GB2199224A

GB2199224A - Containers for growing plants and blanks therefor

Info

Publication number: GB2199224A
Application number: GB08727729A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Clifford Arthur Wilson
Original assignee: GARDENHAVEN Ltd
Current assignee: GARDENHAVEN Ltd
Priority date: 1987-01-03
Filing date: 1987-11-26
Publication date: 1988-07-06
Also published as: GB8700044D0; GB8727729D0

Abstract

A container for growing plants comprises a tubular body with a side wall made of a synthetic plastics material folded along vertical fold lines (6, 7, 8) Along each fold line, are two or more areas which can be pushed inwardly to form pockets (14) which serve as growing sites for plants when the container is filled with a growing medium such as peat. Selected areas can be pushed inwardly to produce pockets (14) at selected locations, leaving non-selected sites undeformed. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Containers for Growing Plants and Blanks There for Field of the Invention This invention relates to containers for growing plants and to blanks for erection into such containers.

Summary of the Invention According to one aspect of the invention a container for growing plants comprises a tubular body with a side wall having, at each of a plurality of locations, a formation which is manually deformable so as to form an opening in the side wall at said location, whereby when the body is filled with a growing medium the latter is exposed at each said opening to form a growing site for a plant, the formations being selectably deformable to provide growing sites at selected positions on the side wall.

Preferably, the side wall has a plurality of panels joined one to the next in series along substantially vertical fold lines, and in a preferred embodiment each formation comprises a horizontal slit which crosses a vertical fold line and which adjoins the lower ends of two angled folds which converge upwardly to meet on the vertical fold line, enabling the area of material bounded by the horizontal slit and the two angled folds to be pushed inwardly to form the growing site.

There is preferably a plurality of such formations spaced vertically along each vertical fold line so that selected formations can be pushed inwardly to provide growing sites at required positions, leaving non-selected sites undeformed. The side wall is preferably made of a synthetic plastics material which may be polypropylene and which may be double walled with an intervening series of parallel webs.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a blank for erection into a plant container of said one aspect.

A blank and a container according to the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows the blank, Figure 2 is a perspective rear view of a container erected from the blank of Figure 1, Figure 3 shows a front view of an alternative container, and Figures 4 and 5 show two alternatives for assisting water distribution in the growing medium of the container.

Referring to Figure 1, the blank is made of a synthetic plastics material known as Correx which is made of polypropylene and which is double skinned with an intervening series of parallel webs. The blank has five side panels 1 to 5 joined one to the next in series along respective fold or crease lines 6 to 9. The end panels 1 and 5 have holes 10 so that when the blank is folded into an upright container about the lines 6 to 9 the holes are brought into registration and the panels 1 and 5 can be secured together by nuts and bolts.

At each of two locations on each fold line 6 to 9, the side wall is formed with a horizontal slit 12 the ends of which adjoin the lower ends of angled fold lines 13 which converge upwardly and join at the corresponding vertical fold line. The two triangles of material thus formed may be pushed inwardly so as to form a pocket 14 to provide a growing site for a plant, as indicated in Figure 2 which shows the erected container. A plastics moulding 15, of channel section and right angle shape, may be fitted along the pairs of edges of the pocket to reinforce these edges and to protect plants from these edges, as illustrated in Figure 3 which shows a container having the facility for three pockets 14 in each vertical fold line.The blank has end tabs the upper one 16 of which may be used for hanging or carrying the container, and the lower 17 of which may be used for anchoring to the ground.

Reverting to Figure 1, the blank has end panels 18 which fold together to form a base which may stand in a water catching tray 19 illustrated in Figure 3. The blank also has a further set of end flaps 20 which, when folded together, form a downwardly converging rim 22 for directing water into the growing medium (such as peat) which fills the container.

Figures 4 and 5 show two alternative ways of facilitating watering. In Figure 4 a wick 23 is located in a central tube in order to retain water in the container between waterings. Figure 5 shows an alternative wick one end of which dips into a reservoir 26 formed by the rim 22 of the container.

It will be understood that the user may deform any or all of the regions to provide a selected number of growing sites in the erected container. Undeformed regions maintain their shape and prevent the egress of water or growing medium. An erected container may be emptied and collapsed for transport or storage.

A container according to the invention can be made of smaller vertical dimension (e.g. about 18cm high) for use as a window box, a plurality of such containers being placed side by side (and optionally linked together) to provide a window box of a width to suit the location.

Claims

1. A container for growing plants, comprising a tubular body with a side wall having, at each of a plurality of locations, a formation which is manually deformable so as to form an opening in the side wall at said location, whereby when the body is filled with a growing medium the latter is exposed at each said opening to form a growing site for a plant, the formations being selectably deformable to provide growing sites at selected positions on the side wall.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the side wall has a plurality of panels joined one to the next in series along substantially vertical fold lines.

3. A container acording to claim 2, wherein each formation comprises a horizontal slit which crosses a vertical fold line and which adjoins the lower ends of two angled folds which converge upwardly to meet on the vertical fold line, enabling the area of material bounded by the horizontal slit and the two angled folds to be pushed inwardly to form the growing site.

4. A container according to claim 3, wherein there are a plurality of such formations spaced vertically along each vertical fold line so that selected formations can be pushed inwardly to provide growing sites at required positions, leaving non-selected sites undeformed.

5. A container according to claim 4, wherein the side wall is made of a synthetic plastics material such as polypropylene.

6. A container according to claim 5, wherein the side wall is made of a double walled plastics material.

7. A blank for erection into a plant container of any of claims 1 to 6.

8. A container, or a blank therefor, substantially as herein particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings.