GB2106764A

GB2106764A - Plant growing block comprising a number of separable plant growth bodies

Info

Publication number: GB2106764A
Application number: GB08228115A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bent Lovgren
Original assignee: Rockwool International AS
Current assignee: Rockwool AS
Priority date: 1981-10-06
Filing date: 1982-10-01
Publication date: 1983-04-20
Also published as: DK441581A; DK146551B; GB2106764B; SE448141B; FR2513844B1; BE894614A; FR2513844A1; SE8205589L; NL8203858A; DK146551C; SE8205589D0

Abstract

A plant growing block 1 consists of bound mineral wool and comprises a number of coherent plant growth bodies (2) mutually separated by means of two mutually perpendicular sets of parallel grooves (4, 5), the depth of which corresponds to the major part of the height of the growing plant means. The fibres of the block are arranged substantially to lie in planes perpendicular to the surface of the block, eg plane 3. The roots of plants will spread more readily within planes parallel to plane 3 than perpendicular to such planes and as a result the grooves 5 need not be as wide as the grooves 4 and the rigidity of the block is increased. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Plant growing means comprising a number of plant growth bodies This invention relates to a plant growing means comprising a number of plant growth bodies, said plant growing means being separated from one another by means of grooves located in two mutually perpendicular sets of parallel grooves the depth of which corresponds to the major part of the height of the plant growing means.

For plant propagation a plant growing means has been used in the prior art in the form of interconnected plant growth bodies being partly separated by a square net of wedge-shaped grooves, the separation of the bodies being facilitated when the plants acquire a suitable size for being placed in a larger pot or body. The width of the grooves has been so measured that the roots of the plants can only to a very limited extent spread to the adjacent bodies. If a plant growing means of the abovementioned type is easy to separate into individual bodies, the result is very little rigidity. It is, therefore, very difficult to handle when placing the seedlings or if it is desired to move it during the growing period.

In accordance with another known embodiment of a growing means consisting of mineral wool, the roots have been prevented from spreading to adjacent bodies by strips of cardboard being inserted in the grooves. However, the insertion of the cardboard strips complicates the manufacture of the growing means, the cost of manufacture becoming thus relatively high.

The present invention aims to provide a plant growing means which without the use of cardboard strips or the like between the bodies possesses sufficient rigidity to make it easy to handle until repotting takes place.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a plant growing means comprising a number of plant growth bodies separated from one another by means of grooves located in two mutually perpendicular sets of parallel grooves, the depth of which corresponds to the major part of the height of the plant growing. means, said plant growing means consisting of a hydrophil, bound mineral wool, the fibres of which are in all essentials placed in planes perpendicular to the upper surface of the plant growing means, wherein the grooves of one set, said set being parallel to the fibre planes, are narrow, preferably below 1 mm, while the grooves perpendicularthereto are wedge-shaped, the minimum bottom width being 1mm.

The proposed solution according to the invention is founded upon the assumption that in plant growth bodies of mineral wool the roots of the seedlings are reluctant to penetrate the mineral wool in the direction perpendicular to the orientation of the fibres. The growing together of the roots therefore takes place later on through the grooves running parallel to the fibre planes, while the other grooves have to be opened so much that a growing together is prevented. However, owing to the grooves in one direction being narrow, an increase in the general rigidity of the plant growing means is achieved so that the problems with the practical handling have been eliminated.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the drawing, the only Figure of which is a perspective view of one embodiment of a plant growing means according to the invention.

The plant growing means 1 shown in the drawing consists of parallelepipedic mineral wool bodies 2, the height of which is sufficient for the plants sprouting from seeds placed in the mineral wool or seedlings to get a root system sufficiently developed for being replanted in larger mineral wool bodies or in any other growth medium. The mineral wool consists of fibres which are in their point of intersection bound together by means of a binder substance, for example a phenoi formaldehyde resin. During the manufacture of the mineral wool the fibres are deposited in such a way that they are positioned parallel to the plane on which the wool is placed. The body shown in the figure has been cut in such a way that this plane is parallel to the height of the body, the fibres being parallel to the plane indicated by dot-and-dash lines 3.

From the bottom side 1 of the body a plurality of grooves 4 are cut perpendicular to the said plane, said grooves intersecting the major part of the height of the body 2. Perpendicular to the grooves 4 another set of grooves 5 has been cut, said other pair of grooves also intersecting the body in the major part of its height. This makes it easy to divide the plant growing means into individual plant growth bodies, the grooves 4 and 5 indicating where to make the division. Between the grooves in each body a hole 6 is made, in which a seed can be placed.

The roots of the plant, resulting from sprouting of the seed, spread quicker in the direction parallel to the plane 3. This is why the grooves 4 are wedgeshaped, the smallest width at the bottom 7 of the grooves being 1 mm and the width at the top of the grooves being 5-10mm. This prevents a growing together of roots from one plant growth body in the plant growing means 1 with roots from the adjacent bodies. The grooves 5, however, are narrow, below 1 mm, preferably only about mum, the plant growing means thus having such a rigidity through the individual bodies supporting one another that the plant growing means during the placing of seeds, during transportto a greenhouse or the like and later on during repotting, when the individual bodies are separated from one another, is easy to handle as a unit.

