GB1586781A - Containers for plants or bulbs - Google Patents

Description

(54) CONTAINERS FOR PLANTS OR BULBS (71) I, GEORGE HOWE, of 6 Carnamena Gardens, Belfast BT6 9PN, Northern Ireland, a British Subject, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to containers for use in germinating seeds or growing seedlings, plants or bulbs. Containers for such use generally comprise a bottom, and an upstanding peripherally-continuous side wall, with a plurality of vent or drainage openings, such as holes, apertures, or slits or a combination thereof, located in said bottom.

Hereinafter in the specification and claims, a container as above-described will be referred to as "a container of the type stated." Such containers, when planted for outside culture are laid with their bottoms on the ground in the open or in a cold frame.

It has been found that the openings in the bottoms, of such containers clog up easily and relatively quickly causing lack of ventilation through the openings to the roots and ultimately causing smothering of the plants. To overcome this disadvantage, spacers or feet have been provided around the peripheries of the bottoms of these containers to space the bottoms, thereof from the ground. While this development has improved the situation by delaying the process of clogging, the disadvantage nevertheless remains.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the above disadvantage.

In accordance with the present invention I provide a container of the type stated which is a unitary structure of plastics material and the bottom or at least one portion of the bottom of which is raised above the level of the lower edge of the side wall and openings in the form of slits parallel to the lower edge of the side wall are provided adjacent to the lower part of the raised bottom or of the or each raised portion of the bottom.

Preferably, an opening of regular shape is provided in the upper part of the raised bottom or of the or each raised portion of the bottom.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figs. 1A and 1B are vertical cross-sectional views through a container according to a first embodiment of the present invention and showing different shapes of a raised portion of the bottom in each view; Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view through a container according to a modification of the first embodiment; and Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section through a container according to a second embodiment.

General to the embodiments, a container of the type stated is a unitary structure of plastics material the bottom of which is raised above the level of the lower edge of the side wall or has a raised portion centrally thereof, or a plurality of raised portions arranged symmetrically relative to the centre thereof.

In a first embodiment as shown in Figs.

1A and 1B, for a container 10 for single plant culture and which is square or round a raised portion 11 is provided centrally of the bottom 14, leaving about the raised portion 1 la peripheral surround 13 to lie flat on the ground. Openings in the form of slits 15 parallel to the bottom 14 are provided peripherally around the raised portion 11 adjacent to the lower part thereof and an opening 16 of regular shape is provided in the upper part of the raised portion 11.

The raised portion 11 may be of any suitable shape, such as frusto-conical as shown in Fig. 1A, dome-shape as shown in Fig. 1B, conical or pyramidal. In a modification as shown in Fig. 2 the raised portion 11 comprises the whole of the bottom 14, and no peripheral surround 13 is provided, the container 10 being supported off the ground by the lower edge of the upstanding peripherally continuous side wall. In a second embodiment, for a container 12 for multiplant culture, i.e. for germinating seeds or growing seedlings, and which is rectangular, a plurality of raised portions 11 is provided over the area of the bottom 17, a peripheral surround 18 being provided about each raised portion 11 to lie flat on the ground with other flat portions of the bottom 17. Openings 15 and 16 are provided in each raised portion 11 as described in the first embodiment.

In use of both embodiments, containers 10 and 12 are filled with a medium for seed genermination, or plant, bulb or seedling growing as required, and the seeds or plants, bulbs or seedlings are sown or planted respectively in the medium. It has been found that the openings 16 and slits 15 of such containers 10 and 12 do not clog. The containers 10 and 12 above-described have also been found to have a further advantage in that they have inherent self-watering properties due to the fact that condensation occurs on the outer surface of the or each raised portion 11, this condensation dripping down the surface to the slits 15 and thereby entering the container 10 or 12 to provide moisture for the medium, the condensation being caused by moisture being given up by the ground.The or each opening 16 enables the plant roots to benefit from the humid atmosphere created in the or each cavity defined by the or each raised portion 11 and the surface on which the container stands.

Also, if the containers 10 or 12 are located on a shelf in a house or glass-house, condensation still occurs, the moisture being taken from the atmosphere.

In a further modification (not shown) of the first embodiment, a plurality of raised portions 11 is provided, and in a modification of the second embodiment, only one raised portion 11 is provided. Also, in a further modification of the second embodiment, the bottom is fashioned so as to have no peripheral surrounds about the raised portions with openings.

A preferred plastics material for containers in accordance with the invention is one, trade-named Propathene, due to its insulation properties against extremes of both heat and cold.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A container of the type stated which is a unitary structure of plastics material and the bottom or at least one portion of the bottom of which is raised above the level of the lower edge of the side wall and openings in the form of slits parallel to the lower edge of the side wall are provided adjacent to the lower part of the raised bottom or of the or each raised portion of the bottom.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein an opening of regular shape is provided in the upper part of the raised bottom or of the or each raised portion of the bottom.

3. A container of the type stated substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1A of the accompanying drawing.

4. A container of the type stated substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1B of the accompanying drawing.

5. A container of the type stated substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawing.

6. A container of the type stated substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawing.

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

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. a plurality of raised portions 11 is provided over the area of the bottom 17, a peripheral surround 18 being provided about each raised portion 11 to lie flat on the ground with other flat portions of the bottom 17. Openings 15 and 16 are provided in each raised portion 11 as described in the first embodiment. In use of both embodiments, containers 10 and 12 are filled with a medium for seed genermination, or plant, bulb or seedling growing as required, and the seeds or plants, bulbs or seedlings are sown or planted respectively in the medium. It has been found that the openings 16 and slits 15 of such containers 10 and 12 do not clog. The containers 10 and 12 above-described have also been found to have a further advantage in that they have inherent self-watering properties due to the fact that condensation occurs on the outer surface of the or each raised portion 11, this condensation dripping down the surface to the slits 15 and thereby entering the container 10 or 12 to provide moisture for the medium, the condensation being caused by moisture being given up by the ground.The or each opening 16 enables the plant roots to benefit from the humid atmosphere created in the or each cavity defined by the or each raised portion 11 and the surface on which the container stands. Also, if the containers 10 or 12 are located on a shelf in a house or glass-house, condensation still occurs, the moisture being taken from the atmosphere. In a further modification (not shown) of the first embodiment, a plurality of raised portions 11 is provided, and in a modification of the second embodiment, only one raised portion 11 is provided. Also, in a further modification of the second embodiment, the bottom is fashioned so as to have no peripheral surrounds about the raised portions with openings. A preferred plastics material for containers in accordance with the invention is one, trade-named Propathene, due to its insulation properties against extremes of both heat and cold. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A container of the type stated which is a unitary structure of plastics material and the bottom or at least one portion of the bottom of which is raised above the level of the lower edge of the side wall and openings in the form of slits parallel to the lower edge of the side wall are provided adjacent to the lower part of the raised bottom or of the or each raised portion of the bottom.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein an opening of regular shape is provided in the upper part of the raised bottom or of the or each raised portion of the bottom.

3. A container of the type stated substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1A of the accompanying drawing.

4. A container of the type stated substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1B of the accompanying drawing.

5. A container of the type stated substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawing.

6. A container of the type stated substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawing.