GB2198325A

GB2198325A - Apparatus for use in growing plants

Info

Publication number: GB2198325A
Application number: GB08727867A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Arthur Charles Chown
Original assignee: R & D Plastics Ltd
Current assignee: R & D Plastics Ltd
Priority date: 1986-12-01
Filing date: 1987-11-27
Publication date: 1988-06-15
Anticipated expiration: 2007-11-27
Also published as: GB8727867D0; GB2198325B

Abstract

Apparatus (2) for use in growing plants (4), comprises a base portion (6), and a body portion (8) which extends from the base portion (6) and serves in use of the apparatus (2) as a plant cover or as a plant container, the apparatus (2) being formed as a one piece self-supporting moulding from a plastics material with the base portion (6) extending outwardly beyond the body portion (8), and the plastics material being a transparent plastics material for enabling plants covered by the body portion (8) to be seen and to receive light for plant growth purposes. Part 50 may be removed to enable a plant to grow through the opening so formed. Recessed areas 60 may be pierced to provide watering openings when used as a plant cover. <IMAGE>

Description

APPARATUS FOR USE IN GROWING PLANTS This invention relates to apparatus for use in growing plants.

Plants are often grown in greenhouses but greenhouses are basically permanent structures occupying relatively large areas. As an alternative to growing plants in greenhouses, plants are often grown under cloches.

The cloches are however not always convenient to assemble and use, and they often need some form of support frame.

It is an aim of the present invention to obviate or reduce the above mentioned problems by providing apparatus which is of a non-permanent nature and which can be used in a plant cover mode or in a plant container mode.

Accordingly, this invention provides apparatus for use in growing plants, which apparatus comprises a base portion, and a body portion which extends from the base portion and which serves in use of the apparatus as a plant cover or as a plant container, the apparatus being formed as a one piece self-supporting moulding from a plastics material with the base portion extending outwardly beyond the body portion, and the plastics material being a transparent plastics material for enabling plants covered by the body portion to be seen and to receive light for plant growth purposes.

In use of the apparatus in its plant cover mode, the apparatus can be used to cover any type of plant such for example as plants in the form of delicate young seedlings, young bedding plants, seeds, bulbs and tubers. The apparatus serves to protect the plants against adverse weather conditions. By protecting the plants against adverse weather conditions, some plants may be left in the ground all year round, thereby avoiding the need to lift the plants to protect them from the adverse affects of winter which would often cause them to perish without appropriate protection. The apparatus of the present invention may also be employed in its cover mode for force growing plants such for example as force growing salad vegetables for early consumption.

When the apparatus is used in its cover mode, the base portion is available for being weighted to prevent the apparatus from being blown away in windy conditions. The base portion may be weighted with, for example, stones, bricks or earth. The self-supporting moulding enables the apparatus to be resistant against the effects of the wind.

Also, the apparatus will normally be sufficiently flexible that it will spring back to its original shape if it is pushed into a deformed shape.

Because the plastics material is transparent, the plants can be seen as they germinate and/or grow during use of the apparatus in its cover mode.

When it is desired to use the apparatus in its container mode, then the body portion is positioned underneath the plants and it contains soil. The soil may be any appropriate type of soil such for example as ordinary soil or special bedding soil. In the container use of the apparatus, the apparatus effectively becomes a growing pot. The base portion is available for use in providing a hand grip for placing the apparatus in a hole or for lifting the apparatus out of the hole.

When the apparatus of the invention is not in use, it can be stacked together with the body portions being pushed into each other.

Usually, the base portion will comprise a flange.

Also usually, the flange will extend completely around the body portion. Other types of base portion and flanges which do not extend completely around the body portion may however be employed.

Preferably, the body portion has strengthening ribs.

Advantageously, the strengthening ribs are formed out of the plane of the part of the body portion in which they are located, the strengthening ribs being of the same material thickness as the material thickness of the remainder of the body portion. With the strengthening ribs, very thin plastics material may be employed yet the apparatus will still be self-supporting and will thus not need a separate support frame.

The body portion may slope inwardly from its part adjacent the base portion towards a top portion.

The body portion may define a generally dome shape. The dome shape need not necessarily be curved and the dome shape may be straight sided, or partially straight sided and partially curved.

The body portion may have a removable upper part for allowing plants to grow through the body portion.

The removable upper part may be a cut-out portion.

The cut-out portion may be recessed in a top surface of the body portion for ease of removal.

The cut-out portion may be defined by a line of weakness to facilitate removal of the cut-out portion.

The body portion may be provided with defined areas for forming watering holes.

The defined areas for forming the watering holes may be provided in the cut-out portion. The defined areas for forming the watering holes may be provided in a recessed part of the body portion, which recessed part is able to direct water towards the defined areas for forming the watering holes.

