GB2163145A - An artificial soil - Google Patents

Abstract

A new artificial soil, is mainly made of the artificial fiber or scraps being suitably mixed with organic substance and processed so as to be used as a horticulture substrate.

Description

SPECIFICATION An artificial soil This invention relates to an artificial soil, particularly to be used growth of flower, fruit, etc.

In order to provide sufficient nutritives to a plant being planted in the soil, the general work to be done is fo furnish adequate fertilizer and water, etc.; apparently, the soil can only provide the plant with limited growth conditions, and it has been true since long long ago. Therefore, the quality of soil is rather important to the growth of plant. Generally, the soil and the cultivation method used are all conventional, and the flowers or the seeds harvested are usually not reaching the target expected.

In view of the drawbacks of the known soil, the inventor has developed a new artificial soil that provides a better horticulture medium for the growth of plants. Said horticulture medium may be made of artificial fiber, such as polyacrylonitrile fiber or nylon, or made of cotton, waste cotton, colored cotton, waste colored cotton, or spun cotton yarn, waste cotton yarn, colored cotton yarn, waste colored cotton yarn. The manufacturing method of said artificial soil is to have the aforesaid material being cut into a length under 10 mm, usually 0.5 mm - 5 mm, with a cutting machine. Under said length, the fiber will not be inter-twisted each other.The artificial fiber mentioned in this invention should be properly processed under a given temperature and pressure to have it de-acid, decolored, and removing all factors that jeopardize the plant growth, and to have it coverted into neutral or slightly acid nature; then, cut the processed fibers and further process it with fertilizer and inoculating nitro-bacterid (taking about 13 - 14 days.) Finally, it is ready for planting.

An embodiment of this invention is described by way of example, with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 shows the growing condition of a yellow chrysanthemum planted with this invention.

Figure 2 shows the growing condition of the seedlings of said yellow chrysanthemum.

Figure 3 shows the growing condition of sponge gourd.

Figure 4 shows a growing sponge gourd climbing around a pole.

Figure 5 shows the sponge gourd laden with gourd.

The artificial fiber cut in this invention still has a given length for the purpose of maintaining better aeration for long time planting or for repeated use in the years to come because that the aeration effect is absolutely essential to the root respiration of a plant and the nitro-bacteria.

Within four years, repeated experiments of this invention were made in the same location with the same horticulture substrate, and the results of said experiments are described as follows: First Experiment: On January 15, 1978, at Taichung, the planting area is four square meters with a thickness of 10 cm.

The horticulture substrate used was pure fibers. The quantity of fertilizer used was 5 kg, which consisted of: Complete Nitrogen 1.20% Organic Phosphorus 1.64% Organic Matters 50.87% Acid and Watersoluble Organic Matters 7.18% Substitutive Calcium 3.00% Substitutive Magnesium 0.40% Effective Phosphor 0.64% Ferrite 1.66% Copper 142 ppm Manganese 546 ppm Zinc 339 ppm Effective Chromium 1.29 ppm Effective Potassium 1.25 ppm Nitric Nitrogen 952 ppm Amino Nitrogen 428 ppm In this invention, the fertilizer will be mixed directly with the artificial fiber substrate having been deacid and de-colored; the mixing percentage may reach 40% at the most; the difference of the percentage may vary with the plant to be raised; for instance, to a tree plant, the mixing percentage has to be reduced or needs no mixing at all, but merely spread the fertilizer on the surface of said substrate, and let the fertilizer to slowly infiltrate downwards.

The fixed nitrogen fungi mentioned in this invention is one of the alage, which is best to be raised in the neutral or weak acid soil condition, such as, the blue chlorella (power state) cultivated with rice chaffs has long been proved having the capability of fixing nitrogen in the air.

After being sufficiently watered, 120 tomato seeds were planted on February 1 in a aepth of 1 cm. In mid-February, only 60 seedings were selected and remained after the rest of them being removed; then, the seedlings were provided with supporting poles to facilitate their climbing and to prevent from twisting together or falling down.

In early March, fertilizer was applied so as to augment the fruit size. In mid-March, its fruits were begun to harvest, among which the largest one weighed one pound, while the small one weighed 0.4 pounds. Up to mid-May, a total of 735 fruits was harvested, and its stem reached 160 cm - 190 cm high.

After mid-May, the fruit harvested became smaller and smaller, and the stem began to become so aged that they were not good for further harvesting; then, they were removed from the substrate in later May so as to raise other crops.

Second Experiment: On June 6, 1978, a total of 100 corn seeds was planted at the same spot with the same hortoculture substrate and the same size of 4 m2. The germination ratio was 98%. After removing the bad seedlings, only 80 seedlings were left and were mucked with 2 kg of fertilizer on the surface. During the harvest period, seven of them were destroyed by strong wind. Among the crops left, 51 had two ear-corns, and 22 had a single ear-corn. A total of 124 ear-corns was obtained.

