GB2128063A - Plant propagation - Google Patents

Abstract

Plant propagation means comprising a lidded container and a dry board of wettable peat-based compost adapted to fit loosely within said container on the base thereof, said board being of such shape and size that the addition of water or aqueous plant nutrient solution thereto will cause it to soften and swell to form a seed growable medium substantially filling said container, and said lid fitting on the top of said container in such a manner that air can enter said container. Optionally the container embodies a water reservoir compartment to provide for capilliary watering of the medium, and/or means are provided to facilitate seed spacing, for example, depressions on one surface of the board or seeds adhesively secured thereto or embodied in a seed strip in the form of a mat adapted to lie on the board.

Description

SPECIFICATION Plant propagation means The present invention is concerned with means for use in the propagation of plants, in particular from seeds, which is suitable for the amateur wishing to produce a small quantity of plants in as convenient a manner as possible.

Propagation means of various kinds are known in the art. For example, there are the so-called growbags and grow-boards providing, when the bag containing the growing medium is slit open and the medium is wetted, a fairly large unit in which a variety of plants, for examples tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, can be planted. There are also small propagation means in the form of seed growing kits comprising a metal foil or plastics container filled with particulate vermiculite mixture, which serves as a growing medium, the kit as marketed having, for example a packet of seeds and a packet of plant nutrient packed on top of the vermiculite prior to sealing the container with a card or foil lid.Such kits are used by taking out a portion of the vermiculite, scattering seed on the surfce of the remainder and then returning the removed portion as a top layer covering the seeds. In an alternative the vermiculite incorporates the nutrient instead of the latter being added to the water with which the seeds, and in due course the seedlings, is watered as in the example just given.

A disadvantage of this form of kit is that the particulate vermiculite mixture can leak out if the container is damaged or distorted; and in any event it takes time and trouble to set up the seeded container because the vermiculite mixture has to be made homogeneous and apportioned as indicated.

An alternative kit for growing from seed different plants in the one container has been introduced onto the market in which the growing medium is in the form of six peat pads adapted to be retained in depressions on the base of the container, but this also appears to require some time and trouble to set up.

The present invention provides a simple yet effective seed growing kit comprising, in addition to packeted seed and, optionally, packeted nutrient, only three readily handled components.

According to the present invention plant propagation means comprises a lidded container and a dry board of wettable peat-based compost adapted to fit loosely within said container on the base thereof, said board being of such shape and size that the addition of water or aqueous plant nutrient solution thereto will cause it to soften and swell to form a seed-growable medium substantially filling said container, and said lid fitting on the top of said container in such a manner than air can enter said container.

A novel feature of the plant propagation means of the invention is the single dry board, which may be of square, rectangular or circular shape depending on the shape of the container, which, superficially, looks like and can be handled like a small piece of hardboard. The broad rests on the base of the container, which it substantially covers; and when tepid water or dilute aqueous plant nutrient is poured onto it to the level of a line provided, for example by indentation, in a side or end of the container, the board will soften and swell considerably until it fills the container to a suitable height for a permanent growing and potting medium dampened to an optimum water content.The provision of such a dry board enables the plant kit to be marketed without risk of the spillage problem associated with particulate media, and the end user can easily and quickly obtain a container filled with growing medium on which to scatter the seeds.

The container is lidded, that is to say it comprises a transparent removable lid which can be placed over the container after the seeds have been sown in order to conserve moisture in the growing medium, and then removed and placed beneath the container as a drip tray or saucer when the seedlings have appeared. The concept of providing a seed tray with a transparent lid is not new per se, but hitherto such lids have been provided with ventilation apertures, which in the case of the lids of propagators as distinct from 'one-only' seed growing trays can be adjustable, and this prevents the lid from being used as a drip tray. In accordance with a preferred feature of the present invention the rim of the container is so shaped in relation to the profile of the rim of the lid which fits over it that air vents are provided when the lid is in position.In a preferred form a central section of the rim portion of each side of the container is lower than the remainder of the rim and is slightly angled downwardly towards the outer edge of the rim to provide slit-shaped air vents at the rim when the lid is in position with its rim resting on the remainder of rim of the contaier. To retain the lid in position,the lid rim can be flanged downwardly, the flanged portion being outwardly inclined slightly so as not to close the air vents and the lid being retained by small interned portions of the flange at each corner which frictionally engage the corner edges of the container rim. Although the seedlings can be removed for growing on elsewhere, the propagation means of the invention is particularly suitable for the permanent containment of the resulting plants.

The dry board is formed from any suitable low light peat, which is readily re-wettable; and a peat, particularly one of Scandinavian origin, with a degree of composition registering approximately 2.5 on the Von Post scale, is the kind of peat which is normally utilised.

The boards can be made by applying appreciable pressure, for example, 800 tonnes per square centimetre, to the dehydrated peat. Advantageously the peat contains plant nutrient, for example, nitrogen 75mg per litre, phosphorus 30mg per litre, potassium 100mg perlitre and lime 1,500mg per litre.

A typical plant kit in accordance with the present invention comprises an open-topped container having outwardly extending walls and being, for example, 3 inches square at the base and 4 inches square at the top and about 21/2 inches high. The container has a removable, transparent PVC lid which is a loose press-fit on the top of the container and is a tray of generally similar shape to the container except that its height is less than half that of the container and its base (which will be its top when it is in place as a lid) is slightly larger than that of the containerto enable the container to rest within it.

The lid, therefore, can serve as a seed/seedling cover or a drip tray depending on the growth stage of the plants.

The container is advantageously coloured, for example, white, and is provided with small depending portions in the base at each corner to serve as feet. The rim is of inverted Section, the base of the U being flat except in the centre sections of the rim portions of the sides of the container, which sections are both lower and slightly angled downwardly and outwardly for the purpose previously described. The lid has a flanged rim providing a flat edge for resting on the flat portions of the container rim, and that edge is downturned at a slight outward inclination and has, in each corner, a small interned proturberance adapted to snap-engage the rim of the containerto hold the lid in place.

Within the container of the kit as marketed is a small dry board of the kind described above, capable of forming a seed growing medium when water is added to it. The board is square so as to lie on the base of the container with slight clearance from its walls, and it is about 1/4 inch thick. The board is strong and coherent to the extent that no breakage and virtually no dusting due to surface abrasion will occur during normal transport and handling of the kit, or handling of the board itself. The Applicant has found that peat boards manufactured by the Swedish firm known as Hasselfors Garden are eminently suitable, but other sources of boards meeting the specification referred to above can, of course, be utilised.

The board is produced by compression as described above, and its flat surfaces can be smooth, or indented with depressions to aid the user in spacing out the seeds, if desired. Alternatively, a separate punched card can be provided for that purpose. As an alternative approach to the concept of achieving an appropriate spacing apart of the seeds, one of the surfaces of the dry board can be provided with a plurality of seeds adhesively fixed thereto at spaced intervals, the adhesive being a water-soluble adhesive such as gum arabic, in admixture, if desired, with a fungicide to prevent mould growth and as an aid to preventing damping-off of the young seedlings.

Preferably, however, the seeds in such case are put into 'seed strips', which are known per se, the seed strip being of a size and shape enabling it to be laid as a mat on top of the dry board prior to the addition of water. To keep the growing medium moist near the surface at the seed germination young seedling stages, a strip of felt can be provided to provide for capilliary watering from a separate compartment in the container, in which case the container would be rectangular in shape with an internal wall dividing it into a major area for containing the growing medium and a minor area for water or aqueous nutrient. By arranging this within the coverage of the lid the maximum use can be made of the water supplied.Both the container and the lid can be made by conventional plastics sheet forming operations, and as an aid to the user indented lines can be provided on the inside of the container to indicate the level to which the container should initially be filled with tepid water.

CLAIMS (Filed on 5.10.83) 1. Plant propagation means comprising a lidded container and a dry board of wettable peat-based compost adapted to fit loosely within said container on the base thereof, said board being of such shape and size that the addition of water or aqueous plant nutrient solution thereto will cause it to soften and swell to form a seed-growable medium substantially filling said container, and said lid fitting on the top of said container in such a mannerthat aircan enter said container.

2. Plant propagation means according to claim 1, in which the rim of the container is so shaped in relation to the profile of the rim of the lid which fits over it that air vents are provided when the lid is in position.

3. Plant propagation means according to claim 2, in which a central section of the rim portion of each side of the container is lower than the remainder of the rim and is slightly angled downwardly towards the outer edge of the rim to provide slit-shaped air vents at the rim when the lid is in position with its rim resting on the remainder of the rim of the container.

4. Plant propagation means according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which also comprises a water reservoir compartment to provide for capilliary watering ofthe medium.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (4)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. tray of generally similar shape to the container except that its height is less than half that of the container and its base (which will be its top when it is in place as a lid) is slightly larger than that of the containerto enable the container to rest within it. The lid, therefore, can serve as a seed/seedling cover or a drip tray depending on the growth stage of the plants. The container is advantageously coloured, for example, white, and is provided with small depending portions in the base at each corner to serve as feet. The rim is of inverted Section, the base of the U being flat except in the centre sections of the rim portions of the sides of the container, which sections are both lower and slightly angled downwardly and outwardly for the purpose previously described. The lid has a flanged rim providing a flat edge for resting on the flat portions of the container rim, and that edge is downturned at a slight outward inclination and has, in each corner, a small interned proturberance adapted to snap-engage the rim of the containerto hold the lid in place. Within the container of the kit as marketed is a small dry board of the kind described above, capable of forming a seed growing medium when water is added to it. The board is square so as to lie on the base of the container with slight clearance from its walls, and it is about 1/4 inch thick. The board is strong and coherent to the extent that no breakage and virtually no dusting due to surface abrasion will occur during normal transport and handling of the kit, or handling of the board itself. The Applicant has found that peat boards manufactured by the Swedish firm known as Hasselfors Garden are eminently suitable, but other sources of boards meeting the specification referred to above can, of course, be utilised. The board is produced by compression as described above, and its flat surfaces can be smooth, or indented with depressions to aid the user in spacing out the seeds, if desired. Alternatively, a separate punched card can be provided for that purpose. As an alternative approach to the concept of achieving an appropriate spacing apart of the seeds, one of the surfaces of the dry board can be provided with a plurality of seeds adhesively fixed thereto at spaced intervals, the adhesive being a water-soluble adhesive such as gum arabic, in admixture, if desired, with a fungicide to prevent mould growth and as an aid to preventing damping-off of the young seedlings. Preferably, however, the seeds in such case are put into 'seed strips', which are known per se, the seed strip being of a size and shape enabling it to be laid as a mat on top of the dry board prior to the addition of water. To keep the growing medium moist near the surface at the seed germination young seedling stages, a strip of felt can be provided to provide for capilliary watering from a separate compartment in the container, in which case the container would be rectangular in shape with an internal wall dividing it into a major area for containing the growing medium and a minor area for water or aqueous nutrient. By arranging this within the coverage of the lid the maximum use can be made of the water supplied.Both the container and the lid can be made by conventional plastics sheet forming operations, and as an aid to the user indented lines can be provided on the inside of the container to indicate the level to which the container should initially be filled with tepid water. CLAIMS (Filed on 5.10.83)

1. Plant propagation means comprising a lidded container and a dry board of wettable peat-based compost adapted to fit loosely within said container on the base thereof, said board being of such shape and size that the addition of water or aqueous plant nutrient solution thereto will cause it to soften and swell to form a seed-growable medium substantially filling said container, and said lid fitting on the top of said container in such a mannerthat aircan enter said container.

2. Plant propagation means according to claim 1, in which the rim of the container is so shaped in relation to the profile of the rim of the lid which fits over it that air vents are provided when the lid is in position.

3. Plant propagation means according to claim 2, in which a central section of the rim portion of each side of the container is lower than the remainder of the rim and is slightly angled downwardly towards the outer edge of the rim to provide slit-shaped air vents at the rim when the lid is in position with its rim resting on the remainder of the rim of the container.

4. Plant propagation means according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which also comprises a water reservoir compartment to provide for capilliary watering ofthe medium.