MXPA00009618A - Method and apparatus for creating areas of greenery - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of creating cultivation areas on flat surfaces, which comprises the following steps:a layer (16) of a desired vegetable growth is grown on a soil bed, following which, pieces (14) of said layer (16), having any desired dimensions, together with the layer (16) of soil (17) in which the roots of the growth are embedded, are detached. The said layer of soil (17) is then removed from said pieces (14), whereby to produce portions of said vegetable growth which have fully exposed roots. The method also provides for a vegetable growth container (21), into which is laid a porous bed. The aforementioned growth portions (14) are then laid onto said porous bed. The container (21) is placed in the desired position on a flat surface, and the resulting vegetable growth is cultivated by watering it and subjecting it to other required cultivating treatments.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CREATING GROWING AREAS FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to the creation of crop areas, typically but not exclusively, areas of crop plants and / or lawns, on building surfaces, or, in general, any flat and level surface. More particularly, it relates to a method and apparatus for applying previously cultivated carpets of crop plants to uniform surfaces, for example of buildings, and maintaining them by cultivation operations, as required, without the need to provide soil layers on said surfaces. .

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The provision and cultivation of areas of crop plants, such as grass carpets, on roofs of buildings and other surfaces, serves aesthetic and functional purposes. The plants of culture give to the buildings a more attractive aspect, and is tranquilizer for the inhabitants of the building. When it allows to walk and / or sit on it, it diminishes the feelings of tension and almost claustrophobic that the adjacent elevated buildings create in modern cities. In addition, it has important functional advantages such as thermal insulation, heat protection or excessive cooling of the roofs, and the like. There is, therefore, an increased demand for more efficient and economical methods and apparatus to provide areas of crop plants on buildings. Additionally, the possibility of carrying out the cultivation of any kind, including the vegetable crop or surface fruit, on non-land surfaces, such as, but not only, building surfaces, has a strong economic interest. USP 5,287,650 describes and claims a structured medium for the cultivation of crop plants. His discussion of the prior art is incorporated herein by reference. Said prior art comprises the laying of earth on a roof of a building in order to create an artificial bed soil, and, alternatively, the creation of beds for cultivation by hydroponic means. Hydroponic pasture cultivation units are described, for example, in GB 2 030 832 B and 2 030 835B. Hydroponic culture, however, does not create the desirable beds of pasture or other crop plants on which a person may lie or walk and is not easily carried out in a residential environment. On the other hand, laying a bed of soil on the roof of a building creates an undesirable burden on it, and requires the provision of means to avoid damage to the structure of the building. None of the means mentioned above, therefore, is a satisfactory solution to the problem of providing beds of crop plants on buildings.

US Pat. No. 4,364,197 discloses a carpet for providing pre-cultivated turf or the like, which comprises two layers of non-woven fabric, with which a layer of grass seeds is provided. The grass seeds germinate and a carpet of grass is produced in this way, which, however, must then be laid on level ground, after which the root system, which was growing on water, grows on the ground. USP 5,205,068 discloses a method for growing turf so that it can be transferred from the cultivation site to a permanent location. The method comprises providing a closed grid base and a sand base support or sand / aggregate mixtures and supporting the latter on a plastic sheet. The grass seeds are introduced to said mesh and sprinkled with water. Once the grass has grown, the grid can be raised with the grass roots entwined in it and transported to a permanent site. For the purpose of overcoming the disadvantages of the prior art, USP 5,287,650 proposes a structured means for the cultivation of crop plants comprising three vertically stacked layers, of which at least the upper two consist mainly of synthetic fibers. The lower layer is a drainage layer. The intermediate layer is a protective layer to support the roots of the crop plants. The upper layer is a crop layer that does not contain soil and in which the seed can be sown and germinate and the grass grown and / or plants can be cultivated. It is made of non-woven fabric, optionally including water absorbing fibers. It must have a structure and properties controlled in a very careful way because it plays an instrumental role in the germination of seeds. To use the aforementioned medium on the surface of a building, in order to create an area of crop plants, the drainage layer is laid first on said surface, the protective layer is laid on it, and finally, the layer of cultivation is extended as the most superior. Grasses and other plant seeds are then sown on the crop layer, allowed to germinate, and are subjected to all the necessary operations to facilitate said germination and growth. The aforementioned way of providing a layer of crop plants on buildings is, however, complicated and of an uncertain result, since the germination of seeds on said artificial surfaces, in an environment that is neither agricultural nor a conventional hydroponic, it requires expert attention, and the germinated grasses can be easily damaged. It is therefore a purpose of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for creating areas of crop plants on building surfaces, which is free from the disadvantages of the prior art.

