GB2451068A

GB2451068A - A plant container support that has copper on its exposed surface to repel slugs and snails

Info

Publication number: GB2451068A
Application number: GB0713731A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Camilla Swash
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-07-14
Filing date: 2007-07-14
Publication date: 2009-01-21
Also published as: GB0713731D0

Abstract

A non-laminar plant container support 2 that has copper 4 provided on at least a portion of its exposed surface. The copper repels slugs and snails thereby preventing them from climbing onto the container and attacking the plants held within the container. A coating of copper may be applied to at least a portion of the exposed surface of the support by spraying, electroplating, gilding or by adhering the copper to the exposed surface. The copper may be applied to the surface of the support as a patterned deposit i.e. a plurality of stripes, checks or spots.

Description

PLANT CONTAINER SUPPORT

This invention relates to non-laminar plant container supports such as, for example, plant pot feet, having copper provided on at least a portion of their exposed surface.

Slugs and snails are the most common and destructive pests ii gardens. They attack plants, eating the leaves and even whole plants with speed and determination. They are most active during cool, wet weather. Certain plants with soft leaves such as, for example, lettuces and Hostas are particularly susceptible to attack.

Various means have been proposed In the art to deter or control slugs and snails in gardens.

However, as illustrated in Table I below, there are a number of disadvantages associated with each of these known means and, while they may be effective to some extent, none will totally eradicate slugs and snails from a garden. Whichever of the known means for deterring or controlling slugs and snails is adopted, there will always be a significant population of slugs and snails in a garden.

It would be de*able to provide a means for substantially preventing plants in pots or other containers from being attacked by slugs or snails, which does not suffer from the disadvantages associated with known means for deterring or controlling slugs and snails.

According to the present Invention there is provided a non-laminar plant container support having copper provided on at least a portion of its exposed surface.

Throughout the specification, the term exposed surface' denotes the surface of the non-laminar plant container support that remains accessible to slugs and snails during use thereof. The exposed surface of the non-laminar plant container support does not Include any surface of the non- laminar plant container support that is Intended or adapted to be in contact with or covered by a non-laminar plant container supported thereon. The exposed surface of the non-laminar container support also does not include any surface of the non-laminar plant container support that is intended or adapted to be in contact with a lawn, deck, patio, balcony, wall or other surface on which the non-laminar plant container support is positioned or stood during use.

The copper provided on the exposed surface of non-laminar plant container supports according to the invention repels slug and snails. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that a tiny positive electric charge naturally carried by the copper repels slugs and snails, so that they crawl away. In use, non-laminar plant container supports according to the invention thereby advantageously prevent slugs and snails from reaching plant containers supported thereon, and so from attacking plants held within the containers.

Known Means: Associated Disadvantages: (I) May be washed away by rain; and (ii) Can be hazardous to pets and other wildlife that ingest Slug and snail pellets the pellets and/or slugs and snails that have ingested the pellets.

(I) Emptying and filling traps can be difficult and unpleasant; Beer traps (ii) May lead to unpleasant odours; and (iii) Largely ineffective against snails, which rarely enter the traps.

(i) Difficult to apply to plant containers, espectally ceramic containers; (ii) Tendency to fall off plant containers after a short period Copper tape of time, leaving plants therein susceptible to attack; and (lii) Typically provided with serrated edges to deter snails, which a consumer may cut themselves on.

(I) Does not raise the plants off the ground to give drainage benefits; Copper impregnated black mats (ii) Leaves and other debris can fall onto the mat giving slugs and snails a safe passage to the plant container and (iii) Not aesthetically attractive (i) Not suited for use with plants grown in plant containers; Copper plant necks and (ii) Typically expensive.

Table I

Copper is preferably provided on a sufficient proportion of the exposed surface of non-laminar plant container supports according to the Invention to substantially prevent slugs and snails from traversing the exposed surface in order to reach a plant container supported thereon. Preferably, copper is provided on the majority of the exposed surface of non-laminar plant container supports according to the invention. More preferably, copper is provided on at least 60% of the exposed surface of non-laminar plant container supports according to the invention. Most preferably, copper is provided on substantially the entire exposed surface of non-laminar plant container supports according to the invention. If desired, non-laminar plant container supports according to the invention may have copper provided on substantially their entire exterior surface.

Unlike some of the known means for detemng or controlling slugs and snails listed in Table 1, non-laminar plant container supports according to the invention are durable and advantageously continue to effectively repel slugs and snails for a number of years.

Furthermore, non-laminar plant container supports according to the invention may be produced that are aesthetically attractive. After a few weeks exposure to weather, especially rain, copper takes on a brown patina that blends comfortably into a garden. Copper Is equally effective at repelling slugs and snails whether it is shiny and new, with a brown patina, or even ancient green. Non-laminar plant container supports according to the invention may used to support any type of pot or other plant container, whatever the material or size of the pot. As well as stopping slug and snail attacks, non-laminar plant contaIner supports according to the invention may also provide other advantages associated with the use of known pot feet such as, for example, the prevention of attacks/invasion by ants and allowing for drainage thereby stopping a plant becoming waterlogged.

