JP2002253054A - Plant culture apparatus and method for culturing plant using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a plant culture apparatus to be placed on the open field, the roof of a building or concrete or asphalt ground to culture a plant and provide a plant culture method using the apparatus. SOLUTION: The plant culture apparatus is composed of an upper container 11 holding a medium 15 such as a compost for plant culture and having a bottom part 13 provided with a number of through-holes 14 to pass the root 18 of the plant 17 planted on the medium and a lower container 12 for holding water. The upper container is stacked on the lower container. The apparatus may have a construction characterized in that the lower container 12 is connected to the water tank 22 with a pipe 21, water is circulated with a pump 19 and the supply of water is controlled with a controller 23.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a plant cultivation apparatus for arranging plants on an open field, a building roof, on concrete or asphalt, and the like, and a plant cultivation method using the apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional plant cultivation methods include cultivation methods such as open-field cultivation, potted plant cultivation, planter planted cultivation, hydroponic cultivation and rock wool cultivation. The above-mentioned open-field cultivation is not suitable for cultivating plants that are difficult to cultivate continuously in a specific place, and has drawbacks such as poor land cultivation and poor harvesting efficiency.
Further, potted plant cultivation and planter planted cultivation have disadvantages that are unsuitable for producing agricultural products for agricultural use because the amount of culture soil is limited and watering is difficult. Hydroponic cultivation has a drawback in that equipment costs are increased because styrofoam is floated on a water tank to supply fertilizer and oxygen. Rock wool cultivation, like hydroponic cultivation, has the disadvantage that equipment costs increase, it takes time to clean up after use, and it is limited to cultivation in facilities such as greenhouses.

[0003]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been completed by the inventor's intensive research and has been completed. It is useful for greening of urban areas because it can be used anywhere, such as outdoor vacant lots, building rooftops, etc.It also saves precious water by using rainwater, and its structure is simple and easy to handle Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for cultivating a plant that is easy to water, requires little effort, and is extremely economical, and a method for cultivating a plant using the apparatus.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention stores a medium such as a culture soil for plant cultivation, and forms a large number of through holes through which the roots of the plants planted in the medium penetrate. An apparatus for plant cultivation, comprising: an upper container part having a provided bottom part, and a lower container part for storing water, wherein the two container parts are vertically arranged in two stages ( Claim 1).

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention relates to a plant cultivation apparatus, a pipe for connecting a lower container part of the plant cultivation apparatus, and a plant cultivation apparatus. Plant cultivation device comprising: a water storage tank connected to any of the lower container portions of the device for water use; and a pump for circulating water to the lower container portion and the water storage tank ( Claim 2).

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a plant cultivation apparatus, a pipe connecting the lower container part of the plant cultivation apparatus, and a plant cultivation apparatus. A water tank connected to one of the lower container units of the water supply device, a pump for supplying water to the lower container unit, and a control device for controlling water supply. It is preferable that the apparatus for plant cultivation is (claim 3).

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention is characterized in that rainwater is stored in the water tank, and the rainwater stored in the water tank can be supplied to the lower container part. It is preferable to use the plant cultivation apparatus (claim 4).

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a plant cultivation method using any of the above plant cultivation apparatuses, wherein the water surface of the lower container portion is on the bottom surface or the bottom surface of the upper container portion. The lower container was filled with water to the extent that it came into contact with the medium stored in the upper container through the provided through-holes, and was left in this state. Thereafter, it is preferable to provide a plant cultivation method characterized by filling the lower container portion with water again as described above, and repeating the watering periodically (claim 5).

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for cultivating a plant,
Since it is configured as described above, a medium such as a culture soil for plant cultivation is stored in the upper container part, and the roots of the plants planted in the medium penetrate through a large number of through holes provided in the bottom part and the lower container part. Into the water, through which the plants can take in water or nutrients. Further, when the lower container is filled with water, the water surface reaches the multi-layer through the bottom through-hole of the upper container, and the water is absorbed by the multi-layer. Water can be supplied from the underside of the plant where the hair roots of the plant are regenerated, so that water release is reduced compared to watering from the surface of the plant and the efficiency of water and nutrition from the plant hair roots Not only can it be absorbed naturally, but also the rooting of the plant can be prevented.

Further, the space formed between the water surface of the lower container portion and the bottom portion of the upper container portion after the water is absorbed by the plants and reduced is filled with a saturated air layer with high humidity. Plants can efficiently take in oxygen, promote root development and promote plant growth. Furthermore, the saturated air layer is shut off from the outside, there is no air flow, and the temperature fluctuation inside the container is suppressed as much as possible by the action of the water having a large specific heat, thereby saving the heating cost in winter and the cooling cost in summer. You.

In the plant cultivation apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, since the lower container portions and the water storage tank are connected to each other by pipes, the water level of the lower container portion is maintained at substantially the same height. And the growth of the plant can be made uniform. Furthermore, water can be uniformly supplied to each lower container part by a pump, and the trouble of watering each lower container part can be omitted. In addition, when the plant cultivation device is placed outdoors, rainwater taken from the plant cultivation device is collected in a water storage tank through the lower container part, and the rainwater is reused for watering, so that the water is reused. Use efficiency can be increased and saved.

The plant cultivation apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention is provided with a control device for controlling the supply of water. Can be watered,
Alternatively, a water level detection sensor may be attached to a predetermined position of the lower container part, and watering may be started when the water level of the lower container part falls below the predetermined position. In addition, a temperature sensor can be attached to the lower container and a water temperature controller can be attached to the water storage tank 22 to control the water temperature of the lower container to a constant temperature.

The plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention can store rainwater in a water storage tank. This rainwater may be provided in a water storage tank below the lower container part of the plant cultivation apparatus as described above, and may be collected in this water storage tank. In addition, for example, rainwater falling on the roof of a building may be guttered. May be collected and stored in a water storage tank. In any case, the collected rainwater can be reused.

In the plant cultivation method according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the lower container portion is regularly watered as described above, so that the water is sucked up to the ground and the roots are drained. Plant can be efficiently cultivated. Liquid fertilizer or the like may be mixed and provided in water.

[0015]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a plant is planted in a two-tiered plant cultivation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 in the figure is an apparatus for plant cultivation, 11 is an upper container part, 12
Is a lower container part, 13 is a bottom part, and 14 is
Is a through hole, 15 is a medium, 16 is a reservoir, 17 is a plant, and 18 is a plant root.

Upper container section 11 and lower container section 12
Has substantially the same box shape, and the material is not particularly limited, but it is usually preferable to use a commercially available plastic container. Examples of the plastic material include olefin resins such as high-density polyethylene and polypropylene, hard vinyl chloride resins, impact-resistant polystyrene, acrylic butadiene styrene resins (ABS
Resins), foamed polystyrene, and the like may be used as long as they have the strength that can be endured in a two-stage stack in the present invention. When used outdoors, a material having good weather resistance such as an acrylic resin is preferable. A resin obtained by adding an ultraviolet absorber or an antioxidant to a resin is particularly preferred.

The bottom portion 13 of the upper container portion 11 is provided with a through hole 14 through which the root 18 of the plant 17 penetrates. The shape of the through hole is not particularly limited, but is preferably a circular or elongated slit as shown in FIG. The size of the pore is not particularly limited as long as it can hold the culture soil of the culture medium, etc., and usually,
It is preferable to provide a hole of about 3 to 7 mm on substantially the entire bottom surface. The lower container part 12 has a watertight structure, and the bottom part 13 of the upper container part 11 is placed on the upper peripheral part of the lower container part 12 so as to overlap. Also,
The side surfaces of both container portions may be formed in a tapered shape, and the lower portion of the upper container portion 11 may be slightly inserted into the upper portion of the lower container portion 12 and placed (not shown).

FIG. 2 illustrates a circuit diagram of a plant cultivation apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 2, three lower container parts 1 of the plant cultivation apparatus
2, 12 and 12 are connected by a pipe 21, respectively, and one of the lower container parts 12 and a water storage tank 22 are connected by a pipe 21;
The pump 19 and the valve 25 were provided in the middle of the pipe. Further, a motor 20 for rotating the pump 19, a valve 25, and a sensor 24 attached to a predetermined position of the lower container portion 12.
Are connected to a control device 23 such as a PLC (programmable logic controller). The order in which they are connected is not particularly limited. For example,
The water storage tank 22 and the pump 19 may be directly connected to the pipe 21 connecting the lower container section 12.

