JP7440097B2 - Gardening tray and plant cultivation method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a horticultural tray that can accommodate a plurality of cultivation containers , and a method for cultivating plants using the same .

This type of horticultural tray is suitable for growing a large number of plants, and is used in cultivation facilities such as plant factories. For example, a horticultural tray containing a plurality of pots (an example of a cultivation container) is placed in a plant factory or the like, and plants are grown in each pot on the horticultural tray. When the time is right, spacing work will be carried out to widen the distance between plants to prevent them from interfering with each other. This spacing work is sometimes performed manually, but from the viewpoint of work efficiency, etc., it is now performed automatically.

Various techniques regarding the above-mentioned spacing work have been proposed. For example, the cultivation tray disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a frame body formed in a rectangular shape that is long from side to side when viewed from above, and a plurality of planting units that can be set inside the frame body. The planting unit is a plate material formed in an elongated rectangular shape when viewed from above, and is formed so that a plurality of planting recesses are arranged at equal intervals in the front-rear direction. In the above technique, plants in the early stages of growth are accommodated in each planting recess, and then a plurality of planting units are set inside the frame. At this initial stage of growth, as many plants as possible are grown within the frame by arranging the plurality of planting units without any gaps between them. Then, when the plants have grown to a certain extent, by removing every other planting unit from the frame (performing spacing work), the distance between the plants can be increased.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-11729

By the way, since the above-mentioned cultivation tray requires a large number of planting units and frames, the number of parts increases and the structure becomes complicated. Moreover, in the above-mentioned implantation unit, a plurality of implantation recesses are arranged one after the other at equal intervals. For this reason, in the planting unit, the distance between the front and back of the plants did not change even after the spacing work, and the configuration was somewhat unsuitable for proper spacing. Although it is conceivable to widen the distance between the front and rear of the planting recess, it would not be possible to accommodate many plants in the early stages of growth. The present invention was devised in view of the above-mentioned points, and the problem to be solved by the present invention is to suppress the increase in the number of parts, enable the cultivation of as many plants as possible, and improve the quality of the plants. An object of the present invention is to provide a horticultural tray that allows for proper spacing.

As a means for solving the above problems, a horticultural tray according to a first aspect of the invention includes a plurality of bottomed storage sections in which cultivation containers are accommodated. The accommodating section has vertical wall sections rising from the four sides of the bottom of the accommodating section, respectively, in a plan view from above, and a through section that is formed at the bottom and communicates with the outside. In this type of horticultural tray, it is desirable to be able to grow as many plants as possible and achieve better spacing while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

Therefore, the gardening tray of the present invention has a first storage area in which rows are formed of a plurality of storage sections, and a second storage area in which rows are formed with a smaller number of storage sections than the first storage area. The accommodating areas are formed alternately in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the rows of accommodating parts extend. In the direction in which the row of accommodating parts extends, the interval between the accommodating parts in the second accommodating area is set larger than the interval between the accommodating parts in the first accommodating area. and the bottoms of the accommodating parts of the second accommodating area partially overlap in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the rows of accommodating parts extend. In the gardening tray of the present invention, spacing work can be performed by reducing the number of cultivation containers in the first storage area and moving them to the second storage area. In the first storage area, since the spacing between the storage parts is relatively small, the first storage area is suitable for growing a large number of plants at an early stage. In addition, in the second accommodation area, since the spacing between the accommodation parts is relatively large, it is suitable for the growth of plants after spacing. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to grow as many plants as possible while using only one gardening tray, and to achieve better spacing.

Further, a method for cultivating plants according to a second invention is a method for cultivating plants using the horticultural tray according to the first invention, in which plants are grown in cultivation containers accommodated only in each accommodation section of the first accommodation area. The plant has an early growth stage, and a late growth stage in which the plants are grown in the cultivation containers accommodated only in the respective housing sections of the second housing area after the early growth stage. Then, between the early growth stage and the late growth stage, a spacing operation is performed to reduce the number of the plurality of cultivation containers in the first storage area and move them to each storage part in the second storage area. In the present invention , by using the horticultural tray of the first invention, it is possible to cultivate as many plants as possible while providing better spacing.

