GB2138262A

GB2138262A - Device for protecting plants

Info

Publication number: GB2138262A
Application number: GB08410208A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robin Templar Williams; Michael John Evans
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-04-21
Filing date: 1984-04-19
Publication date: 1984-10-24
Also published as: GB8410208D0

Abstract

A device for protecting plants comprises a pair of pieces of materials (1) adapted to rest upon the ground adjacent to each other, wherein the adjacent edges of the two pieces of material are sealed together (2) and overlap along a part of their length, and wherein along the line of interconnection (3) between the two pieces of material is a portion (4) having a plurality of slots (5) or lines of weakness extending outwardly to form a hole to receive the stem of a plant. There may be sealed together with the seal between the adjacent edges of the two pieces of material one end of a strip of material to be wound around the lower part of a tree at the base of which the protection device is placed. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Device for protecting plants This invention relates to a device for protecting p[ants, in particular trees, especially young saplings, bushes, shrubs and other forms of vegetation. In this specification the term 'plant' is to be understood to include within its scope trees, bushes, shrubs and the like.

In a particular aspect, the invention relates to a device for protecting trees, in particular the bases of saplings against rabbits and other small creatures.

The growth of a plant can be impaired if the necessary moisture is not retained within the root area or if the young roots and upper growth are hindered by weeds or grass growing close to the plant of if the plant is damaged by grass cutting equipment or the application of herbicides while grass or weeds around the plant are being cut, killed, controlled or treated.

British Patent Specification No. 2 098 444A describes and claims a device for protecting plants which comprises a pair of covers or layers of material adapted to rest upon the ground and constructed to interlock together to form a substantially rectangular device as a whole, wherein along the line of interconnection between the two halves of material, preferably at the centre of the device, is a portion having a plurality of slots of lines of weakness capable of being cut and extending outwardly to form a hole to receive the stem of a plant.

Where the plant is to be supported during its growth, for example by means of a stake, it is necessary to provide in the plant protection device a pair of holes, i.e. one for the plant and one forthe stake. This may be done by providing two holes of the type described along the line of interconnection between the two halves of material. However, in a preferred embodiment of the device according to British Patent Specification No. 2 098 444A where two such holes are provided, one of the pair of holes is provided in each of the halves of the device, with a further slot extending between the holes.

While this known device functions satisfactorily, we have now developed an improved plant protection device in which the pair of covers or layers of material according to British Patent Specification No.

2 098 444A are sealed together and overlap alog a part of their adjacent edges.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a device for protecting plants (as herein defined), which comprises a pair of pieces of material adapted to rest upon the ground adjacent to each other, wherein the adjacent edges of the two pieces of material are sealed together and overlap along a part of their length, and wherein along the line of interconnection between the two pieces of material, preferably at the centre of the device, is a portion having a plurality of slots or lines of weakness capable of being cut and extending outwardly to form a hole to receive the stem of a plant.

The plant protection device according to the invention may be easily assembled around a plant to be protected.

Suitably the overlapped and sealed adjacent edges extend over half the length of the adjacent edges of the two halves of material, up to the portion having a plurality of slots or lines of weakness.

Along the remaining length of the adjacent edges of the two halves of material, the edges are generally free, although they are suitably constructed to interlock together to fit the device securely around the plant to be protected.

In use, the device is fitted around a plant, and the above-mentioned free lengths of the adjacent edges of the halves of material are then interlocked together.

The sealed lengths of the two halves of material are suitably glued or heat-sealed together. This is done by feeding the two halves of material, preferably in continuous lengths, to a suitable machine where the overlapped adjacent edges are sealed along the required part of their length, after which the continuous lengths are cut into suitable sizes.

Where the plant is to be supported during its growth, for example by means of a stake, it is necessary to provide in the plant protection device a pair of holes, i.e. one for the plant and one for the stake. This may be done by providing two holes of the type described along the line of interconnection between the two halves of material. However, in a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention where two such holes are provided, one of the pair of holes is provided in each of the halves of the device, with a further slot extending between the holes.

Accordingly, the invention in a further aspect provides a device for protecting plants (as herein defined), which comprises a pair of pieces of material adapted to rest upon the ground adjacent to each other, wherein the adjacent edges of the two pieces of material are sealed together and overlap along a part of their length, and wherein in each of the two pieces of material, adjacent the line of interconection between the two pieces, preferably at substantially the centre of the device, is a portion having a plurality of slots or lines of weakness capable of being cut and extending outwardly to form a hole to receive a stem of a plant or a stake respectively, and wherein the said two holes are connected by a further slot. The further slot would be effectively comprised by two generally aligned parts, one in each half of material.

It is possible, although not preferred, to omit the portions having a plurality of slots or lines of weakness or to replace them by for example notches.

It is additionally envisaged sealing together with the said seal between the adjacent edges of the two pieces of material, preferably between the two adjacent edges, one end of a strip of material which may be wound around at least the lower part of a tree or other plant at the base of which the protection device is in use placed, which strip of material will protect the lower part of the tree from damage, particularly by small animals such as rabbits.

The end of the strip of material may be suitably cut away to facilitate sealing between the two pieces of material, or the strip may be suitably provided with a neck portion adjacent its end which will be sealed between the two pieces of material.

The strip of material will preferably be wound helically around the lower part of the tree and its upper end then fixed to the tree in some convenient way.

The strip of material will preferably be made of plastic netting, but could instead be made of polythene which would be considerably cheaper.

The strip of material may for example be of the same material as the protection device itself.

It is also envisaged that such a strip of material could be sealed together with the plant protection device which is the subject of British patent application No.8138326 (G.B. 2111813 A).

British patent application No. 2111813A describes and claims a plant protection device which comprises an integral piece of polythene or other similar material from the central part of which to one edge there is defined a single slit whose sides overlap, with a notch formed in each overlapping side to fit in use around the stem of a plant. Such a device is preferably manufactured from one piece of material, folded in half, notched approximately halfway along the fold, each half being sealed to one another along a line which runs parallel to the fold and which extends from the base of the notch to the opposite edge of the sheet and the two halves of the device then being unfolded.

It is envisaged, according to the present invention, that a strip of material as previously described could be similarly sealed together with the seal between the two halves of material.

The provision of such a strip of material together with the plant protection device described in applica tion No. G.B. 2111813A could be applied if such a plant protecting device were modified in either of the followings ways: (i) The fold adjacent the seal between the two halves of material were slit (such a modified device is at present commercially available).

(ii) The notches were replaced by a portion having a plurality of slots or lines of weakness of the type described in relation to the first aspect of the present invention.

Similarly, the provision of such a strip of material together with the plant protection device described according to the first aspect of the present invention could be applied if such a protecting device were modified by replacing the portion having a plurality of slots or lines of weakness by notches of the type utilized in application No. G.B. 2111813A, and/or if the adjacent sealed edges of the two pieces of material were not arranged to overlap.

Thus any arrangement is envisaged, according to the invention, wherein the strip of material is sealed together with a tree or other plant protecting device, with the strip of material sealed with the seal between two parts of a tree protecting device, or even simply sealed to a single flat piece of material to be placed around the base of a tree to be protected.

Therefore, in another aspect, the invention provides a device for protecting trees or other plants, comprising a pair of pieces of material adapted to rest upon the ground adjacent to each other, wherein the adjacent edges of the two pieces of material are sealed together along a part of their length, and wherein there is sealed, together with the said seal between the adjacent edges of the two pieces of material, one end of a strip of material which may be wound around at least the lower part of a tree or other plant at the base of which the protection evice is in use placed.

Also, in a further aspect, the invention provides a device for protecting trees or other plants, comprising a piece of material adapted to rest upon the ground around the base of a tree or other plant, and slit to enable it to be fitted around the base of the tree or plant, wherein there is sealed to the said piece of material one end of a strip of material which may be wound around at least the lower part of a tree or other plant at the base of which the protection device is in use placed.

The strip of material could for example be about 3 inches wide and for example 1 metre long, although various widths and lengths are of course possible.

It is also envisaged to provide a device for protecting a tree or other plant which can be used in combination with any of the plant protection devices previously described (particularly those described in relation to the first aspect of the present invention or in application No. G.B. 2111813), wherein the tree protection device comprises a cylinder of plastic netting, polythene or any other suitable material which is to be fitted around at least the lower part of the trunk of the tree and which is slit generally vertically along its length, the tree protection device being secured, for example by glueing, to the plant protection device of the type described.

