WO2012067496A1

WO2012067496A1 - Method for coloring flowers and leaves of plants and plant colored according same method

Info

Publication number: WO2012067496A1
Application number: PCT/NL2011/000070
Authority: WO
Inventors: De Koning Bloemen B.V. G.; Robin Christianus Gerardus De Koning
Original assignee: Rijnplant B.V.
Priority date: 2010-11-17
Filing date: 2011-10-27
Publication date: 2012-05-24
Also published as: NL1038389C2

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for coloring flowers and/or leaves of a plant using a colorant liquid; wherein the method comprises: physical injuring the roots of the plant, such that an open fluid connection is obtained with the plant sap flow in the xylem of the roots of the plant, and contacting of the colorant liquid with the physical injured roots of the plant; in such a way, that the colorant liquid is adequately taken up without much losses.

Description

METHOD FOR COLORING FLOWERS AND LEAVES OF PLANTS AND PLANT COLORED ACCORDING TO

SAME METHOD

Field of the invention.

The invention relates to a method for coloring flowers and/or leaves of a plant using a colorant liquid.

Some customers show an interest in houseplants and especially flowering houseplants or ornamental plants in pots having differently colored leaves and/or flowers, like for example a blue color, or in plants being additionally colored, prior to the sale of the plants at retail stores and their transport thereto.

Background of the invention. It is known to spray or atomize liquids on plants, especially on the leaves, not only for treating plant diseases or insect pests such as aphids, but also for decorative purposes by using a paint or dye. However, due to evaporation of the liquid on the surface of the leaves and also due to the low absorption capacity and permeability of the leaves, this method of painting or coloring is usually ineffective.

It is also known that has been attempted to apply the colorant liquid directly into the soil around the plant, so that the colorant liquid is absorbed by the roots of the plant. This method results in an unclear and uneven discoloration of the flowers and the leaves by the paint, and furthermore the major part of the supplied liquid sinks down along the roots into the soil, so this method usually gives rise to high losses of paint, is therefore ineffective and too expensive.

It is also known to introduce nutrients or pesticides into trees by drilling holes in the trunk and to input the liquid by means of a hollow pin; it is also known that dyes or colorants can be injected into the stem of orchids etcetera when they are provided with a thick stem . These methods are not suitable for plants with many leaves and/or with a lot of flower stems, such as houseplants like Anthurium.

To date unsuccessfully has been attempted to quickly color or additionally color flowers and plants of this type by using the above mentioned methods. Applying dye, colorant or paint on the leaves of the plants is used on a limited scale, but generally does not provide for a natural and aesthetically attractive result. Summary of the invention.

As the above methods are not applicable for flowering plants and foliage plants with many leaves and/or many flowers stems, the object of the invention is to provide for a method for coloring flowers and/or leaves of a plant with a colorant liquid, the method having an improved and increased efficiency and yield, and by which both a natural and aesthetically attractive result is obtained.

To achieve this object, the invention provides a method according to the preamble comprising the steps:

- physical injuring the roots of the plant, such that an open fluid connection is obtained with the plant sap flow in the xylem of the roots of the plant, and - contacting of the colorant liquid with the physical injured roots of the plant; in such a way that the colorant liquid is adequately taken up without much losses. It has been found that by damaging or physical injuring the roots of the plant, fluids and in particular colorant liquids, can easily be taken up into the plant sap flow within the xylem of the plant, as a result of which the coloring agents are transported to the leaves and flowers in a natural way and are there further distributed. This transport is strongly enhanced by increasing the assimilation and evaporation of the plant, by placing the plant in a heated room with a temperature above the vaporization temperature of the plant so that the sap plant and liquid flow from the roots will supplement the liquid loss through evaporation and respiration, thereby rapidly transporting the colorant liquid to the leaves and also to the flowers. In a preferred embodiment, the plant is placed several hours to twelve hours in a heated chamber in order to evaporate the liquid through the leaves and to take up the colorant liquid via the physical injured roots of the plant. By contacting the plant having injured roots for two to twelve hours with the colorant liquid in a heated space, sufficient evaporation and respiration will have occurred in order to ensure a uniform coloring of all leaves and/or flowers.