Further, in the plant cultivation method of the third invention, in the plant cultivation method of the second invention, each storage part of the first storage area and each storage part of the second storage area are cultivation containers of the same shape and size. It is designed to accommodate . In the present invention , by using the horticultural tray of the first invention, it is possible to cultivate as many plants as possible while providing better spacing.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a horticultural tray that allows for the cultivation of as many plants as possible while suppressing an increase in the number of parts and allows for better spacing. Furthermore, according to the second and third inventions, it is possible to cultivate as many plants as possible while achieving better spacing.

It is a perspective view of the front side of a gardening tray. It is a perspective view of the back side of a gardening tray. It is a perspective view of the gardening tray which accommodated the cultivation container in the first accommodation area. It is a sectional view of a part of the gardening tray which accommodated the cultivation container in the first accommodation area. It is a perspective view of the gardening tray which accommodated the cultivation container in the second accommodation area. It is a sectional view of a part of the gardening tray which accommodated the cultivation container in the second accommodation area. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the gardening tray seen from above. It is an enlarged plan view of the left part of the gardening tray seen from above. 8 is a sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 7. FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 7. FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line XI-XI in FIG. 7. FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line XII-XII in FIG. 7. FIG.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12. Each figure shows arrows indicating the up-down direction, front-back direction, and left-right direction of the gardening tray. Moreover, in FIGS. 3 and 5, for convenience, only the cultivation container is illustrated, and the plants and culture medium therein are omitted.

The horticultural tray 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be used to cultivate a plurality of plants, and is suitable for use in a cultivation facility such as a plant factory. That is, the gardening tray 10 can be used in a cultivation system (cultivation method) for cultivating a plurality of plants together with the cultivation container 2 shown in FIGS. 3 to 6. In this cultivation system, it is desired to be able to cultivate as many plants as possible, and at the same time, spacing work is performed to widen the intervals between the cultivation containers 2 (plants) when the time is right. In the cultivation system, it is desirable to be able to perform the above cultivation and spacing operations while suppressing an increase in the number of parts of the horticultural tray 10. Therefore, in this embodiment, the gardening tray 10 described later is used to enable cultivation of as many plants as possible while providing excellent spacing. The configuration of the gardening tray 10 and the cultivation system (cultivation method including spacing work) using the gardening tray 10 and the cultivation container 2 will be described below.

[Cultivation container]
Here, various containers such as pots and pots can be used as the cultivation container 2 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and the materials thereof include hard or soft resin, pottery such as ceramics and ceramics, glass, metal, wood, etc. Examples include natural materials. For example, the cultivation container 2 of this embodiment is an integrally molded product made of resin, and is formed into a quadrangular prism shape with an open upper side. This cultivation container 2 includes a bottom wall 3 that is square in plan view, peripheral walls 4 (side surfaces) rising from the four sides of the bottom wall 3, and a supply section 5. The peripheral wall 4 has an edge 6 whose upper edge is bent downward. Furthermore, a conical replenishment part 5 with open upper and lower sides stands up on the bottom wall 3, and this replenishment part 5 is located at a position slightly outward from the center C1 of the bottom wall 3, as shown in FIG. It is formed. In the cultivation container 2, liquid components such as water and nutrients (liquid fertilizer) can be introduced into the cultivation container 2 through the supply section 5. Note that when cultivating plants, the growing plants and culture medium can be protected by covering the upper side of the cultivation container 2 with a sheet material (not shown).

[Gardening tray]
The gardening tray 10 is formed into a rectangular shape that is long in the left and right directions when viewed in plan as shown in FIG. 13z). This gardening tray 10 has its front, rear, left and right outer edges bent downward, and these bent outer edge portions serve as a handle portion 100. Since the plurality of accommodating parts 11 to 15, etc. have almost the same basic configuration, details will be explained using the first accommodating part 11 located at the front left in FIG. 7 as an example.

[Accommodation section]
As shown in FIG. 8, the first accommodating portion 11 has a bottom portion 110 formed in a generally square shape, vertical wall portions 111 to 114, and a through portion 115. In the first accommodating portion 11, vertical walls 111 to 114 rise from the front, rear, left, and right sides (four directions) of the bottom portion 110, respectively, when viewed from above. The cultivation container in the first storage section 11 can be held by the front, rear, left, and right vertical walls 111 to 114 so as not to move excessively in the front, rear, left, and right directions. Further, in the first housing portion 11, the opening area (the distance between the paired vertical wall portions) increases toward the upper side. That is, the front vertical wall part 111 and the rear vertical wall part 112 are inclined in a direction that gradually moves away from each other as they go upward, as shown in FIG. Further, the left vertical wall portion 113 and the right vertical wall portion 114 are also inclined in a direction that gradually separates from each other as they go upward, as shown in FIG. As a result, when storing a plurality of gardening trays in a stacked manner, the first housing section (not shown) of another gardening tray can be fitted into the first housing section 11 of one gardening tray 10.