Non-laminar plant container supports according to the invention may be feet, stands, pedestals, pillars, bases or any other known means used to support a plant container. Preferably, non-laminar plant container supports according to the Invention are pot feet.

Non-laminar plant container supports according to the invention may be used to support plant containers including, but not limited to, troughs, barrels and pots. Through an appropriate choice of the dimensions, composition and construction thereof, non-laminar plant container supports according to the invention may be used to support plant containers of different size, shape or material. For example, one or more non-laminar plant container supports according to the invention may be used to support a square metal container, a round terracotta pot or a rectangular stone trough.

Non-laminar plant container supports according to the invention may be formed any suitable known matenals including, but not limited to, plastic, stone, terracotta, earthenware, metal and combinations thereof.

Non-laminar plant container supports according to the invention may have a layer of copper provided on at least a portion of their exposed surface. The layer of copper may be substantially continuous.

In alternative embodiments, non-laminar plant container supports according to the invention may have a patterned deposit of copper comprising a plurality of discrete features provided on at least a portion of their exposed surface. For example, non-laminar plant container supports according to the invention may have a plurality of stripes, checks or spots of copper provided on at least a portion of their exposed surface.

In yet further embodiments, non-laminar plant container supports according to the invention may be formed from copper.

A coating of copper may be applied to at least a portion of the exposed surface of non-laminar plant container supports according to the invention by, for example, spray deposition, electroplating or gilding. Alternatively, a layer of copper may be adhered of otherwise affixed to at least a portion of the exterior surface of non-laminar plant container supports according to the invention.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a cross-section of a non-laminar plant container support according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a cross section of a non-laminar plant container supported on a pair of non-laminar plant container supports according to the first embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-section of a non-laminar plant container stport according to a second embodiment of the Invention; Figure 4 is a side cross-section of a non-laminar plant container support according to a third embodiment of the invention: Figure 5 is a side cross-section of a non-laminar plant container support according to a fourth embodiment of the Invention; Figure 6 shows a plant in a first pot supported on a plurality of non-laminar plant container supports according to a fifth embodiment of the invention and a plant in a second pot supported on a conventional saucer; and Figure 7 shows an enlarged view of the first and second plants of Figure 6.

The plant container support 2 according to the first embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1 has a continuous thin copper coating 4 provIded on Its entire exposed surface. In use, a pot or other plant container 6 is placed on top of three non-laminar plant container supports 2 according to the first embodiment of the invention, so that is elevated above ground level as shown in Figure 2.

The thin copper coating 4 emits a small electrical charge that repels slugs and snails. This means that slugs and snails cannot traverse the thin copper coating 4 to get onto the pot 6 and climb up the pot 6 to attack one or more plants held therein. The thin copper coating 4 remains on the non-laminar plant container supports 2 and continues to emit an electilcal charge indefinitely, even when the colour of the thin copper coating 4 changes due to patination.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 show non-laminar plant container supports 8, 10, 12 according to second, third and fourth embodiments of the invention, respectively, of different cross-section. As in Figure 1, each of the non-laminar plant container supports 8, 10, 12 has a continuous thin copper coating 4 provided on its entire exposed surlace. It will be appreciated that non-laminar plant container supports according to the invention may be produced having different shapes to those shown in Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5.

A plant 14 held in a first pot 16 supported on top of a plurality of tubular copper non-laminar plant container supports 18 according to a fifth embodiment of the invention is shown on the right hand side of Figure 6. For comparison, a plant 20 held in an adjacent second pot 22 supported on a conventional saucer 24 is shown in 18 on the left hand side of Figure 6. As can be clearly seen in Figure 7, which shows an enlarged view of the plants 14, 20 shown in Figure 6, the plant 20 in the second pot 22 supported on the conventional saucer 24 has suffered considerable damage as a result of being attacked by slugs and snails. In contrast, the plant 14 held in the adjacent first pot 16 supported on top of a plurality of tubular copper non-laminar plant container supports 18 according to the fifth embodiment of the invention has remained untouched.

Claims

Claims: 1. A non-laminar plant container support having copper provided on at least a portion of its exposed surface.
2. A non-laminar plant container support according to claim 1 having copper provided on at least 60% of its exposed surface.
3. A non-laminar plant container support according to claim 1 or 2 having copper provided on substantially Its entire exposed surface.
4. A non-laminar plant container support according to any of claims 1 to 3 having a layer of copper provided on at least a portion of its exposed surface.
5. A non-laminar plant container support according to claim 4 wherein the layer of copper is substantially continuous.
6. A non-laminar plant container support according to any of daims 1 to 3 having a patterned deposit of copper comprising a plurality of discrete features provided on at least a portion of its exposed surface.