It is another purpose of this invention to provide such a method and apparatus which does not require the creation of earth beds on building surfaces. It is a further purpose of this invention to provide such a method and apparatus which does not require the planting of seeds and the provision of the care required to assist its germination in residential spaces. It is still a further object of this invention to provide said method and apparatus which protects the surfaces of the building, on which the surfaces of crop plants are created, of being damaged by the crop plants themselves or by the operations required for their maintenance. It is still a further purpose of this invention to provide such a method and apparatus which results in carpets of desirable compaction culture plants and attractive appearance. Other purposes and disadvantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The method of the invention for creating crop areas of vegetables or crop plants comprises the steps of: I. Cultivating a layer of the desired crop on a bed of soil.

II. Detach pieces of said layer, which have any desired dimensions, together with the layer of soil in which the roots of the culture are embedded. III. Remove said layer of soil from said pieces, thereby producing the carpet components constituted by said crop which has fully exposed roots. IV. Provide a carpet container; V. Tender a porous bed in said container; SAW. Tender said carpet components on said porous bed; and Vil. Cultivate the resulting carpet of vegetable culture by supplying water and subjecting it to the other required culture treatments. It should be understood that, although a natural soil bed is preferred for the growth of the plant culture layer, the carpet components constituted by a crop having fully exposed roots could be obtained by cultivating the desired vegetable on an artificial bed, from the which the cultivated vegetable can be detached simply by lifting it. From here on, for purposes of description, we will refer to grass as the crop, but it should be understood that it is a preferred example and not a limitation.

The porous bed is preferably saturated with water to a predetermined level and the drainage means are provided to drain water from said bed at said level, trying to maintain a layer of said porous bed having open, aerated pores. Of course, said aerated layer of the porous bed may be wet, due to irrigation or evaporation from the water-saturated layer, and in addition the porous bed may absorb different amounts of water, depending on its physical properties. In this way, the fact that a layer is "aerated" does not mean that it is free of any moisture level. Vegetable culture areas, such as grasses or other crop plants, according to the invention, are created on any flat, level surface. An example of such a surface is a surface of a building, such as a roof, etc., or any surface that has been prepared for this purpose, for example, by leveling it with a layer of concrete. Additionally, the surface on which the area is to be provided can be made waterproof by any suitable technique, for example, by providing a bottom sheet of plastic or other impermeable material on which the particulate material is placed, or by applying a waterproof material layer. The vegetable crop, which is preferably grass, can also be a vegetable, for example, tomatoes, watermelons, melons and the like. The cultivation of vegetables on building surfaces is in itself a novelty in the art.

A "carpet" and a "carpet component" is a layer of roots, stems and intertwined leaves of the plants that constitute the desired crop, in the absence of soil, which has been removed (if any), preferably by washing, from the corresponding layer piece of the crop, after which It has been detached from the bed on which it has grown. Said pieces of the culture layer, and the corresponding carpet components, can have any shape, although they are normally rectangular, and can have any dimensions adapted to the dimensions of the area of crop plants to be created. For example, a carpet component may have the same area as the container on which it is laid. Because, for convenience of description, all the crop that is supported by a container will be designated by the term "carpet," each carpet may be formed by a carpet component having the same area as the container, or, alternative, by a plurality of smaller carpet components lying in support with one another. It should be understood that the term "container", as used herein, designates any structure that can retain water therein and consequently a porous bed containing water. Said element can a) comprise a bottom and side walls connected to it, that is to say it has a basin-like structure; b) being constituted by an independent bottom such as a sheet of waterproof material and a shore formed around it, for example, by a number of shore walls, which define a basin-like space; c) being constituted by an area of a surface, particularly of a building, which is waterproof, on which a carpet is to be laid, and a shore formed around it, for example by a number of shore walls, said surface area forming a background; or d) being formed on the surface, on which a carpet is to be laid, by means of a depression having a bottom and a shore. The term "container" in this specification and claims must always be understood to include all the variants mentioned above, and in general any structure or means (which generally define a basin-type space) that can retain water in them, and consequently retaining a porous bed filled with water, and further comprising drainage means, such as orifices, at a predetermined height, as further explained herein, unless a more accurate definition of the term is specified. If the container has a basin-like structure, comprising the bottom and connected edges, the provision of the desired crop area is made by placing the porous bed and the carpet therein and then placing the whole on the surface, for which purpose it is designed , in any desired position, as long as it is balanced and leveled horizontally; or, alternatively, the porous bed and / or the carpet may be laid in the container after the latter is placed on the surface. The surface, as said, can be a building surface. It can also be an artificial surface different from that of a building, or a natural surface that is or has been leveled. If the container is defined by a bottom and edges that are not structurally connected, such as when the bottom is a waterproof sheet or is an area of the building's surface, it will be supplemented by providing, if necessary, the walls of the building. shore, and then the porous bed and carpet will be placed in the container supplemented in this way. The porous bed, on which the carpet is laid, is preferably made of inert particulate material, which may also be a mixture of two or more different materials. Two particular materials are tufa and perlite. Another suitable material is Leca (manufactured by Leca S.p.A., Milan, Italy). The particulate material is preferably, but not necessarily, laid in at least two rows, the lower row preferably having a larger particle size than the upper one. In any case, the drainage openings are provided at an intermediate level between the upper part and the bottom of the porous bed to divide said bed (regardless of the number of rows comprising it) into a lower layer containing a liquid (which it is usually water or an aqueous solution, applied by supplying water to the grass carpet or in other ways) and an upper layer, the pores of which are free of liquid and are open and angry, that is, filled with gases or vapors. The roots of the grass extend to the upper layer and become entangled with it. Grass roots can, to some small degree, also become entangled with particulate material from the bottom layer. According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the upper row is provided within a mesh structure which may have a small area. In this way, the upper row can be made modular from small areas of particle beds, laid side by side, which facilitates the placement of the surface. Additionally, because the upper row is contained essentially in the mesh structure, the roots of the crop plants enter this structure and are eventually entangled with it. After a short period, the grass surface becomes integral with the mesh structure and the particulate material, forming "elements of crop plants" that contain the crop plants, the roots and the upper row of particulate material. This makes it possible to handle the resulting area of crop plants in a "modular form", for example, for maintenance, removing only modular sections thereof, while maintaining its homogeneous appearance when in regular use. The mesh structure, of course, allows the passage of water without any obstacle. The above upper modular row, as well as the resulting modular crop plant areas, also form part of the present invention. The treatment to which the carpet of crop plant is subjected after being placed in its place includes, in addition to the water supply, the treatments that are applied in general to similar crop plants, when they are cultivated in a conventional manner. For example, fertilizers are applied to it. Protective chemicals, such as weed killers and / or pesticides, may also be applied. Preferably, the temperature of the water used to irrigate the crop plants is controlled, to maintain the temperature of the carpet within optimum limits; and for this purpose, heating means are provided and activated in the appropriate seasons, to prevent the temperature of the carpet of crop plants from becoming very low. The apparatus according to the invention comprises a container (as defined herein above) and a bed of a porous, inert material contained therein. The container is provided with drainage openings to maintain water within the container at a predetermined level, to provide an upper layer of porous material having aerated pores, free of liquid, as stated above. Means are provided for irrigating the carpet of crop plants. The apparatus may further preferably comprise means for controlling the temperature of the contents of the container and of the carpet of crop plants, or at least the roots thereof, whenever the station so requires. The temperature control means preferably comprises a heater, a heat exchanger for heating water to the desired temperature, and a system of pipes that conduct the heated water to the proper positions in the container or conduct the heated water to drain on and / or or under the carpet of crop plants. The heating water can drip, for example, using a flexible rubber or plastic tube (for example a standard 16 mm diameter tube) with drip / bypass holes, placed under the carpet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic top view of an apparatus for cleaning pieces of the layer of crop plants, from soil, to provide the carpet. Figure 2 is a vertical, longitudinal cross-section of the apparatus of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a perspective view from the top of a container used according to an embodiment of the invention, illustrated as empty. Figure 4 is a cross section of the container of Figure 3, illustrated containing the porous layer and the carpet, taken on the plane IV-IV of Figure 3. Figure 5 is a partial cross section of said container, with the layers porous and the carpet, taken on the plane VV of figure 3, on an enlarged scale. Figure 6 is a schematic illustration of a system for controlling the water temperature.

