GB2200524A

GB2200524A - A plant guard

Info

Publication number: GB2200524A
Application number: GB08702349A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Lawday
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-02-03
Filing date: 1987-02-03
Publication date: 1988-08-10
Also published as: GB8702349D0

Abstract

A plant guard for directing water and liquid treatments to the roots of a plant, and for preventing soil contamination of ground level growing fruits and crops comprises a plate-like member (1) the upper surface of which defines a funnel having an aperture (3) in the bottom thereof through which a plant can grow. The plant guard can be formed as a single unit which can be linked with other plant guards to cover an area of ground. Alternatively, a plurality of plant guards can be formed together in a single sheet of material. <IMAGE>

Description

A PLANT GUARD The present invention relates to a plant guard and more especially to a plant guard which encourages the growth of plants and seedlings by minimising loss of moisture from the soil around the plant, preventing weeds from growing which would compete with the plant for light, water and nutrients, and ensuring that water and liquid based treatments applied to the plant are directed into the soil immediately surrounding the plants roots.

It is known that the growth of plants and seedlings is enhanced by a moist soil and lack of competition for light, water and nutrients from weeds.

In order to ensure that these criteria are met it is known to apply a mulch of straw and manure around each plant to minimise water loss from the soil and smother weeds. Unfortunately, this technique is not entirely satisfactory as the mulch tends to wash away and be absorbed into the soil over a period of time, necessitating its renewal. Moreover, being organically based, the mul-ch forms an ideal medium for the growth of wind blown seeds which alight on it after it has been laid down.

As an alternative to the above described mulch it is known to use plastic sheeting which is pegged onto the ground. A slit is cut into the sheeting and a. single plant or seedling is planted in the soil through this slit. The sheeting prevents evaporation of moisture from the soil immediately beneath it and is highly effective at smothering weeds by depriving them of air and light. This technique is widely used with fruit and vegetable crops which are planted in a single plot as a single large sheet of plastic can be used over the area of ground forming the plot and slits can be cut at regular intervals in the sheet for each plant or seedling..

A disadvantage associated with plastic sheeting is that it tends to be laid flat on the ground and so follows every rise and fall in the ground. As a consequence water and liquid based treatments can collect on its surface or run off to the sides of the sheeting instead of draining through slits to the roots of each plant. Furthermore, plastic sheeting is extremely difficult to handle, particularly in exposed, blustery conditions. This problem is usually at its worst when the sheeting is lifted; the slits in it tend to tear and in no time at all the sheeting is torn and ragged, and not at all suitable for re-use.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a plant guard which minimises loss of moisture from the soil around a plant, prevents weeds from growing which would compete with the plant for light, water and nutrients, and ensures that water and liquid based treatments applied to the plant are directed into the soil immediately surrounding the plants roots.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a plurality of plant guards joined together to form a sheet which can be used over a plot or patch of land intended for the growth of bedding plants or fruit and vegetable crops.

According to the present invention there is provided a plant guard comprising a platérlike member having an aperture in its surface through which a plant or seedling may grow, and drainage means for directing liquid collecting on the surface of the platelike member towards said aperture.

Preferably, the supper surface of the plate-like member defines a funnel and the said aperture lies at the bottom thereof such that the said drainage means is defined by the upper surface of the plate-like member.

Preferably, the plant guard comprises anchoring means for anchoring it to the ground.

The anchoring means may comprise pegs or stakes which can be driven into the ground, but in a preferred embodiment of the present invention the plant guard defines a square perimeter and the anchoring means comprises a lip along each of two adjacent sides thereof.

In use, a plurality of plant guards can be anchored together by lapping the un-lipped side of one guard over the lipped side of its immediate neighbour. Thus the plant guards are held down under their own combined weight in much the same manner as tiles on a roof.

The outer plant guards can be pegged to the ground for absolute security.

Conveniently, the plant guard is comprised of a plastics material which is not subject to rotting.

Moreover, the plant guard may be injection moulded from the plastics material.

It will be readily appreciated that the plant guard of the present invention covers the soil immediately surrounding a plant or seedling and thus prevents evaporation of water and the growth of weeds.

