adhesion to each other even after pressing the mechanical strength of the board can be markedly improved by the addition of an environmentally safe and water soluble glue, like starch, cellulose glue, casein, and so on.

With advantage the board can be produced in a conventional machine for the manufacture of insula tion board. The introduction of the seed is made either by mixing it in the fibre pulp as a mass before the fourdrinier machine stage of the production process or by directly spreading it on the wet lap before the top layer station of the process, depend ing on whether a homogeneous distribution throughout the volume of the board is required or - whether it is to be in distinct layers within the board, at predetermined distances from the surface. In the latter case the distance of the seed from the surface of the board can be easily varied according to the type of seed.

The seed can also be distributed in distinct rows within the board, which is especially desirable during the lay-out of garden plots for useful plants, e.g. vegetables or herbs, like carrots, beetroots, or dill, or ornamental plants like pot marigold and so on.

To obtain an environment favourable to germina tion and growth of the seed in the fibre board the addition of suitable nutritive substances is made with adjusted solubility rate and then by admixture of a powder with greater or less granularity in the fibre pulp. With advantage the special nutritive substances can be embedded in a medium with a delayed dissolving capability, from solid via jelly to a liquid state in a manner known per se, so that they are only gradually released.

By adjustment of the pressure during the produc tion of the board a suitable density in the order of 250 kg/m3 can be obtained. The temperature that the seed is exposed to during the production is prefer ably not greater than 40"C, nor should it exceed 50"C for any prolonged period for danger of affecting the germination yield should such temperatures prevail for a matter of minutes or longer, but of course there are different tolerance limits dependent on the different types of seed.

By ensuring that the temperature during produc tion has not exceeded the temperature of the cross-linking reactions for the lignin contained in the wood fibres, there is obtained a board at the given density that can be laid on the ground to be sown and after watering and general weathering over some time if necessary, disintegrates to a suitable extent thus easily attaching itself to the ground, to give favourable conditions for the growing roots of the seeds to find a hold in the ground.

1. A product for use in the seeding of plots of ground, comprising a fibre board adapted to disinte

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Product for use in seeding plots and process for manufacturing the product. The invention refers to a product for use in seeding plots of ground, e.g. for the lay-out of lawns and garden plots in quite general terms, and to a process for manufacturing the product. The most usual way of laying out lawns is to spread grass seed and to follow this by watering. One of the disadvantages with this method is that a great amount of the seed is going to lie so close to the surface that the individual seeds may tend to collect in patches during watering, which easily can result in an uneven distribution of grass on the finished lawn. Another disadvantage with the method is that the seed lying on the ground constitutes an attractive and easily accessible feed for birds, so that to compensate for the anticipated loss, it is necessary to increase the amount of seed that is initially sown. If a lot of birds are about, e.g. during flocking in autumn, there may be iittle if any seed left to grow in extreme cases. Another disadvantage with the conventional method is that the weeds present may get out of hand and fully or partly suppress the growing grass. In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a product for use in the seeding of plots of ground comprising a fibre board adapted to disintegrate after being put into use and containing the seed to be sown and nutritive substances for promoting the growth of the seed. The fibre board itself may be composed of organic natural fibres, like wood, straw, peat, alone or in combination. It can be prepared as a dry, light product that is therefore easy to handle and to lay-out. Once placed in position, watering to start the growth of the seeds will also begin the disintegration process. The board is able to provide a firm anchorage for every single seed before germination, so preventing disturbance during watering before the seed has rooted, and at the same time it offers in general a protective and progerminative environment. The board also acts during the critical period of germination as a hindrance to weed growth. Pre-germinated lawns are already known in form of rolls or flat rectangles of turf. The disadvantages with these are the relatively great weight, which demands a heavy truck for transportation plus the difficulty that they are perishable during storage, in particular if they have to be delivered over a long distance or if there is delay in laying them out, e.g. due to adverse weather. The present invention, however, gives an easily transportable product which is well suited for storage, and because of its low weight it may easily be taken away by the customer's own vehicle. The low weight furthermore makes it easier to lay-out, especially for the preparation of lawns on steep ground, e.g. on the banks of roads. The materials in the board are preferably chosen from among the organic natural fibres of trees, bushes, herbs, peat and, advantageously mixtures therefore, which are easily disintegrated, unlike bark which may also contain undesirably high ambunts of resin compounds. When using fibres which have poor adhesion to each other even after pressing the mechanical strength of the board can be markedly improved by the addition of an environmentally safe and water soluble glue, like starch, cellulose glue, casein, and so on. With advantage the board can be produced in a conventional machine for the manufacture of insula tion board. The introduction of the seed is made either by mixing it in the fibre pulp as a mass before the fourdrinier machine stage of the production process or by directly spreading it on the wet lap before the top layer station of the process, depend ing on whether a homogeneous distribution throughout the volume of the board is required or - whether it is to be in distinct layers within the board, at predetermined distances from the surface. In the latter case the distance of the seed from the surface of the board can be easily varied according to the type of seed. The seed can also be distributed in distinct rows within the board, which is especially desirable during the lay-out of garden plots for useful plants, e.g. vegetables or herbs, like carrots, beetroots, or dill, or ornamental plants like pot marigold and so on. To obtain an environment favourable to germina tion and growth of the seed in the fibre board the addition of suitable nutritive substances is made with adjusted solubility rate and then by admixture of a powder with greater or less granularity in the fibre pulp. With advantage the special nutritive substances can be embedded in a medium with a delayed dissolving capability, from solid via jelly to a liquid state in a manner known per se, so that they are only gradually released. By adjustment of the pressure during the produc tion of the board a suitable density in the order of 250 kg/m3 can be obtained. The temperature that the seed is exposed to during the production is prefer ably not greater than 40"C, nor should it exceed 50"C for any prolonged period for danger of affecting the germination yield should such temperatures prevail for a matter of minutes or longer, but of course there are different tolerance limits dependent on the different types of seed. By ensuring that the temperature during produc tion has not exceeded the temperature of the cross-linking reactions for the lignin contained in the wood fibres, there is obtained a board at the given density that can be laid on the ground to be sown and after watering and general weathering over some time if necessary, disintegrates to a suitable extent thus easily attaching itself to the ground, to give favourable conditions for the growing roots of the seeds to find a hold in the ground. CLAIMS

1. A product for use in the seeding of plots of ground, comprising a fibre board adapted to disinte grate after being put into use and containing the seed to be sown and nutritive substances for promoting the growth of the seed.

2. Aproductaccordingtoclaim 1, wherein the fibre board is composed of organic natural fibres such as wood, straw or peat, and mixtures thereof.

3. A product according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the seed is of grass andior ornamental and/or useful plants.

4. A product according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the seed is distributed substantialJy homogeneously in the fibre board.

5. A productaccordingto anyone of claims 1 to 3 -wherein the seed is distributed as a layer.or layers at .a pmdetarmined distance or distances from the surface of the board.

6. A product according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the seed is distributed in rows along the board.

7. A process for manufacturing a product accord- ing to any one of the preceding-claims wherein, in a perse known process for the production Df insu la- tion board, the seed is incorporated in the board material and thereafter said material is not exposed for temperatures exceeding 50for any prolonged period.

8. A process according to claim 7 wherein the temperature of the board material afterincorpora- tion of the seed is not allowed to exceed 400for any prolonged period.

-

9. Afibre board product for use-in the seeding of plots of ground, constructed and arranged for use substantially as described herein.

10. A process for manufacturing a fibre board product for use in seeding plots of ground, substan-.

tially as described herein.