Figure 7 is a photograph showing the lower pieces of a grass layer as it is when it is detached from the ground in which it has grown, along with portions of soil adhered to it. Figure 8 is a photograph showing the lower part of the carpet components obtained from the pieces of the grass layer of Figure 7 removing the soil from them. Figure 9 is a photograph showing a carpet piece produced and grown according to an example of the invention, bent to show its underside; and Figure 10 is an elongation of the portion of the carpet piece marked in Figure 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED MODALITIES The first step of the method according to the invention is the cultivation of a vegetable layer, for example, in the manner described, a layer of grass, on suitable fertile soil. This is a normal agricultural operation, and it does not need to be illustrated. In the end, a layer of crop plants is produced - a lawn, in the illustrated mode - with the land on which it is cultivated. The grass is cut into pieces, the shape and size of which are not critical, but which can be, for example, square or rectangular pieces that have sides of a few centimeters, for example 7 to 10 cm, which are detached of the ground bed and which comprise, -when the bed is a natural bed and henceforth it is assumed that it is-a certain depth of land, for example, 10 cm or more. This is a common procedure for manufacturing turf areas instead of seeding and germination in situ, transporting and tending pieces of turf, grown separately on fertile land. Therefore, no illustration of this conventional step is required. In the second step of the method, the pieces of grass are washed to remove the soil from them, if there is any adhered, to produce carpet components, as defined herein. This step is illustrated in figures 1 and 2. In said figures 1 and 2, the number 10 indicates in general an apparatus for removing the soil from the pieces of grass to provide carpet components. The apparatus 10 comprises, in its most schematic form, a closed eye 11 of material with openings in a suitable manner, such as a net, which allows the drainage of water and earth trapped therein, which eye 11 is supported and driven for movement in the direction of the arrows by rollers 12 and any suitable motor means, which is not shown. The apparatus further comprises a water spray apparatus, illustrated in a schematic manner comprising nozzles 13, and means, not shown, for supplying water under pressure to said nozzles. The pieces of grass, indicated in number 14, are placed on the net of eyelets 11 and are transported by it in the direction indicated by the arrows. Each piece of turf 14 has been cut to the desired dimensions and comprises an upper layer 16, which consists, in this embodiment, of grass roots, tangled stems and leaves, and an underlying layer of soil., the roots of the layer 16 extend towards the ground layer 17. As the pieces of grass 14 advance with the net 11, they are sprinkled with water from the nozzles 13, and the soil layer 17 is gradually washed from them, as it is indicated schematically in the drawing at number 18. The depth of the ground layer 17 decreases correspondingly, as shown in the drawing, until the earth has been completely removed, and at the end, the pieces of grass 14 originals have become carpet components 20, in which the roots are completely exposed. The carpet components 20 are unloaded from the apparatus 10, stored if necessary, and transported where the operations described here below take place, by conventional means, which need not be described. The container 21, which forms part of the apparatus according to this embodiment of the invention, is a shallow basin type body, preferably rectangular in plan view, as shown in Figure 3. The container is preferably manufactured from metal foil, for example aluminum foil or steel suitably treated for protection against oxidation, for example, by a zinc coating, having a thickness of for example, about 275 microns, or more and comprising a bottom 22 and a bank formed by walls 22 ', which have a height of a few centimeters, for example 5 to 12 cm or more. According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the crop plants and the particle layers are not placed inside a container, but are laid directly on the surface, and the area of complete crop plants is limited by a sheet of material strong. In addition to the materials mentioned above, Perspex can also be conveniently used as the edge material. The shape of the container depends on the particular surface on which it is intended to be placed, but it is typically rectangular. As already said, the container can be constituted by a bottom and a non-structurally connected edge, and the bottom can be constituted by a water-proof sheet, for example a bituminous layer or sheet or bituminous sheet, or by the surface of the structure, for example a building, on which the carpet components are to be laid. A waterproof sheet can be laid, to form the bottom of the container, over a waterproof area of the building surface. Each edge wall of the container 21 is provided with holes 23 for draining water, which are placed at a height that depends on the level at which it is desired that the water, which fills the empty spaces in the porous layer, must reach inside. of the container. The distances and diameters of the holes should be such as to ensure adequate drainage. By way of example and for this purpose, the diameter of the drainage holes can be from 5 to 20 cm, and the distance between two successive orifices can be such as to provide two openings for each 1.5 m2 of container or approximately. These are placed at a height of a few centimeters, preferably from 1 to 5 cm, and preferably for many applications, approximately 4 cm, from the bottom of the container, creating a lower porous layer, having a depth equal to said height, the which is filled with water or aqueous solution up to that level, and above it, a top porous layer, free of liquid, which preferably has a depth of 5 to 12 cm or more, depending on the height of the shore material (and which, as explained above, is not necessarily free of moisture, but does not contain a layer of water). The number 27 indicates tubes that serve for the introduction of fertilizer. As seen in figure 3, in which their upper openings are shown, they are located at the corners and along the