A pipe 21 for connecting the lower container portion 12
Is usually connected by making a hole in the side surface of the lower container portion 12. By connecting the lower container portions 12 in this manner, the cultivation area can be freely expanded while maintaining the water storage surface constant, and can also be arranged in a free form according to the topography of the storage place such as the roof of the building. it can. When replanting, prepare the seedlings in the upper container section 11 in advance,
Simply replacing the upper container unit 11 can simplify the operation.
Since replanting can be performed in such a short time, it is extremely convenient for changing the pattern of a park or event venue.

It is preferable that the water storage tank 22 be placed at a position slightly lower than the lower container part 12 so that excess rainwater accumulated in the lower container part 12 flows into the water storage tank 22. Further, it is preferable to provide a check valve 25 in the middle of the pipe 21 connecting the water storage tank 22 and the lower container part 12, and to provide a net or a filter at the pipe opening to prevent inflow of dust and the like. Furthermore, rainwater that has fallen on the roof of a building or the like can be guided to the water storage tank 22 and circulated to the lower container unit 12. In this case, a water storage tank for storing rainwater is provided separately from the water storage tank 22 (not shown), and the pump 1
9 may lead to the water storage tank 22. In the water tank for collecting rainwater, you can enjoy swimming with freshwater fish such as crucian carp and goldfish. In the rainy season, surplus rainwater can be effectively used for toilets and the like.

A sensor 24 for detecting a water level and a temperature is attached to a predetermined position on the inner side surface of the lower container portion 12 or the bottom surface of the upper container portion 11.
The water supply can be controlled in conjunction with the motor 20 of No. 9 and the electromagnetic valve 25 for preventing backflow. That is, the water level of the lower container part 12 is
When the four positions are cut off, the pump motor 20 is started and the solenoid valve 25 is opened, so that water is supplied from the water storage tank 22 to the lower container portion 12. When the water is filled and the water surface reaches the bottom portion 13 of the upper container portion 11, the motor 20 of the pump 19 stops and the solenoid valve 25 closes. Furthermore,
When rainwater accumulates in the lower container part 12 more than a predetermined value,
The electromagnetic valve 25 is opened so that rainwater flows out to the water storage tank 22. In addition, a timer can be provided so that watering can be performed at a constant cycle depending on the time. Needless to say, the above operation can be performed manually.

In the embodiment of the invention described above, the case where the two containers of the upper container portion 11 and the lower container portion 12 are overlapped has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is not limited to this. And a lower container portion 12 integrally formed, and a partition plate having a through-hole corresponding to the bottom portion 13 or a grid-like partition plate provided detachably in the middle thereof is also included in the present invention. (Not shown).

[0023]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the embodiment of the present invention, a plastic container (34 cm in length, 54 cm in width, and 20 cm in height), whose upper and lower parts can be fitted together and overlapped with each other.
cm) were prepared. One of the containers is
A plurality of holes each having a diameter of 6 mm were provided on the entire bottom surface portion 13 to form an upper container portion 11, and the other container was prepared as a lower container portion 12 in which three sets of both were vertically stacked.
These lower container part 12, water tank 22, and pump 19
Was connected with a pipe as shown in FIG. 2 to obtain an apparatus for plant cultivation.

[0024]

Next, an example of use of the plant cultivation apparatus according to the above embodiment will be described. First, about 80% of the upper container portion 11 is filled with a culture soil in which organic materials such as soil heat-sterilized with no pesticides, cow dung compost, and mushroom bed material are mixed into each upper container portion 11. Planted tomato seedlings. Surprisingly, these tomatoes started testing in April 2000 and continued to grow in the house until December of the same year without using cooling or heating. Grew up. During that time, oil cake was put on the top of the culture soil as needed. Watering is usually performed once a day, and twice a day in summer, and rainwater collected in the water storage tank 18 is supplied to the lower container unit 12 by a pump. From the summer to the end of the year, tomatoes were harvested, and the amount of harvest reached two to three times as much as that of ordinary field cultivation.