1. A plant growing means comprising a number of plant growth bodies separated from one another by means of grooves located in two mutually perpendicular sets of parallel grooves, the depth of which corresponds to the major part of the height of the plant growing means, said plant growing means consisting of a hydrophil, bound mineral wool, the fibres of which are in all essentials placed in planes perpendicular to the upper surface of the plant

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Plant growing means comprising a number of plant growth bodies This invention relates to a plant growing means comprising a number of plant growth bodies, said plant growing means being separated from one another by means of grooves located in two mutually perpendicular sets of parallel grooves the depth of which corresponds to the major part of the height of the plant growing means. For plant propagation a plant growing means has been used in the prior art in the form of interconnected plant growth bodies being partly separated by a square net of wedge-shaped grooves, the separation of the bodies being facilitated when the plants acquire a suitable size for being placed in a larger pot or body. The width of the grooves has been so measured that the roots of the plants can only to a very limited extent spread to the adjacent bodies. If a plant growing means of the abovementioned type is easy to separate into individual bodies, the result is very little rigidity. It is, therefore, very difficult to handle when placing the seedlings or if it is desired to move it during the growing period. In accordance with another known embodiment of a growing means consisting of mineral wool, the roots have been prevented from spreading to adjacent bodies by strips of cardboard being inserted in the grooves. However, the insertion of the cardboard strips complicates the manufacture of the growing means, the cost of manufacture becoming thus relatively high. The present invention aims to provide a plant growing means which without the use of cardboard strips or the like between the bodies possesses sufficient rigidity to make it easy to handle until repotting takes place. Accordingly, the present invention provides a plant growing means comprising a number of plant growth bodies separated from one another by means of grooves located in two mutually perpendicular sets of parallel grooves, the depth of which corresponds to the major part of the height of the plant growing. means, said plant growing means consisting of a hydrophil, bound mineral wool, the fibres of which are in all essentials placed in planes perpendicular to the upper surface of the plant growing means, wherein the grooves of one set, said set being parallel to the fibre planes, are narrow, preferably below 1 mm, while the grooves perpendicularthereto are wedge-shaped, the minimum bottom width being 1mm. The proposed solution according to the invention is founded upon the assumption that in plant growth bodies of mineral wool the roots of the seedlings are reluctant to penetrate the mineral wool in the direction perpendicular to the orientation of the fibres. The growing together of the roots therefore takes place later on through the grooves running parallel to the fibre planes, while the other grooves have to be opened so much that a growing together is prevented. However, owing to the grooves in one direction being narrow, an increase in the general rigidity of the plant growing means is achieved so that the problems with the practical handling have been eliminated. The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the drawing, the only Figure of which is a perspective view of one embodiment of a plant growing means according to the invention. The plant growing means 1 shown in the drawing consists of parallelepipedic mineral wool bodies 2, the height of which is sufficient for the plants sprouting from seeds placed in the mineral wool or seedlings to get a root system sufficiently developed for being replanted in larger mineral wool bodies or in any other growth medium. The mineral wool consists of fibres which are in their point of intersection bound together by means of a binder substance, for example a phenoi formaldehyde resin. During the manufacture of the mineral wool the fibres are deposited in such a way that they are positioned parallel to the plane on which the wool is placed. The body shown in the figure has been cut in such a way that this plane is parallel to the height of the body, the fibres being parallel to the plane indicated by dot-and-dash lines 3. From the bottom side 1 of the body a plurality of grooves 4 are cut perpendicular to the said plane, said grooves intersecting the major part of the height of the body 2. Perpendicular to the grooves 4 another set of grooves 5 has been cut, said other pair of grooves also intersecting the body in the major part of its height. This makes it easy to divide the plant growing means into individual plant growth bodies, the grooves 4 and 5 indicating where to make the division. Between the grooves in each body a hole 6 is made, in which a seed can be placed. The roots of the plant, resulting from sprouting of the seed, spread quicker in the direction parallel to the plane 3. This is why the grooves 4 are wedgeshaped, the smallest width at the bottom 7 of the grooves being 1 mm and the width at the top of the grooves being 5-10mm. This prevents a growing together of roots from one plant growth body in the plant growing means 1 with roots from the adjacent bodies. The grooves 5, however, are narrow, below 1 mm, preferably only about mum, the plant growing means thus having such a rigidity through the individual bodies supporting one another that the plant growing means during the placing of seeds, during transportto a greenhouse or the like and later on during repotting, when the individual bodies are separated from one another, is easy to handle as a unit. CLAIMS

1. A plant growing means comprising a number of plant growth bodies separated from one another by means of grooves located in two mutually perpendicular sets of parallel grooves, the depth of which corresponds to the major part of the height of the plant growing means, said plant growing means consisting of a hydrophil, bound mineral wool, the fibres of which are in all essentials placed in planes perpendicular to the upper surface of the plant growing means, wherein the grooves of one set, said set being parallel to the fibre planes, are narrow, preferably below 1 mm, while the grooves perpendicular thereto are wedge-shaped, the minimum bottom width being 1 mm.

2. A plant growing means according to claim 1, wherein the fibres are substantially parallel to one another.

3. A plant growing means substantially as described herein with reference to the drawing.