Accordingly, in a yet further aspect, the invention provides a device for protecting trees or other plants, comprising a pair of pieces of material adapted to rest upon the ground adjacent to each other, wherein the adjacent edges of the two pieces of material are sealed together along a part of their length, and further comprising a cylinder of material which is to be fitted around at least the lower part of the tree or plant and which is slit generally vertically along its length, the said cylinder being sealed to the said pieces of material.

The edges of the cylinder adjacent the slit therein could be arranged to overlap, or not, as desired.

Such a device is fitted around the tree trunk while the plant protection device is fitted around the base of the tree.

According to a still aspect of the invention there is provided a device for protecting a tree or other plant which comprises a cylinder portion of a suitable material, slit generally vertically along its length, which is to be fitted around at least the lower part of the trunk of a tree, integral with a flat base portion for fitting around the base of the tree, which base portion is also slit to enable it to be fitted around the tree.

The base portion and the cylinder portion may be welded together if they are of different materials or may be for example injection moulded if of the same material. The cylinder portion could be for example 1 metre high.

All the tree protection devices described above may prevent small animals, particularly rabbits, from both stripping the bark of a tree as well as attacking the tree roots.

In the tree or other plant protection devices described above, the strip of material to be wound around a tree trunk may be a strip of netting.

Additionally such devices may be applied to for example bushes wherein shade material comprising a strip of looser weave netting may be employed.

Where cylinders of material are employed the slit edges may be fastened together, for example by means of clips. Such an arrangement may for example be used for protecting avocado plants.

Rigid clear but diffuse cylinders of material, possibly corrugated, may be used for protecting trees, or even other plants such as tomatoes.

The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa schematic plan view of a plan protection device according to the invention having a single hole for a plant; and Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of a plant protection device according to the invention having one hole for a plant and another hole for a stake for supporting the plant.

The plant protection device shown in Figure 1 comprises a pair of covers or layers of material 1 adapted to rest upon the ground adjacent to each other The adjacent overlapped edges of the two halves of material have been previously sealed along approximately half of the length as indicated by numeral 2. The remaining parts of their adjacent lengths may be constructed to interlock together by means of suitable angled cuts 7 to form a substantially square device as a whole.

Along the line of interconnection 3 between the two halves of material, substantially at the centre of the device, is a portion 4 having a plurality of slots 5 extending radially outwardly to form a hole to receive the stem of a plant.

It will be understood that the line of interconection 3 is an imaginary line extending longitudinally half-way between the longitudinal edges of the area of overlap of the sheets of material 1.

The device shown in Figure 2 is generally similar to that shown in Figure 1, but in each of the two halves of material, adjacent the imaginary line of interconnection 3 between the two halves, and substantially at the centre of the device, is a portion 4a or4b having a plurality of slots 5 extending radially outwardly to form a hole. One such hole, for example the hole formed by the portion 4a, is to receive the stem of a plant, while the other hole formed by the portion 4b is to receive a stake for supporting the plant growing through the hole 4a. A further slot 6 connects the two holes formed by the portions 4a and 4b, the slot 6 comprising two generally aligned parts 6a and 6b formed in the respective halves of material.

Alternatively, two adjacent holes corresponding to the holes formed by the portions 4a and 4b could be provided along the line of interconnection 3, but this construction is not preferred.

Instead of the short slots 5 there could be grooves or other lines of weakness capable of being cut.

There may if desired be a plurality of spaced holes formed by portions 4 along the line of interconnection 3 in a single device according to the invention in the case of the embodiment shown in Figure 1, or a plurality of spaced pairs of holes formed by portions 4a, 4b disposed adjacent the line of interconnection 3 in the case of the embodiment shown in Figure 2.

Suitably the sheets of material constituting the device according to the invention may be cut as desired from rolls of the material, the rolls having been formed by feeding two continuous lengths of material to a machine wherein the adjacent overlapped edges of material are sealed together along part of their lengths to form the sealed portions 2.

The sheets of material constituting the device according to the invention are suitably a flexible material such as bitumen-impregnated felt, polythene, rubber compounds, polyvinylchloride, or compressed peat or compounds of other vegetable matter, or may be of paper material. Either biodegradable or non-biodegradable materials may be used.

Small ventilation holes may be additionally formed in the sheets of material.

Preferably the plant protection device according to the invention is fitted around the plant immediately after planting.

The plant protection device according to the invention is intended to conserve moisture around the roots of the plant and/or to prevent grass and other harmful weeds from growing around the base of the plant.

If a plant guard is being used as well as the protection device, then the protection device should reduce the unsightly and harmful growth of weeds in the inaccessible area between the plant and the plant guard. The protection device should substantially reduce the risk of damage to the plant by the use of grass-cutting equipment too close to the plant since the operator would not normally wish to use the grass-cutting equipment over the protection device.

Also, the use of this protection device should make it easier to identify small plants and shrubs which are growing in long grass.

The device according to the invention constituted by the two halves of material may be suitably approximately 19-20 inches square.

As indicated previously, there may be sealed, together with the seal 2 between the two pieces of material 1, one end of a strip of material which may be wound around the trunk of a tree to protect the latter.

Claims

1. A device for protecting plants (as herein defined), which comprises a pair of pieces of material adapted to rest upon the ground adjacent to each other, wherein the adjacent edges of the two pieces of material are sealed together ad overlap along a part of their length, and wherein along the line of interconnection between the two pieces of material is a portion having a plurality of slots or lines of weakness capable of being cut and extending outwardly to form a hole to receive the stem of a plant.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said portion having a plurality of slots or lines of weakness is provided at the centre of the said line of interconnection.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pair of said portions having a plurality of slots or lines of weakness are provided along the said line of interconnection.

4. A device for protecting plants (as herein defined), which comprises a pair of pieces of material adapted to rest upon the ground adjacent to each other, wherein the adjacent edges of the two pieces of material are sealed together and overlap along a part of their length, and wherein in each of the two pieces of material, adjacent the line of interconnection between the two pieces, is a portion having a plurality of slots or lines of weakness capable of being cut and extending outwardlytoform a hole to receive a stem of a plant or a stake respectively, and wherein the said two holes are connected by a further slot.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the said pair of portions having a plurality of slots or lines of weakness is provided at the centre of the said line of interconnection.

6. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the said overlapped and sealed adjacent edges extend over half the length of the adjacent edges of the two pieces of material.

7. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein there is sealed, together with the said seal between the adjacent edges of the two pieces of material, one end of a strip of material which may be wound around at least the lower part of a tree or other plant at the base of which the protection device is in use placed.

8. A device according to claim 1 for protecting plants, substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the acompanying drawings.

9. A device for protecting trees or other plants, comprising a pair of pieces of material adapted to rest upon the ground adjacent to each other, wherein the adjacent edges of the two pieces of material are sealed together along a part of their length, and wherein there is sealed, together with the said seal between the adjacent edges of the two pieces of material, one end of a strip of material which may be wound around at least the lower part of a tree or other plant at the base of which the protection device is in use placed.

10. A device for protecting trees or other plants, comprising a piece of material adapted to rest upon the ground around the base of a tree or other plant, and slit to enable it to be fitted around the base of the tree or plant, wherein there is sealed to the said piece of material one end of a strip of material which may be wound around at least the lower part of a tree or other plant at the base of which the protection device is in use placed.

11. A device for protecting trees or other plants, comprising a pair of pieces of material adapted to rest upon the ground adjacent to each other, wherein the adjacent edges of the two pieces of material are sealed together along a part of their length, and further comprising a cylinder of material which is to be fitted around at least the lower part of the tree or plant and which is slit generally vertically along its length, the said cylinder being sealed to the said pieces of material.

12. A device for protecting trees or other plants, comprising a cylinder portion, slit generally vertical iy along its length, which is to be fitted around at least the lower part of a tree or other plant, integral with a fiat base portion for fitting around the base of the tree or plant, which base portion is also slit to enable it to be fitted around the tree or plant.

13. A device for protecting trees or other plants, according to any of claims 9,10,11 or 12, substantially as herein described.