Preferably, the step of physical injuring the roots is selected from :

- bruising, and/or

- breaking, and/or

- cutting up, and/or

- sawing. It has been found that by choosing one of the abovementioned methods of physical injuring, the colorant liquid is absorbed very adequately, quickly and effectively by the plant roots and transported there from to the leaves and/or flowers. Preferably, the step of contacting the colorant liquid with the root is chosen from :

- placing the roots in a foot bath with colorant liquid, and/or

- pouring the colorant liquid onto the roots, and/or

- dipping the roots in the colorant liquid, and/or

- arranging an ampoule with colorant liquid onto the roots.

Abovementioned methods for supplying the colorant liquid result in an excellent and rapid process for coloring leaves and flowers of a plant.

The method is preferably used for plants selected from : Anthurium, Spathiphyllum, Rosa L, Kalanchoe, Curcuma, Bromeliaceae. It has been found that this method is particularly effective and provides for natural, aesthetically excellent result with the abovementioned plants having a great many leaves and/or a great many flower stems.

Advantageously is the embodiment of a plant provided with colored flowers and/or leaves according to the method of the invention.

Description of the method for coloring leaves and/or flowers.

The method is of great advantage in coloring houseplants and other small plants, which do not grow a wooden trunk or do not consist of stems only, which comprise a great many leaves and/or have many flower stems. Before proceeding with coloring, the roots of the plant are physical injured "wounded" or "bruised" by crushing, breaking, sawing or cutting up the roots. After the plant roots are "wounded", by means of for example a footbath, or pouring, or dipping or arranging an ampoule with coloring liquid or dye, it is effected that the color particles within the root are incorporated into the plant sap flow to the leaves and the flowers. Various types of dyes can be used in the colorant liquid such as the colors yellow, cerise, red, violet, etc. In particular the purple dyes are extraordinary as they are able to create the colors blue and purple in the leaves and the flowers. Depending on the selected method the time required for coloring the leaves and/or the flowers is long or short. Usually it is sufficient to perform the entire treatment of a plant in a few minutes.

Step 1: the plant root ball is treated with a saw or the roots are bruised by hand, Step 2: the plant root ball is deeply immersed, or a ampoule is arranged at the roots, after which the colorant liquid is taken up, through the "wounds" in the roots, into the plant sap flow within the xylem whereby the colorant liquid is transported to the leaves and/or the flowers in order to realize there an uniform, natural discoloration.

Claims

Method for coloring flowers and/or leaves of a plant using a colorant liquid; the method comprising :

- phisycal injuring the roots of the plant, such that an open fluid connection is obtained with the plant sap flow in the xylem of the roots of the plant, and

- contacting of the colorant liquid with the physical injured roots of the plant; in such a way, that the colorant liquid is adequately taken up without much losses.

Method for coloring flowers and/or leaves of a plant according to claim 1, characterized, in that the plant is placed several hours to twelve hours in a heated space to evaporate liquid through the leaves and to take up colorant liquid through de physical injuries in the roots of the plant.

Method for coloring flowers and/or leaves of a plant according to claim 1 or 2, characterized, in that for physical injuring the roots is chosen from :

- bruising, and/or

- breaking, and/or

- cutting up, and/or

- sawing.

Method for coloring flowers and/or leaves of a plant according to any one of the claim 1- 3, characterized, in that for contacting the colorant liquid with the root is chosen from :

- placing the roots in a foot bath with colorant liquid, and/or

- pouring the colorant liquid onto the roots, and/or

- dipping the roots in the colorant liquid, and/or

- arranging an ampoule with colorant liquid onto the roots.

5. Method for coloring flowers and/or leaves of a plant according to any one of the preceding claims 1 - 4, characterized, in that the plants are selected from : Anthurium, Spathiphyllum, Rosa L, Kalanchoe, Curcuma, Bromeliaceae.

6. Plant provided with colored flowers and/or leaves according to the method of any one of the claims 1 - 5.