Furthermore, the drainage means ensures that any water or liquid based treatments intended for the plant do not lie on the surface of the plant guard, but run down through the aperture and into the soil immediately surrounding the plant roots. This allows the plant to receive the full dose of any treatment, without wastage, and also ensures that ground lying crops, such as strawberries or the like, do not lie for prolonged periods in water or the treatment which may rot or contaminate them. Finally, as each plant or seedling is provided with its own plant guard any shaped plot or patch can be protected without difficulty, and at the end of a season or when the guard is no longer required it can be lifted and put aside for re-use at other times.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention a plurality of plant guards are formed together in a single sheet of material. Again, the plant guards may be comprised of a plastics material and the method of manufacture used may. be injection moulding. This form of the present invention may be used to cover large areas of land intended for growing cash fruit and vegetable crops and is especially useful for market garderners and the like as it does not require each individua plant guard to be laid down separately.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a plant guard according to the present invention; Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the plant guard of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 shows a perspective view from above of the plant guard of Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings there is shown a plant guard in accordance with the present invention which is injection moulded from a plastics material. The plant guard comprises a square platelike member 1 the uppermost surface of which defines four equi-sized quadrants 2. Each quadrant 2 is inclined downwardly from its outer edge to the centre of the plate-like member 1 and terminates at a central aperture 3. It will be readily apparent that with its sloping sides the uppermost surface of the plate-like member forms a funnel arrangement which opens out into the aperture 3.

The outer edges of the plate-like member 1 are supported by a continuous substantially vertical perimeter wall 4. Although this wall 4 could be dispensed with if the plate-like member 1 itself were to be comprised of a sufficiently rigid material to maintain the funnel arrangement, in this embodiment of the present invention two adjacent sides of the perimeter wall 4 comprise a horizontal lip 5 along the. base.f which serves to allow a plurality of plant guards to be connected together to form a continuous arrangement.

In this respect, a plurality of plant guards can be connected together by lapS5in the un-lipped side of one guard over a lipped side 5 of its immediate neighbour-.

In this way, the plant guards are held down under their own combined weight in much the same manner as tiles on a roof. The outer plant guards can be pegged to the ground for absolute security.

In use a plant guard is placed on the ground and a plant or seedling planted in the soil through the aperture 3 at its centre. The plant guard covers the soil immediately surrounding the plant thus preventing evaporation of water and the growth of weeds. Furthermore, the funnel defined by the uppermost surface of the plate-like member defines a drainage means ensuring that any water or liquid based treatments intended for the plant do not lie on the surface of the plant guard, but run down through the aperture 3 and into the soil immediately surrounding the plants roots. This allows the plant to receive the full dose of any treatment, without wastage, and also ensures that ground lying crops, such as strawberries or the like, do not lie for prolonged periods in water or treatments which may rot or contaminate them.Finally, as each plant or seedling is provided with its own plant guard any shaped plot or patch can be protected without difficulty, and at the end of a season or when the guard is no longer required it can be lifted and put aside for re-use at another time.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention a plurality of plant guards are formed together in a single sheet of material. Again, the plant guards may be comprised of a plastics material and the method of manufacture used may be injection moulding. It will be readily appreciated that in this alternative embodiment the supporting perimeter wall 4wand the lip 5 of the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings are dispensed with. To compensate for this each plant guard must have rigidity to be self supporting. Whilst each plant guard is sufficiently rigid to ensure it maintains its shape when laid on the ground the sheet itself is comprised of material sufficiently flexible to allow it to be rolled up for storage and transport.

Many plastics materials are capable of fulfilling these dual requirements.

This form of the present invention may be used to cover large areas of land intended for growing cash fruit and vegetable crops and is especially useful for market gardeners and the like as it does not require each individual plant guard to be laid down separate.

Claims

1. A plant guard comprising a plate-like member having an aperture therein through which a plant or seedling may grow, and drainage means for directing liquid collecting on the surface of the plate-like member towards said aperture.

2. A plant guard according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the plate-like-member is funnel shaped and the said aperture lies at the bottom thereof.

3. A plant guard according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plant guard comprises anchoring means for anchoring it to the ground

4. A plant guard according to claim 3, wherein the anchoring means comprises pegs or stakes which can be driven into the ground.

5. A plant guard according to any preceding claim, wherein means are provided for linking the edge of the plant guard to the edge of another plant guard.

6. A plant guard according to claim 5, wherein the plant guard defines a square perimeter and comprises a lip along each of two adjacent sides thereof whereby each lipped side of the plant guard is capable, in use, of being lapped over an un-lipped side an adjacent plant guard to link the plant guards.

7. A plant guard according to any preceding claim comprised of a non-biodegradable plastics plastics material.

8. A plurality of plant guards according to claim 1, formed together in a single sheet of material.