Third Experiment: On October20, 1978, a total of 16 seedlings of yellow chrysanthemum having a height of 10 cm was planted in an area of 75 cm x 175 cm. On November 3, their headings were picked up, and on November 15, each stock was left three branches after removing all the rest sprouts, being supported with three poles. On December 25, each stock had three flowers blossomed, but only one flower was left by picking up the rest. A total of 48 semi-sphere-shaped flowers with 15 cm in diameter, and a stock height of 80 cm were blossomed; at the lower portion of the stock, there were two or three withered leaves.

Apparently, the horticulture substrate of this invention has better aeration effect that makes the root respiration normal, and that is impossible for the general soil to have. Fig. 1 and 2 show the growing condition of the plant.

Fourth Experiment: On January 23, 1979, a Taiwan onion was planted with every two stocks in each hole. On February 10, there were some branches sprouted, and at the end of Feb., each hole had eight to ten stocks of onion instead of having two stocks, and their heights were about a half-meter with the leaves in deep green color. In early March, a half number of the stocks in each hole was harvested together with the root; then, mucked all the holes with 2 kg of mixed-fertilizer to test the continuous growing condition.

Fifth Experiment: On May 3, 1979, a coxcomb was planted with every two seeds in each hole, and a space of 10 cm between each hole. On May 25, each said hole had only one stock being left. On June 1, the height of the seedling was 10-15 cm, and on June 15, a flower bud was seen on its top. By the end of June, a flower of coxcomb in moderate size, but in good growing condition, was seen. In mid-July, the height was over one meter.

Sixth Experiment: On September 10, 1979, a white lily was planted with a space of 25 cm-between each stock; the aprout ball was planted in a depth of 4 cm, and 3 kg of complete fertilizer consisting of organic fertilizer mixed with 80% peanut draff were muched. At the end of December, one kg of additional complete mixed fertilizerwas mucked. Up to April 1, 1980, one stock had a maximum of 13 flowers, and one had a minimum of two flowers. The height of stock was 75 cm at minimum, and 120 cm at maximum. On April 4, cut the stem at the spot of 25 cm about its base near the root for picking up the flower and the stem.By the end of June, the stubble left in the substrate was withered; then, dug out its sprout ball at base, and it was found that some of said plant had three aprout balls, and most of them had two; all said sprout balls looked in deep yellow, which indicated a good growing condition.

On February 9, 1978, a total of 44 stocks of sponge gourds was planted in an area of 42m2; the category of said sponge gourd is named as "shun-noon No. 2" cultivated by "Taichung Agricultural improvement Station". 6 kg of organic mixed fertilizer were completely mixed up on January 20, and fertilizer consisted of 70% of peanut draff in powder form, 20% of animal bone powder, 5% of ferric oxide ore, and 5% of serpentine powder. After being planted, irrigated to saturation, the plant had a height of 30 cm with the leaf diameter of 20 cm in early March as shown in Fig. 3. In said Fig., it may be seen that the supporting pole is helpful to lead the plant growing and climbing upwards, and some flower buds can be seen at the leaf base. Since said artificial fiber substrate had better aeration effect than that of the general soil, and since the root respiration condition to the growth of sponge gourd is rather important, the sponge gourd showed a well growth indicated with the growing speed, the leaf size, the size of fruit, and the quantity of fruit harvested. All said facts proved that said artificial fiber is far superior than the general known soil in terms of plantation. Up to April 20, the stock had a height of two meters. In mid-May, the plants became aged, and were completely removed from the substrate; then, the said fiber substrate was re-arranged into a thickness of 30 cm to plant two pieces of mulberry branch in it with a depth of 20 cm; on top of said branches, a grass-woven screen was set up as a cover and was removed every eve nine till the next day to re-cover it.After 15 days, the covered time was gradually reduced every day until a day that the new sprouts not withered under the sun; that indicated the new root could absorb sufficient water for the sprouts. By June 30, the new sprouts or the new twigs had a length of 10 cm. At that time, it proved that the root had a strong absorbing ability to fertilizer. Since the organic fertilizer left in said fiber substrate when planting the sponge gourd was washed away and lost very slowly, and the absorbing speed of the mulberry sapling was slow, it needed not to muck again except pouring water. By the end of December 1978, i.e., the winter hiberation of denuding leaves, the tree had a height of 1.2 meters with a bush top diameter of one meter. In February 1979, said trees shot new sprouts, and in early March, they blossomed; in July of the same year, mulberries were harvested. From branch planting till bearing fruit it took only one year.

Through the aforesaid experiments, it has been proved that the artificial soil in this invention is novel, practical and ideal in cultivating the flower, fruit, or vegetable. It can provide the plant with an ideal environment in every place, and it might be deemed as a revolutionary invention.

Claims (4)

1. An artificial soil suitable for horticultural and/or agricultural purposes comprising a mass of PH neutralized and decolored synthetic fibers, each said fiber having a length of less than 10mm, said fibers being free of interfiber twisting to promote aeration and drainage for plants growing therein.

2. An artificial soil as in claim 1 wherein said fiber length is between 0.5mm to 5mm.

3. An artificial soil as in claim 2 wherein said fibers are inoculated with nitro-bacteria and admixed with a fertilizer.

4. An artificial soil as in claim 1 wherein said synthetic fibers are at least one selected from the group consisting of polyacrylonitrile or nylon fibers.