[Penetrating part]
Moreover, a penetration part 115 communicating with the outside is formed in the center of the bottom part 110 shown in FIG. 8, and water can be supplied into the cultivation container through this penetration part 115. Here, the shape of the penetrating portion 115 in plan view is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, it is generally formed into a rectangular shape that is elongated from side to side. The opening size of the penetration part 115 can be set in consideration of the position and size of the supply part 5 of the cultivation container 2 shown in FIG. 4. For example, with reference to FIGS. 4 and 8, assuming a virtual circle CR whose radius is the distance from the center C1 of the bottom wall 3 of the cultivation container 2 to the outer surface of the replenishing part 5, the penetrating part 115 The opening size is set to be large. When the cultivation container 2 is placed in the first accommodating section 11 shown in FIG. Thereby, no matter how the direction of the cultivation container 2 is changed, the supply part 5 of the cultivation container 2 can be placed inside the penetration part 115.

[Exposure area]
Here, with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, the height dimension (L1, etc.) of each of the vertical walls 111 to 114 of the first storage section 11 is the height of the cultivation container 2 accommodated in the first storage section 11. It is desirable that it is lower than the dimension L2. For example, in the gardening tray 10, the height dimension L1 of each vertical wall portion (rear side vertical wall portion 112, right side vertical wall portion 114, etc.) arranged inside the gardening tray 10 is such that It is set to 2/3 or less (preferably half or less) of the height L2 of the cultivation container 2. As a result, in the first storage part 11 shown in FIG. An exposed region 26 is formed in which the portion (portion) is exposed to the outside. By exposing the circumferential wall 4 of the cultivation container 2 to the outside from the exposed region 26, the circumferential wall 4 portion of the cultivation container 2 can be used as a handle during spacing work, etc., which will be described later. Furthermore, when the cultivation container 2 is moved using a moving device (such as a robot arm, etc.) not shown during the spacing work, the moving device can be moved in an appropriate direction without being obstructed by the above-mentioned vertical walls 112, etc. as much as possible. Be able to move.

Note that the exposed area 26 shown in FIG. 4 can also be formed based on the dimensions of the gardening tray 10. For example, the exposed region 26 is formed by setting the length of each of the vertical wall portions 112 and the like described above to ⅔ or less (preferably half or less) of the length of the side of the bottom portion 110 of the first storage portion 11. Become so. Here, when the lengths of the sides of the bottom portion 110 are different, the length dimension of each vertical wall portion 112 etc. can be set based on the shortest side. Further, when the bottom portion 110 is circular, its diameter can be used as a reference, and when it is elliptical, its short axis can be used as a reference.

The gardening tray 10 shown in FIG. In the storage tray 10, four first storage areas (31, 31x, 31y, 31z) and three second storage areas (32, 32x, 32y) are formed. (31x, 31y, 31z), a row consisting of a plurality of storage parts 11 to 13 (11x to 13x, 11y to 13y, 11z to 13z) is formed to extend in the front-rear direction. Also in the region 32 (32x, 32y), a row consisting of a plurality of accommodating portions 14, 15 (14x, 15x, 14y, 15y) is formed so as to extend in the front-rear direction. The storage areas 31, etc. and the second storage areas 32, etc. are formed alternately in the left-right direction (the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the rows of storage sections extend). The number of parts) to be formed is not limited to the above number, and can be appropriately set in consideration of the scale of the plant factory etc., the number of plants shipped, etc.

Here, each of the first accommodation areas 31, 31x, 31y, and 31z shown in FIG. 7 has the same basic configuration. Further, each of the second accommodation areas 32, 32x, and 32y also has the same basic configuration. Therefore, details of each storage area will be explained below, taking as an example the first storage area 31 and the second storage area 32 located on the left side of the gardening tray 10.

[First containment area]
As described above, in the first storage area 31 shown in FIG. 8, a row consisting of the first storage section 11, the second storage section 12, and the third storage section 13 is formed so as to extend in the front-rear direction. . Here, the second accommodating part 12 and the third accommodating part 13 have the same components as the first accommodating part 11. That is, the second accommodating portion 12 also has a bottom portion 120, vertical wall portions 121 to 124 on the front, rear, left and right sides, and a through portion 125. Further, the third storage portion 13 also has a bottom portion 130, vertical wall portions 131 to 134 on the front, rear, left and right sides, and a through portion 135. Referring to FIG. 9, the distance D1 between the first housing part 11 and the second housing part 12 (the second housing part 12 and the third housing part 13) is particularly important if the growth of plants is possible. Although not limited, it is desirable to set the container so that it can accommodate as many cultivation containers 2 as possible. For example, in the first storage area 31 of this embodiment, the first storage section 11 and the second storage section 12 (second storage section 12 and third storage section 13) are used to store plants from the initial stage of growth to just before spacing. They are formed at regular intervals at intervals D1 taking dimensions into consideration. Note that the interval between the accommodating parts can be defined by the distance between the centers C2 of the bottoms of the accommodating parts. In the first storage area 31, in order to form many storage areas in a limited space, the first storage area 11 is arranged adjacent to the front edge of the gardening tray 10, and the third storage area 13 is arranged adjacent to the front edge of the gardening tray 10. It is arranged adjacent to the rear edge of the tray 10.

Further, in the gardening tray 10, with reference to FIGS. 7 and 10, a plurality of first storage areas 31, 31x, 31y, and 31z are formed at equal intervals in the left-right direction (in each figure, different first storage areas 31, 31x, 31y, and 31z are The symbols 11x, 11y, and 11z corresponding to the first accommodating portions of the first accommodating regions 31x, 31y, and 31z are given, but the numbers of the constituent elements for each accommodating portion are omitted as much as possible). For example, the first accommodation area 31 and another first accommodation area 31x are formed so as to be lined up on the left and right with a second accommodation area 32, which will be described later, in between. The left and right distance D2 between the first storage areas 31 and 31x is not particularly limited as long as plants can grow therein, but it is desirable to set it so that as many cultivation containers 2 as possible can be stored therein. Therefore, in this embodiment, the left and right spacing D2 between the first storage areas 31 and 31x is set in consideration of the dimensions of the plant from the initial stage of growth to just before spacing.

[Second containment area]
Further, in the second storage area 32 shown in FIG. 8, a row consisting of a smaller number of storage parts than the first storage area 31, that is, a fourth storage part 14 and a fifth storage part 15, extends in the front-rear direction. It is formed like this. Here, the fourth accommodating part 14 and the fifth accommodating part 15 have the same components as the first accommodating part 11 described above. The fourth accommodating portion 14 has a bottom portion 140, vertical wall portions 141 to 144 on the front, rear, left and right sides, and a through portion 145. Further, the fifth accommodating portion 15 also has a bottom portion 150, vertical wall portions 151 to 154 on the front, rear, left and right sides, and a through portion 155. Referring to FIGS. 9 and 11, the distance D3 between the fourth storage section 14 and the fifth storage section 15 is set to be larger than the distance D1 between the storage sections of the first storage area 31 described above. is set to . For example, in the second storage area 32 of this embodiment, the fourth storage section 14 and the fifth storage section 15 are formed at an interval D3 that takes into consideration the dimensions of the plants from after spacing to the end of cultivation (at the time of shipping). has been done.

Further, in the gardening tray 10, with reference to FIGS. 7 and 12, a plurality of second storage areas 32, 32x, 32y are formed at equal intervals in the left-right direction (in each figure, another second storage area The reference numerals 14x and 14y corresponding to the fourth accommodating parts of the accommodating areas 32x and 32y are given, but the reference numerals of the constituent elements for each accommodating part may be omitted). For example, the second accommodation area 32 and another second accommodation area 32x are formed to be lined up on the left and right with the above-described another first accommodation area 31x in between. Referring to FIGS. 10 and 12, the left and right distance D4 between the second storage areas 32 and 32x is set to be larger than the left and right distance D2 between the first storage areas 31 and 31x described above. It is desirable to do so.