sides of the containers 21. One of them is seen in cross-section in figure 5. They have a diameter in the order of tenths of a millimeter, for example about 40 mm, are slightly shorter than the depth of the containers 21, and have concave ends, as shown at 28 ', to facilitate the passage of fertilizer out of them. Its upper openings can also be provided with funnels, or funnels can be used in connection with them, if desired. The fertilizer is introduced from the top and springs from the bottom of it, as to mix with water and perlite or other porous material in the container. The container can be placed on any flat, artificial surface, for example a surface of a building, or not artificial. In the embodiment illustrated, the surface on which the container is placed is indicated at 30 in Figure 4. As seen in Figure 4, the container is filled, in this embodiment, with porous, particulate material, which can be be constituted, for example, by tufa, pearlite or leca, or by mixtures thereof. Said particle material is preferably laid in two rows 25 and 26 of different particle size. However, a single material in particle, ie a single row, could be used. For example, if the material is tufa, the lower row 25 is constituted by particles having a size of approximately 10-20 mm and having a depth of approximately 3 cm, while the second row 26, lying on top of the first, it has a depth of approximately 4 cm and is made up of particles up to 4 mm in size. The lower row has a weight of 850-950 grams per liter and the upper row has a weight of 1300-1400 grams per liter. If the porous material is pearlite, then the row depth is the same as in the case of tufa, but the lower row is made of particles that have a size of approximately 0.4 mm, their weight being approximately 10 grams per liter; and the upper row is made of particles having a size of approximately 0.2 mm, its weight being 5 g per liter. It should be understood, however, that the above numbers are only an example and are not limiting in any way. In the case where perlite is used, the retention means, for example, made of geothermal, for example water-resistant fabric, are placed inside the container over the holes to avoid perlite losses through the drainage holes and / or obstruction of said holes by the pearlite. A waterproof fabric mesh can also be placed inside the top layer of the particulate material or immediately above it. As said, the level of the drainage holes divides the particulate material into two layers, a lower one saturated with liquid and a liquid-free top (as defined here above). When two rows (or more) of different particle material are provided, as in this embodiment, the rows coincide or not with said two layers according to whether the drainage holes are placed at the level between the two rows or at a level different. Therefore it must be understood that the distinction between "rows" is based on the particulate material of which they consist (and if only one material is used, then there is only one row) while the distinction between "layers" is based on the presence or absence of liquid in the spaces defined between particles of the particulate material, and therefore on the level of the drainage holes. Again, it should be noted that moisture may also be present in drained layers of particulate material, as explained hereinabove. The turf carpet, in this example, grass carpet, indicated in the drawings at 28, is laid on top of the upper layer, in this mode on top of row 26. The roots of the grass are spread on said layer and get entangled with it. They do not extend significantly below the level of the drainage holes, either because they tend to take root or their development stops essentially when they enter a body of water. The water supply or irrigation means must be provided, and the water supply is effected essentially in the same way as it would be on a normal lawn cultivated on fertile soil. The irrigation means used in the art can also be used in this case. They can be spray nozzles, located in the bed below the plant layer and extend above it, as conventionally used to irrigate grass, or other means, such as for example underground irrigation systems, can be used. All these irrigation media need not be described, because they are conventional and a considerable variety of them is known in the art. Irrigation systems, whether internal or external to the container, whether associated with a single container or a plurality of them, can be controlled automatically, once again as in conventional irrigation. Preferably, however, the irrigation means are provided with the operation of which can be adjusted according to the different seasons, for example, summer, by which the hottest months are designated in general, and winter, by means of the which are usually designated cold months. The roots of the carpet culture must be maintained at an optimum temperature, generally in the range of 18 ° C to 22 ° C. In winter, this requires heating the irrigation water. For this purpose, as shown schematically in Figure 6, a heater 30 is provided, which heats the irrigation water through a heat exchanger indicated schematically at 31. A pipe system, comprising example polyethylene pipes that have a diameter of 12-16 mm, is provided inside the container. For example, the system may have, as in this embodiment, a comb structure, comprising a manifold 32 and a number of leads 33, each leading to an underground opening or nozzle, indicated schematically at 34. The water from the heat exchanger it is caused to flow through said pipe system, and provides the desired heat to the underside of the grass bed carpet. The additional treatments, as already said, are carried out in a desirable manner in order to keep the carpets of crop products in the best condition and prevent them from wilting due to lack of care or attack by harmful organisms, whether they are vegetables or animals. For example, the fertilizer can be applied every six months. Fertilizers can be used, for example, those designated by the trade names LEVATIT HD-5, MULTICOTE and OSMOCOTE, or other suitable fertilizers available in the market. As has been said, although the creation of turf carpets on a building surface is the most common and typical application of the invention, it can be applied to the vegetable culture. The steps of the method and apparatus are essentially the same as described here above.

EXAMPLE Césped el Toro was cultivated in a conventional way to form a lawn and then treated as follows. The soil adhering to the grass roots was removed by an apparatus as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, to provide carpet components. The lower side of the turfgrass pieces of the bull is shown before the removal of the earth in figure 7 and after said removal in figure 8. A rectangular container of zinc coated aluminum sheet, which has a thickness of 3 mm, it was prepared. It has dimensions of 8 x 5 meters and has peripheral walls of 10 cm high. Drainage holes having a diameter of 20 mm were formed in each wall at a height of 4.5 cm from the interior surface of the container bottom to the center point of the drain orifice. Each container was filled with a porous bed comprising a lower row of perlite and having a height of 3.5 cm, and an upper row of perlite, lying on top of the lower row and having a height of 7 cm. Because the upper part of the lower row was at the same level as the bottom of the drainage holes, said lower row constitutes the lower layer, saturated with water, of the porous bed, and the upper row constitutes its drained upper layer. Each container was further provided with a horizontal bypass network of flexible plastic tubes having an internal diameter of 16 mm, connected to a heat exchanger to supply hot water. The plastic tubes have bypass holes every 30 cm. The bypass tubes were placed in the container within a height of 3.5 cm from the interior surface of the bottom of the container. The carpet components were laid in said container, juxtaposed one over the other, on top of the upper perlite row and the container was placed on a flat roof in the city of Tel-Aviv. The grass was cultivated as follows. It was supplied with water intermittently by means of a computer controlled water spray that has a normal flow rate of 10 minutes at 5 AM and 10 minutes at 8 PM. During the months of December of 1997 to May of 1998 hot water was circulated through the aforementioned network of plastic bypass pipes, said water has a temperature and a flow velocity such as to maintain the temperature in the upper row of perlite, controlled automatically by a thermostat, at 18 ° C. Fertilizer 20-20-20 (which is 20% N, 20% P2O3, 20% K2O) was applied to the turf during the months of July 1997 and July 1998, in each year in an amount of 0.05 kg / m2. It was discovered that the resulting turf carpet had all the properties of a lawn grown on natural soil. Additionally, it was discovered that it was highly consistent, so that it could be walked on like a natural lawn, and could be lifted from the containers, for example for maintenance thereof, and then repositioned, by means of rolling and unrolling, without be damaged This was due to the fact that the turf roots were entangled intimately with the perlite of the upper row, but did not reach significantly to the lower row, since they tend to take root and / or were unable to develop further once they penetrated in the aqueous layer permeating said lower row. The grass carpet was an efficient heat insulator for the roof over which it was laid. The structure and properties of the turf carpet obtained according to the invention are illustrated in Figures 9 and 10. Figure 9 shows a carpet edge, bent to show its underside. The lower layer of tufa and the water that permeates it are seen in the photograph. The portion of grass mat underneath enhanced by a rectangle in figure 9 is enlarged in figure 10. It is seen that fine roots have germinated beyond the original roots seen in figure 8 and have become entangled with the porous material ( tufa) of the upper layer, which is retained by them and is raised with them when the carpet is folded. The grass mat and the porous material are therefore combined into a coherent structure that is stable and can be transported, if desired, and replanted in another location. Said coherent structure, combined, is a novelty in itself and is unknown to the art and is not obtainable by any prior art method or apparatus. Therefore it is a part of the invention.

