GB2455770A

GB2455770A - Raised Garden Bed

Info

Publication number: GB2455770A
Application number: GB0724926A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steven Rudkin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-12-20
Filing date: 2007-12-20
Publication date: 2009-06-24
Also published as: GB0724926D0

Abstract

A slug/snail deterrent 7 is incorporated into a frame for a raised garden bed. The garden bed frame can be provided as a modular structure. The main structural components or wall sections 6 of the raised bed incorporate part of the slug/snail deterrent, so that when the components are assembled an uninterrupted closed loop deterrent to slugs and snails is provided. The snail deterrent can be copper taping or a physical barrier such as undulations or serrations.

Description

-1'-2455770 Raised Garden Bed The invention relates to a raised garden bed incorporating means to prevent slugs and snails from reaching plants, thereby protecting the plants from being eaten by the slugs and snails.

A number of deterrent techniques have been proposed to protect plants from slug/snail damage without the need for the use of pesticides which may be harmful to other wildlife and which are unacceptable in organic horticulture. These include the use of particular shapes such as a sharp downwards edge, a serrated edge or a sharply undulating surface which are difficult for the slugs/snails to cross, and the use of particular materials, such as copper, which have been found to be unpleasant to slugs and snails.

At the same time, the use of raised beds is growing in popularity as an easy and productive way to grow plants. The use of raised beds minimiSeS the need for digging, improves soil structure and drainage and helps soil warm quickly in the early growing season.

An objective of this invention is to offer the benefits of raised beds together with protection from slugs and snails by integrating the slug/snail deterrent into the raised bed. A further objective of this invention is to offer these benefits in a kit form -that is that the raised bed can be assembled from a set of components to form an uninterrupted closed loop slug/snail deterrent. * ** * S * * *5

According to the invention, there is provided a frame for a raised garden bed comprising a perimeter wall and, associated with the wall, a slug/snail deterrent ****** * a extending around the edge of the bed.

*30 The frame can be provided as a kit i.e. as a plurality of components to be assembled, and the slug/snail deterrent can be provided as one or more components of the kit, * ** which are separate from the main structural components of the kit.

The slug/snail deterrent can be integral to a plurality of components of the main structure of the said raised garden bed, and when the components of the main structure are assembled, the components collectively provide a continuous closed loop deterrent to slugs and snails.

The slug/snail deterrent (which is preferably a copper strip) can be fitted to the said plurality of components of the main structure of the raised bed during manufacture, Alternatively the slug/snail deterrent can be a physical deterrent such as a sharp edge, or a serrated edge or a sharply undulating surface or an abrasive surface.

The main structure can be made of timber or a man made material such as plastic or fibreg lass.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a raised bed frame without slug/snail deterrent; Figure 2 shows the frame of Figure 1 with a slug/snail deterrent attached; Figure 3 shows a single component of a second embodiment of bed frame in accordance with the invention; * .S 25 Figure 4 is an exploded view of the second embodiment of bed frame; and **** * * **** Figure 5 shows the second embodiment fully assembled.

* *** ** * S Figure 1 shows the main structure (or frame) of a raised bed when assembled * : 30 (constructed in this example from timber). The frame is constructed from the following components: four wall sections (e.g. item 1), four corner pieces (e.g. item 2) and 16 * screws (e.g. item 3). The frame is designed to be placed on the surface of the ground and then to be filled nearly to the top with soil and compost. Typically the frame is at least 6 inches high. Once filled, the inner faces of the sides of the raised bed frame are covered with soil, however the outer faces remain exposed.

The frame may be rectangular as shown, or circular or any other desired shape. The wall of the frame may be continuous (for example for a circular bed).

Figure 2 shows a slug/snail deterrent -in this example taking the form of a copper strip (item 4) -which is fixed using copper nails (item 5) to the top of the outer face of the raised bed frame. This provides a continuous deterrent around the full circumference of the frame to prevent slugs/snails entering the raised bed.

The slug/snail deterrent may be fixed to the frame in a number of ways including nailing (as shown in figure 2), screwing, gluing, or clipping to pre-fitted fasteners, or indeed some combination of techniques.

In another embodiment -the preferred embodiment -(see figures 3,4,5) the components of the raised bed frame are designed such that when they are assembled, they themselves form a complete slug/snail deterrent.

Figure 3 shows a single wall section (item 6) of the raised bed frame. In contrast with the wall section (item 1) in figure 1, figure 3 shows the wall section (item 6) includes part of the copper snail/slug deterrent. In this embodiment the wall section comprises a piece of timber and a slug/snail deterrent made of copper strip (item 4) glued to one face of the timber and to the ends (item 7), though other materials could be used.

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Figure 4 shows that all four wall sections (item 6) of the raised bed frame include part of the copper slug/snail deterrent (item 7) and that the slug/snail deterrent is fixed (in * .** *5 * this example glued) to the outer face of the timber wall sections and to the ends (item 8) of the timber wall sections.

*. .30 * * * Figure 5 shows that when the raised bed frame is assembled each of the wall sections * (item 6) come together to form a complete uninterrupted closed loop slug/snail deterrent. In this embodiment the raised bed is assembled by screwing (item 5) each of the wall sections (item 6) to the corner pieces (item 2). In contrast with the first embodiment, no further step involving the fixing of a copper strip (item 4) around the whole raised bed is required, because shorter copper strips (item 7) were built into the wall sections (item 6) during their manufacture.

Components of the slug/snail deterrent may be fixed to the wall sections of the frame (during manufacture of the kit) in a number of ways including nailing, screwing or gluing.

Any known slug/snail deterrent can be associated with the wall sections. Copper is known to be a good deterrent and this can be applied to the surfaces, as described, or applied in other ways. Other alternative deterrents may be physical deterrents, ie shaping of the wall sections or components attached to the walls to hinder and deter slugs and snails from crossing. The deterrent may be a paint, or a metal or other strip plated with a material such as copper which deters slugs and snails. The deterrent can be applied to each section of the walls of a raised bed before the bed walls are assembled together, or could be applied once the walls have been assembled and put in position.

The material and design of the wall sections may be chosen such that they serve the purpose of slug/snail deterrent -rather than having to fix the deterrent to the wall sections either during manufacture of the components (as in the preferred embodiment or during assembly of the whole raised bed (as in the first embodiment). For example each side of a plastic or fibreglass raised bed could be designed such that the top edge *:*:* 25 presents a physical deterrent to slugs or snails, or (rather expensively) each side of the * *** raised bed might be made of solid copper, or (less expensively) some other metal which has been electroplated with copper.

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The advantages of the invention include 1) the structure of the raised bed can be used *:*. 30 to support the slug/snail deterrent, allowing the slug/snail deterrent to be made of * cheaper, lighter, less substantial material e.g. copper foil 2) transportation and delivery * .: of a kit is manageable whilst allowing a very large slug/snail deterrent to be constructed which is capable of surrounding for example a whole vegetable bed or vegetable plot 3) where the slug/snail deterrent is integral to the wall sections of the raised bed, the end customer does not need to do any work to assemble or install the snail/slug deterrent -instead it is formed in the process of assembling the main structure of the raised bed. * ** * * S * S. *SS. * * ***

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Claims

Claims 1. A frame for a raised garden bed comprising a perimeter wall and, associated with the wall, a slug/snail deterrent extending around the edge of the bed.
2. A frame as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the perimeter wall comprises a plurality of wall sections.
3. A frame as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, which is provided as a kit i.e. as a plurality of components to be assembled.
4. A frame as claimed in Claim 3, where the said slug/snail deterrent is provided as one or more components of the said kit, which are separate from the perimeter wall of the said kit.
5. A frame as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4, where the said slug/snail deterrent is integral to a plurality of the said wall sections.
6. A frame as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5, wherein when the said plurality of components are assembled, the said plurality of components collectively provide a continuous closed loop deterrent to slugs and snails.
7. A frame as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5, wherein the slug/snail deterrent is fitted to the said plurality of components of the main structure of the raised bed during *:*.:* 25 manufacture. * * *a.*
8. A frame as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the slug/snail deterrent is S.....

* copper strip.
9. A frame as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the slug/snail deterrent is a physical deterrent such as a sharp edge, or a serrated edge or a sharply undulating surface or an abrasive surface.
10. A frame as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the main structure is made of timber.
11. A frame as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9, wherein the main structure is made of a man made material such as plastic or fibreglass.
12. A frame for a raised garden bed substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 2 or Figures 3 to 5 of the accompanying drawings. * ** * S * * S. **.. * S S...

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