The defined areas may be formed as depressions in the apparatus, which depressions can then be punched through with a sharp instrument to form the watering holes. Alternatively, the defined areas may be already formed as watering holes.

Preferably, the moulding is produced by vacuum forming.

A presently preferred plastics material is polyvinyl chloride. Other transparent plastics material may be employed.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of apparatus for use in growing plants; Figure 2 shows the apparatus of Figure 1 being used in its cover-mode in a greenhouse; Figure 3 shows the apparatus of Figure 1 being used in its- cover mode in a garden; Figure 4 shows the apparatus of Figure 1 being used in its container mode in a garden; Figure 5 shows the apparatus of Figure 1 but modified to allow a plant to grow through the apparatus; and Figure 6 shows part of the apparatus of Figure 1 but modified to provide watering holes.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown apparatus 2 for use in growing plants 4. The apparatus 2 comprises a base portion 6 and a body portion 8 which extends from the base portion 6 and which serves in use of the apparatus as a plant cover or as a plant container as will be described in more detail hereinbelow. The apparatus 2 is formed as a one piece self-supporting moulding from transparent polyvinyl chloride plastics material. The moulding is such that the base portion 6 extends outwardly beyond the body portion 8 as shown The use of the transparent polyvinyl chloride plastics material enables the plant 4 to be seen and to receive light for plant growth purposes.

It will be seen from Figure 1 that the base portion 6 comprises a flange 10 which extends completely around the body portion 8. The body portion 8 has strengthening ribs 12 which extend horizontally and vertically as shown. The strengthening ribs 12 are formed out of the plane of the part of the body portion 8 in which they are located, the strengthening ribs 12 being of the same material thickness as the material thickness of the remainder of the body portion 8. Thus, the body portion 8 is formed from very thin polyvinyl chloride plastics material but it is still self-supporting and the apparatus 2 forms a flexible but yet relatively rigid structure. If the apparatus 2 is pushed or bent, it will be sufficiently flexible to resume its non-deformed position.

As can be seen from Figure 1, the body portion 8 slopes slightly inwardly on the sides 14,16. The ends 18,20 slope inwardly in a more pronounced manner than the sides 14,16. The body portion 8 defines a general dome shape.

Figure 1 shows the apparatus 2 in use in its cover mode. Thus the apparatus 2 is covering plants 4 in a tray 22.

Figure 2 shows the apparatus 2 being placed upon a tray 24 on a bench 26 in a greenhouse or shed 28. The tray 24 contains seedlings 30 as shown. Figure 2 also shows part of another unit of the apparatus 2 already placed upon a tray 32.

Figure 3 shows six units of the apparatus 2 being used in their cover mode in a garden 34. The units of the apparatus 2 are placed over plants that need protecting from adverse weather conditions such for example as frost, or they are placed over plants to force grow them.

Figure 4 shows the apparatus 2 in use in its container mode. In Figure 4, the apparatus 2 has been turned upside down from the position shown in Figure 1 and it has been filled with soil 36. The soil 36 can be ordinary soil or it can be special bedding or compost soil.

The soil 36 contains a plant 38. A hole 40 has been dug with a trowel 42 by a man 44 in a garden 46. The apparatus 2 is being placed in the hole 40 so that the flange 10 will be level with the surface of the soil 48 in the garden 46.

It will be seen from Figure 4 that the flange 10 forms a convenient hand grip for lowering the apparatus 2 into the hole 40 and for removing the apparatus 2 from the hole 40.

In Figure 4, the apparatus 2 is forming a growing pot enabling the man 44 to grow the plant 38 even if the soil 48 is not appropriate for the plant 38. This is because the plant 38 has its own soil 36. The use of the flange 10 as a hand grip in Figure 4 can be contrasted with the use of the flange 10 as a hand grip in Figure 2, the flange 10 in Figure 2 enabling the apparatus 2 to be placed as a cover over the tray 24.

The flange 10 has another use which will be apparent from Figure 3. More specifically, in possible windy conditions in the garden 34, it is possible that the apparatus 2 may blow away. In order to prevent this, the flange 10 can be weighted with stones, bricks or earth (not shown).

Referring back to Figure 1 the apparatus 2 has a removable upper part in the form of a disc 50. The disc 50 can be removed to allow plants to grow through the body portion 8. The disc 50 is recessed into a top portion 52 of the body portion 8. The disc 50 is thus surrounded by a side wall 54. If it is desired to cut out the disc 50, a sharp knife can be run around the base of the side wall 54 and the disc 50 would then be simply cut out. If desired, where the disc 50 meets the side wall 54, the plastics material may be thinned to form a line of weakness to facilitate the cutting out of the disc 50.

The plastics material of the entire apparatus 2 will however usually be relatively thin so that no trouble will be encountered in cutting out the disc 50.

Figure 5 shows two units of the apparatus 2 with the disc 50 removed to leave a hole 56 through which a plant 58 such as a tomato plant has grown.

Referring back to Figure 1, it will be seen that the disc 50 is itself provided with a plurality of defined areas in the form of recesses 60 for forming watering holes.

As shown, there are twelve recesses 60 arranged in a circle with a single central recess 60 positioned in the middle of the recesses 60 that are arranged in the circle. The recesses 60 are recessed into the disc 50 so that, if it is desired to leave the disc 50 in place, the recesses 60 can easily be punched through with a sharp instrument such for example as a nail.

Figure 6 shows the apparatus 2 over a plant 62.

The recesses 60 have been punched out to form holes 64 which are allowing rain 66 to reach the plant 62. This avoids or reduces the need to lift up the apparatus 2 to water the plant 62. Since the holes 64 are themselves formed in a recess defined by the side wall 54, it will be apparent that water will easily collect on the disc 50 to increase the amount of water that passes through the holes 64.

It will be seen that by forming the apparatus 2 from tough clear polyvinyl chloride, lightweight but durable apparatus 2 is produced which can be used again and again. Preferably the apparatus 2 is vacuum formed.

When the apparatus 2 is not in use, a plurality of units of the apparatus 2 can stack neatly together in a small place. The apparatus 2 can be used in its cover mode in a greenhouse to protect delicate seedlings or young bedding plants, and to promote healthy growth. The apparatus 2 can be used in its cover mode in a garden to cover valuable show plants in uncertain weather conditions, or to force grow salad vegetables. In use of the apparatus 2 in its container mode, favourite plants can be grown, even where local soil conditions are unsuitable. The removal of the disc 50 enables the apparatus 2 to be used equally well with tall growing plants as with small growing plants. The punching of the holes 64 can be used to allow watering, either from rain or a hosepipe or the like, as an alternative to raising the apparatus 2.

The apparatus 2 can be produced in any desired size. A presently preferred size is 430 x 308 x 250 mm (17 x 12 x 10 inches).

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the apparatus 2 may have a shape that is different from the illustrated shape. Furthermore, the flange 10 may be provided with one or more recesses 68 which can be punched out to receive spikes or sticks for securing the apparatus 2 on the ground in windy conditions, instead of employing stones, bricks or earth. Also, instead of forming the recesses 60,68 for punching out, the apparatus 2 could be formed with holes to start with. Similarly, instead of forming the apparatus 2 with a disc 50 for being cut out, the apparatus 2 could be formed straight away with the hole 56. Obviously, by leaving the disc 50 and the recesses 60,68 in position, the user of the apparatus 2 is afforded with the greatest possible choice of use with the apparatus 2.

If desired, the apparatus 2 may be sold under the trade name GROWDOMES.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use in growing plants which apparatus comprises a base portion, a body portion which extends from the base portion and which serves in use of the apparatus as a plant cover or as a plant container, the apparatus being formed as a one piece self-supporting moulding from a plastics material with the base portion extending outwardly beyond the body portion, and the plastics material being a transparent plastics material for enabling plants covered by the body portion to be seen and to receive light for plant growth purposes.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the base portion comprises a flange.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the flange extends completely around the body portion.

4. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the body portion has strengthening ribs.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the strengthening ribs are formed out of the plane of the part of the body portion in which they are located, the strengthening ribs being of the same material thickness as the material thickness of the remainder of the body portion.

6. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the body portion slopes inwardly from its part adjacent the base portion towards a top portion.

7. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the body portion defines a generally dome shape.

8. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the body portion has a removable upper part for allowing plants to grow through the body portion.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 in which the removable upper part is a cut-out portion.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 in which the cut-out portion is recessed in a top surface of the body portion.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 or claim 10 in which the cut-out portion is defined by a line of weakness to facilitate removal of the cut-out portion0

12. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the body portion is provided with defined areas for forming watering holes.

13. Apparatus according to claim 9 and claim 12 in which the defined areas for forming the watering holes are provided in the cut-out portion.

14. Apparatus according to claim 12 in which the defined areas for forming the watering holes are provided in a recessed part of the body portion, which recessed part is able to direct water towards the defined areas for forming the watering holes.

15. Apparatus according to claim 12 or claim 14 in which the defined areas are formed as depressions in the apparatus, which depressions can then be punched through with a sharp instrument to form the watering holes.

16. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the moulding is produced by vacuum forming.

17. Apparatus for use in growing plants, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.