[Arrangement relationship between the first storage area and the second storage area]
In the gardening tray 10 shown in FIG. 8, either the first storage area 31 or the second storage area 32 is used when cultivating plants, which will be described later. Therefore, by forming the accommodation areas 31 and 32 alternately in the left-right direction, the accommodation part of the first accommodation area 31 and the accommodation part of the second accommodation area 32 can be partially overlapped. For example, to explain the overlapping state using the fourth accommodating part 14 of the second accommodating area 32 as an example, this fourth accommodating part 14 is located between the first accommodating part 11 of the first accommodating area 31 and the second accommodating area in the front-rear direction. It is arranged between the parts 12. The second accommodating area 32 in which the fourth accommodating part 14 is formed and the first accommodating area 31 in which the first accommodating part 11, the second accommodating part 12, etc. are formed partially overlap in the left-right direction. (In FIG. 8, the overlapping range of both accommodation areas is indicated by the symbol X1). As a result, the front left corner X2 of the fourth accommodating part 14 (bottom part 140) overlaps with the rear right corner of the first accommodating part 11 located on the left. Further, the rear left corner X3 of the fourth accommodating portion 14 (bottom portion 140) overlaps the front right corner of the second accommodating portion 12 located adjacent to the left. In this way, in the gardening tray 10, as many accommodation parts as possible can be formed in the left-right direction by partially overlapping the storage parts arranged on the left and right, and by utilizing the space without wasting space.

[Rigidity of gardening tray]
It is desirable that the horticultural tray 10 shown in FIG. 7 has appropriate rigidity in consideration of the fact that it is transported while housing a plurality of cultivation containers (plants and culture medium). Therefore, the gardening tray 10 of this embodiment is formed into a continuous plate shape so that the gardening tray portion excluding the penetrating portion does not communicate with the outside. That is, when the gardening tray 10 is viewed from the front and back directions with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, the bottom portion 110 of the accommodating portion 11, etc., is relatively concave, and the bottom portion 110, etc., of the storage portion 11, etc., is relatively convex. A convex portion 40 is formed in a continuous plate shape (in each figure, for convenience, all convex portions (top portions) are given a common reference numeral 40 (41)). The convex portion 40 is formed between each of the housing portions arranged in front and behind, and is composed of a pair of vertical wall portions and a plate-shaped top portion 41 extending between these upper edges. For example, the convex portion 40 formed between the first accommodating part 11 and the second accommodating part 12 shown in FIG. It is formed by a wall portion 121 and a top portion 41 extending between the upper edges of both vertical wall portions.

Furthermore, when the gardening tray 10 is viewed from the left and right sides as shown in FIG. is formed into a continuous plate shape. The convex portion 40 is formed between the left and right housing portions, and is composed of a pair of vertical wall portions and a plate-shaped top portion 41 extending between the upper edges thereof. For example, the convex portion 40 formed between the first accommodating part 11 and another first accommodating part 11x is formed between the right vertical wall part 114 of the first accommodating part 11 and the left vertical wall of another first accommodating part 11x. It is formed by a portion 113x and a top portion 41 extending between the upper edges of both vertical wall portions.

Furthermore, with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, similarly to the first accommodation area 31, the second accommodation area 32, etc., is relative to the bottom part 140, etc. of the accommodation part 14, etc. The convex portion 40 is formed into a continuous plate shape. In this way, the gardening tray 10 shown in FIG. 7 has excellent rigidity because the portion excluding the penetrating portion is formed into a continuous plate shape. Furthermore, since the gardening tray 10 is formed into a continuous plate shape to ensure rigidity, there is no need to provide extra rib-shaped portions (protrusions or grooves) on the bottom or convex portions. Therefore, in the gardening tray 10, dirt is less likely to accumulate on the plate-shaped bottom and convex portions without unnecessary irregularities, and cleaning operations before and after cultivation can be easily performed.

[Cultivation system using gardening trays and cultivation containers (plant cultivation method)]
The horticultural tray 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is used for plant cultivation in a cultivation facility such as a plant factory. At this time, first, the cultivation containers 2 are respectively accommodated in each of the first accommodation areas 31, 31x to 31z provided in the gardening tray 10 shown in FIG. In this first storage area 31 and the like, since the front-to-back distance D1 (and the left-right distance D2) between the storage sections is relatively small, a relatively large number of cultivation containers 2 can be stored. For example, in the gardening tray 10, a maximum of 12 cultivation containers 2 can be accommodated using the four first accommodation areas 31 and the like. Therefore, at the initial stage of growth, as many plants as possible can be grown in the gardening tray 10 by using the first storage area 31 and the like as shown in FIG.

[Spacing work]
In the above cultivation method, the spacing work is performed once the plants have grown to a certain extent. In this type of configuration, it is desirable to be able to achieve better spacing by appropriately increasing the distance between plants while suppressing an increase in the number of parts of the gardening tray 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. . Therefore, the gardening tray 10 of this embodiment has a first storage area 31, etc. in which a row of a plurality of storage parts 11 to 13, etc. is formed, and a smaller number of storage areas than the first storage area 31, etc. The second accommodating areas 32 and the like in which rows of accommodating parts 14, 15, etc. are formed are alternately formed in a direction (left-right direction) perpendicular to the direction in which the rows of accommodating parts extend. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 6, in the direction in which the row of accommodating sections extends (front-back direction), the interval D3 between the accommodating sections such as the second accommodating area 32, etc. The distance D1 is set larger than the distance D1 between the two.

According to the above configuration, referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, the spacing work can be performed by reducing the number of cultivation containers 2 in the first storage area 31 and moving them to the second storage area 32. Be able to do it. For example, in the gardening tray 10, as shown in FIG. The number of cultivation containers 2 can be increased to a maximum of six (half). Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the cultivation container 2 accommodated in the second accommodation area 32 etc. can be used to plant plants according to the front-to-back distance D3 (and the left-right distance D4) between the storage sections, as described above. Since the distance between them is widened, it becomes an environment suitable for plant growth after spacing. Further, although the above-mentioned spacing work is sometimes performed manually, it is increasingly being performed automatically from the viewpoint of work efficiency. Therefore, in this embodiment, referring to FIGS. 4 and 6, the peripheral side wall 4 of the cultivation container 2 is exposed to the outside from the exposed area 26 provided above each vertical wall portion. This makes it possible to move the cultivation container 2 using a moving device (robot arm, etc.) using the peripheral side wall 4 portion of the cultivation container exposed from the exposed area 26 as a handle, which contributes to automation of spacing work. It becomes the composition.

[Transportation work]
At the end of cultivation (at the time of shipment), the plurality of cultivation containers 2 shown in FIG. 5 are transported together with the horticultural tray 10 to a predetermined location. At this time, the handle portion 100 of the gardening tray 10 is carried to a predetermined location by, for example, a transport device (robot arm, etc.); however, due to the weight of the cultivation container 2, the gardening tray 10 is bending should be avoided as much as possible. Therefore, in the gardening tray 10, as shown in FIG. 7, the gardening tray portion excluding the penetrating portion is formed into a continuous plate shape so as not to communicate with the outside. In this way, unnecessary penetration parts are omitted in the gardening tray 10 to ensure rigidity, so that the gardening tray 10, which has increased in weight, can be prevented from unintentionally bending downward as much as possible. Becomes transportable.

As explained above, the horticultural tray 10 of this embodiment reduces the number of cultivation containers 2 in the first storage area 31 etc. and moves them to the second storage area 32 etc., thereby improving the spacing work. It is now possible to do this. In the first storage area 31 and the like, since the intervals between the storage sections are relatively small, the first storage area 31 and the like are suitable for growing a large number of plants at an early stage. Further, in the second accommodation area 32 and the like, since the intervals between the accommodation parts are relatively large, it is suitable for the growth of plants after spacing. Therefore, according to this embodiment, even while using one gardening tray 10 (while suppressing an increase in the number of parts), it is possible to cultivate as many plants as possible and achieve better spacing. It becomes like this.

Furthermore, in the gardening tray 10 of this embodiment, the peripheral side wall 4 (side surface) of the cultivation container 2 can be exposed to the outside from the exposed region 26 formed on the upper side of the vertical wall portion. Thereby, it becomes possible to use the peripheral side wall 4 portion of the cultivation container 2 as a handle, and the cultivation container 2 can be easily moved during spacing work and the like. The gardening tray 10 of this embodiment is formed into a continuous plate shape, and unnecessary penetration parts are omitted so as to ensure rigidity. Thereby, unintended deformation of the horticultural tray 10 during transport can be suppressed, and the configuration is particularly useful for transporting the horticultural tray 10, which has increased in weight due to the cultivation container 2 being accommodated therein.

The gardening tray of this embodiment is not limited to the embodiment described above, and may take various other embodiments. In this embodiment, although the configurations of the first storage area and the second storage area are illustrated, this is not intended to limit the configuration of each storage area. For example, in each accommodation area, the number of accommodation parts to be formed can be set to an appropriate number, and when three or more accommodation parts are formed, the intervals between the accommodation parts do not necessarily have to be equal. For example, in the first accommodating area shown in FIG. 8, the interval between the first accommodating part and the second accommodating part and the interval between the second accommodating part and the third accommodating part may be made different. The interval between the accommodating parts in the second accommodating area can be set based on the largest interval between the accommodating parts in the first accommodating area. Further, the rows of storage parts in each storage area can extend in an appropriate direction of the gardening tray, and can also extend in the left-right direction or diagonal direction in FIG. 7, for example. Note that all of the plurality of accommodating parts may have the same shape (same size), or some of them may have irregular shapes or different sizes. Moreover, each storage area may or may not overlap partially in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the row of storage sections extends. The gardening tray may or may not have an exposed area. Further, the exposed region may be provided only in some of the plurality of accommodation parts.

Moreover, the cultivation container is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration, and can have various configurations. For example, various shapes such as a polygonal shape (polygonal columnar shape, polygonal pyramidal shape, etc.), round shape (cylindrical shape, truncated conical shape, etc.) can be adopted as the shape of the cultivation container. Moreover, it is desirable that the cultivation container has a structure in which a liquid component can be supplied from the bottom wall side, and for example, a penetration part for inserting a nozzle for supplying the liquid component can be provided in the bottom wall. Moreover, the gardening tray does not necessarily have to be formed into a continuous plate shape, and may communicate with the outside at an appropriate position. Furthermore, the rigidity can be further improved by providing rib-shaped portions at appropriate positions on the gardening tray. Moreover, the gardening tray can be formed from various materials in addition to various resins (for example, integrally molded products). Examples of resins used for gardening trays include polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE), vinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). The gardening tray can be used not only in various facilities where plants can be grown, but also in outdoor cultivation, in plant stores, and at home. In addition to cultivating plants, gardening trays can be used for various purposes such as transporting cultivation containers (plants), displaying them, and appreciating them.

2 Cultivation container 3 Bottom wall 4 Circumferential side wall (side surface of cultivation container)
5 Supply section 6 Edge section 10 Gardening tray 100 Handle section 11 First storage section 110 Bottom section 111 Front vertical wall section 112 Rear vertical wall section 113 Left vertical wall section 114 Right vertical wall section 115 Penetration section 12 Second storage section 13 Third storage section 14 Fourth storage section 15 Fifth storage section 26 Exposed area 31 First storage area 31x, 31y, 31z Another first storage area 32 Second storage area 32x, 32y Separate Second storage area 40 Convex portion 41 Top C1 Center C2 (of the bottom wall of the cultivation container) Center X1 (of the bottom of the first storage area) Overlapping range X2 (of the first storage area and second storage area) Front left corner (of the fourth storage section) X3 Rear left corner (of the fourth storage section)

Claims (3)

In a horticultural tray equipped with a plurality of bottomed storage parts in which cultivation containers are stored,
The accommodating part has vertical wall parts rising from four sides of the bottom of the accommodating part in a plan view from above, and a through part formed in the bottom and communicating with the outside,
A first storage area in which a row of a plurality of storage parts is formed, and a second storage area in which a row of a smaller number of storage parts than the first storage area are formed. are formed alternately in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the rows of parts extend, and
In the direction in which the row of the accommodating parts extends, the interval between the accommodating parts in the second accommodating area is larger than the interval between the accommodating parts in the first accommodating area,
In the gardening tray, the bottom of the storage part of the first storage area and the bottom of the storage part of the second storage area partially overlap in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the row of the storage parts extends. A method for cultivating plants using the horticultural tray according to claim 1,
An initial growth stage in which plants are grown in cultivation containers accommodated only in each accommodation section of the first accommodation area; and a cultivation container accommodated only in each accommodation section of the second accommodation area after the initial growth stage. a late growth stage of growing the plant at
Between the early growth stage and the late growth stage, spacing work is performed to reduce the number of cultivation containers in the first storage area and move them to each storage part in the second storage area. Cultivation method . In the method for cultivating a plant according to claim 2,
In the method for cultivating plants, each accommodating part of the first accommodating area and each accommodating part of the second accommodating area are formed so as to be able to accommodate cultivation containers of the same shape and size.

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