These properties of the turf carpets of the invention are important to facilitate the maintenance of the surfaces of the building on which they are laid. For example, if the bottom of the container or containers is constituted by an area of a building surface, and if said surface requires, for example, renewed or improved waterproofing, it is sufficient to roll the turf carpet to expose said area, to carry perform the desired maintenance operation (for example, cleaning and then apply a fresh coat of asphalt or tar) and then unwind the carpet back to its original position. Said method of maintaining building surfaces covered with crop plants is new and could not be carried out by means known in the art. Although an example of the invention has been given by way of illustration, it will be understood that the invention can be carried out with many variations, modifications and adaptations, as mentioned hereinbefore or within the understanding and skill of skilled persons, without departing of his spirit or exceeding the scope of the claims.

Claims (36)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A method for creating cultivation areas on flat, level surfaces, comprising the steps of: I. - cultivating a layer of a desired crop on a bed of soil selected from a natural bed and an artificial bed; II.- detach pieces of said layer, which have any desired dimensions, such as to produce carpet components of said vegetable crop which has fully exposed roots substantially free of said earth; lll.- provide a carpet container capable of retaining water; IV.- laying a bed of porous, inert material in said container; V. - laying said folder components on said porous bed; and VI.- cultivate the vegetable crop of the carpet components by means of water supply and subjecting it to other required culture treatments.

2. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the layer of a desired plant crop is grown on natural soil and the carpet components are produced by detaching the pieces of the crop layer together with the layer of soil in the soil. wherein the roots of the culture are embedded, and removing said layer of soil from said pieces, or in which the roots are provided in a substantially clean, free of soil form, by any other suitable method.

3. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises draining liquid from the porous bed at a level between the upper part and the bottom of said bed, whereby it is divided into a lower layer containing said liquid and a upper layer drained of said liquid.

4. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the crop is selected from the group consisting of grass and vegetables.

5. The method according to claim 4, further characterized in that the vegetables are selected from the group consisting of tomatoes, watermelons and melons.

6. The method according to claim 2, further characterized in that the soil is removed by washing the vegetable crop portions.

7. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the flat surface is an artificial surface.

8. The method according to claim 7, further characterized in that the artificial surface is a surface of a building.

9. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the pieces of plant culture layers, and therefore the corresponding culture portions, have a shape and dimensions adapted to the dimensions of the area of the plant culture that is going to be created.

10. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that each portion of plant culture has the same area as a culture container.

11. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that a plurality of plant culture portions, lying in support with each other, collectively have the same area as a culture container.

12. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the porous bed is made of an inert particulate material.

13. The method according to claim 12, further characterized in that the inert particulate material is selected from the group consisting of tufa, perlite, leca, or mixtures of said materials.

14. The method according to claim 13, further characterized in that the material is laid in at least two rows, the lower row has a larger particle size than the upper one.

15. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the plant crop is subjected, after being placed in place, to the treatments that are applied in general to similar crops, when they are grown in a conventional manner.

16. - The method according to claim 15, further characterized because the treatments comprise the application of fertilizers.

17. The method according to claim 15, further characterized in that the treatments comprise the application of weed killers and / or pesticides.

18. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that it further comprises controlling the temperature of the water used to irrigate the crop, to maintain the temperature thereof within optimum limits.

19. The method according to claim 18, further characterized in that it comprises heating the water in the cold season.

20. An apparatus for creating areas of vegetable crops on flat surfaces, which comprises a container and a bed of porous, inert material contained therein, in which the container is provided with drainage openings with which it divides the porous bed in a lower layer containing water or an aqueous solution and an upper layer which is drained of liquid.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, further characterized in that the drainage openings are positioned at such a height as to divide the porous bed into a lower layer having a depth of 1 to 5 cm and an upper layer having a depth of 5 to 15 cm

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, further characterized in that it comprises irrigation means.

23. The apparatus according to claim 20, further characterized in that the porous bed comprises at least two rows of porous, inert materials.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, further characterized in that the porous, inert materials are selected from the group consisting of tufa, perlite, leca, or mixtures of said materials.

25. The apparatus according to claim 20, further characterized in that it additionally comprises means for controlling the temperature of the contents of the container and the roots of the adjacent plant, whenever the season requires it.

26.- The apparatus according to claim 25, further characterized in that the temperature control means comprise a heater, a heat exchanger for heating water to the desired temperature, and a system of pipes which conduct the hot water to positions adequate in the container.

27. The apparatus according to claim 20, further characterized in that it additionally comprises means for introducing fertilizers.

28. - The apparatus according to claim 27, further characterized in that the means for introducing fertilizers comprises tubes having upper openings for receiving the fertilizers and lower openings to allow the fertilizers to mix with the contents of the container.

29. The apparatus according to claim 20, further characterized in that the container comprises a bottom and a edge constituted by side walls.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, further characterized in that the bottom and the edge of the container are not connected in a structural manner.

31. The apparatus according to claim 29, further characterized in that the bottom of the container is constituted by a waterproof sheet.

32. The apparatus according to claim 29, further characterized in that the bottom of the container is constituted by a waterproof area of a building surface.

33.- The use of a row of particulate material as a top row in an apparatus for creating a carpet of crop plants, according to claim 20, further characterized in that said particulate material is provided within a mesh structure which may have an area that is a fraction of the area of the carpet of crop plants.

34. - The use according to claim 33, further characterized in that the mesh structure is in the bag-like form. 35.- The use of an upper row of particulate material according to claim 33 or 34, in the manufacture of a modular carpet element of a crop plant, in which the crop plants have roots that are entangled with said upper row of particulate material. 36.- The use of a plurality of modular elements according to claim 35, in the manufacture of a carpet of crop plants.