Potatoes were grown in the same manner as the tomatoes described above. In normal potato cultivation, when collecting seed potatoes, special measures are taken so as not to be affected by harmful fungi, but when cultivating potatoes by the cultivation method of this example, harmful fungi Since seeds are unlikely to occur, seed potatoes could be collected without taking any special antibacterial measures, and it was confirmed that the seed potatoes collected in this manner were not different from ordinary seed potatoes. In addition, when the amount of the culture soil was reduced, Komatsuna, Shandongna and spinach were cultivated, and all of them grew quickly and grew greatly. When the leaves are cut off and the shoots are cut off, the leaves grow further from the remaining shoots and can be repeatedly harvested, and the harvest time is much earlier than when the seeds are grown each time. It was possible to obtain several times the yield. Such a phenomenon is completely impossible with conventional planter cultivation. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
A part of 8 penetrates into the lower container part 12 through the through hole 14 of the bottom part 13 and takes necessary moisture. In addition, although the above-mentioned culture soil was used for the medium 15, normal soil may be used, or a commercially available culture soil, a urethane medium, or the like may be used. And
In place of the culture soil, or together with the culture soil, even when the liquid fertilizer for hydroponics is supplied into the circulating water, similarly to the case where the culture soil is used, it can be confirmed that the plants grow quickly and grow large. Was.

[0026]

The apparatus for cultivating plants according to the present invention, having the above-described structure, has a simple structure, is light in weight, easy to handle, easy to water and does not cause root rot. The plant can be easily cultivated without any knowledge, and since it grows remarkably faster and has a higher yield than conventional open-field cultivation, it can be used for full-scale farming. ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the apparatus for plant cultivation which concerns on this invention, vegetables, fruits, a flower, etc. can be easily cultivated also on the roof of a city building, a park, an event site, concrete or asphalt, etc., and can contribute to greening. . In addition, since rainwater that has fallen on the rooftops and roads of buildings can be used, not only can water be saved, but if this device is widely used, rainwater can be prevented from flowing into rivers and flooding at once. . The plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention can be easily manufactured using a commercially available container, and therefore has an extremely excellent effect economically.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state where a plant is planted in a plant cultivation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a circuit diagram of a plant cultivation apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view illustrating an upper container part provided with a slit-shaped through hole in the bottom part of the plant cultivation apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. It is the perspective view which illustrated the upper container part which provided the circular through-hole in the part.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: plant cultivation equipment, 11: upper container part, 12: lower container part, 13: bottom part, 14: through hole, 15: culture medium,
16: water storage, 17: plant, 18: root, 19: pump, 2
0: motor, 21: pipe, 22: water tank, 23: control device, 24: sensor, 25: valve

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat II (reference) A01G 27/00 503 A01G 27/00 504C 504 504B 502B 502E 502R 502W 505F F-term (reference) 2B027 NC02 ND01 NE10 QA05 QB03 RA05 RA14 RA22 RA26 RA28 RB03 RC06 UA03 UA08 UA09 UA10 UA13 UA21 UA28

Claims (5)

[Claims] An upper container having a bottom surface provided with a plurality of through holes through which a root of a plant planted in the culture medium is stored, and a lower container portion for storing water. And a container cultivation apparatus, wherein both the container portions are vertically arranged in two stages. 2. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1, a pipe connecting the lower container portion of the plant cultivation apparatus, and a lower container of any one of the plant cultivation apparatuses. An apparatus for plant cultivation, comprising: a water tank connected to a water tank; and a pump for circulating water to the lower container part and the water tank. 3. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1, a pipe connecting the lower container section of the plant cultivation apparatus, and a lower container of any one of the plant cultivation apparatuses. An apparatus for plant cultivation, comprising: a water tank connected to a lower part, a pump for supplying water to the lower container part, and a control device for controlling water supply. 4. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein rainwater is stored in the water storage tank, and the rainwater stored in the water storage tank can be supplied to the lower container part. 5. A plant cultivation method using the plant cultivation apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3 and 4, wherein a water surface of the lower container portion is provided on a bottom surface or a bottom surface of the upper container portion. Fill the lower container part with water to the extent that it contacts the medium stored in the upper container part through the through hole, leave it in this state, and after the water is absorbed by the plant roots and soil, etc., and reduced to some extent, A method for cultivating a plant, characterized in that the lower container portion is filled with water as described above, and the watering is periodically repeated.