DE9206866U1 - Device for growing and maintaining plants with little or no self-sustaining capacity - Google Patents

Description

Description

The invention relates to a device for growing and maintaining plants with little or no self-sustaining ability.

Plants with little or no self-supporting capacity, such as so-called ground cover plants, are not able to grow upwards without external support. When keeping and growing such plants, such as fuchsias, one was therefore forced to tie the newly grown shoots to a trellis-like framework if the plant was to be guided upwards. This time-consuming and skill-requiring procedure is not viable in commercial plant cultivation, especially in the production of potted plants, for cost reasons. It was therefore necessary to use such plants with little or no self-supporting capacity only as ground cover or to plant them in high-hanging containers, such as so-called hanging baskets, from which they could hang down as they grew.

The aim of the present innovation is therefore to create a device that makes it possible to raise plants with little or no self-sustaining capacity during the cultivation period at low cost and with little effort, and to keep the plant in this state over long periods.

To solve the problem, a device for growing and maintaining plants with little or no self-sustaining ability is proposed according to claim 1. Preferred further developments of the innovation arise from the subclaims.

The device contains a hollow body formed by a preferably cylindrical tube which is provided with

has side openings.

In order to facilitate and speed up the planting process, the tube preferably contains means that enable the plant to be inserted easily. According to a particularly expedient design, the tube can be assembled from several parts, with the parts preferably being segments that run the entire length of the hollow body. The planting process, i.e. the insertion of the root ball, is particularly simple if the hollow body can be opened using a hinge that runs essentially in the direction of its longitudinal axis.

According to a preferred embodiment, the hollow body is provided with rectangular openings starting from one end area and with round or oval openings starting from the opposite end area, whereby the rectangular openings extend as far as the hollow body is later inserted into the substrate. The division of the openings into two differently designed types also simplifies precise and rapid positioning of the root ball when it is inserted into the hollow body. It has proven to be advantageous if the edges with longer edge lengths of the rectangular openings run essentially in the longitudinal direction of the hollow body and/or if the round or oval openings are provided in at least two sizes.

It is advisable for the part of the hollow body with rectangular openings to take up about 30% of the hollow body and the part of the hollow body with round or oval openings to take up about 70% of the hollow body. It is also advantageous if the largest free diameter of the round or oval openings is between 5 and 30 mm, preferably between 10 and 20 mm. It appears to be advantageous for growth if the round or oval openings are in two different sizes.

are provided, the diameter of the smaller openings being selected so that they fit into the wall area remaining between adjacent large openings in such a way that the wall parts remaining between the openings still form a stable, inherently rigid structure. According to an additional development of the invention, a preferably rounded bead area is attached to the upper edge of the hollow body during use, which supports the protruding shoots and prevents them from shearing off due to their own weight.

The hollow body is preferably designed as a circular cylindrical tube. It is particularly beneficial for growth if the hollow body is made of an opaque material, preferably plastic.

A transparent film that is attached to the inner wall of the hollow body and can be moved lengthwise relative to the inner wall makes it possible to ensure, by simply pulling it upwards, that at least the terminal shoot is guided in the hollow body during the growth phase.

If an opening is provided in the middle area of the hollow body through its side wall, the diameter of which corresponds to approximately half the diameter of the hollow body, a root ball that exceeds the diameter of the hollow body can also be planted in the substrate next to the hollow body, whereby the shoots of the plant can be introduced into the hollow body through this opening so that they can climb up inside it, with individual shoots emerging from the side openings and at least the terminal shoot emerging from the upper end opening.

According to a further development of the device, mounting means for the drives can be inserted into the openings

provided, which make it possible to provide support for shoots inside the hollow body, but especially for shoots on the outside of the hollow body, so that shoots can also be guided up the outside of the hollow body like a trellis.
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The holding means can preferably be inserted into the openings from the outside. The holding means advantageously contain areas which protrude outwards from the outer wall of the hollow body and serve to hold shoots of the plant on the outside of the hollow body and allow them to climb up there. The holding means are expediently detachable insert clips.

It is also advantageous if the holding means are resilient, as this makes them easier to insert and does not damage the plant. They are preferably made of plastic. The shape of the holding means is advantageously chosen such that the holding means have at least one circular segment-shaped part for receiving shoots and at least one angled end region for engaging in the openings. According to a preferred embodiment, the holding means are gamma-shaped or omega-shaped holding clamps.

This innovation allows the implementation of a method for growing and keeping plants with little or no self-supporting ability, in which shoots of at least one plant are guided inside a tubular hollow body and, as they grow, are led out through openings running through the sides of the tubular hollow body. The hollow body and its wall in the area of the exit opening give the plant the necessary support, whereby the openings running through the sides of the hollow body, which should take up as much of the side surface as possible, but only to the extent that the hollow body still has sufficient inherent rigidity and strength, also serve to support the

To supply the plant with at least some of the light it needs for growth. Preferably, the end shoots of the plant are led out of the tubular hollow body through an upper end opening so that after the cultivation phase they can hang out from there to the side and downwards. The shoots emerging through the side openings and the upper end opening largely or completely cover the hollow body so that it does not disturb the visual impression of the plant.

In the case of plants with a large root ball, according to one variant, the root ball of the plant is planted outside the tubular hollow body in a substrate and shoots are introduced into the hollow body through a side opening so that they can grow along its interior. According to another, particularly preferred variant, however, the root ball of the plant is planted inside the tubular hollow body.

It has also proven to be advantageous if, when using purely ground-covering plants, the hollow body is stored with its longitudinal axis essentially horizontally until shoots emerge from its end opening, after which the hollow body is brought into a position in which its longitudinal axis runs essentially vertically.

According to a special procedure, all of the plant’s shoots are initially guided inside the hollow body and, as they grow, are guided out of the hollow body through the side openings and, if necessary, the end opening. It is expedient for at least some of the shoots to be held on the outer wall of the hollow body after they emerge from the hollow body. According to an alternative procedure, at least some of the plant’s shoots are held on the outer wall of the hollow body. The shoots held on the outer wall of the hollow body are

Advantageously, they are attached using preferably elastic clamps which can be inserted into the openings from the outside. It is advisable to use clamps with a ring-segment-like area to enclose the shoots, which are provided with at least one angled end area.

The described gamma- or omega-shaped brackets, which are preferably made of plastic, have proven to be advantageous.

The hollow body is preferably fixed in the substrate with a substantially vertical longitudinal axis both in cases where it is stored vertically from the start of the planting period and in cases where ground cover is initially grown in the horizontally stored hollow body. This fixing of the hollow body in the substrate is expediently carried out by means of a free end region of the hollow body that protrudes beyond the lower end of the root ball and is preferably inserted into the substrate.

In order to ensure that the root ball is not hindered in its growth and that it is sufficiently ventilated and moistened, it is preferable to use a hollow body that has openings along its entire length. It has proven to be advantageous if the openings are rectangular in the area of the hollow body that is fixed in the substrate and round or oval in the area of the hollow body that protrudes above the substrate.

In order to prevent all or too many shoots from growing out of the first lateral openings, a suitable variant of the procedure involves placing a transparent film on the wall of the hollow body.

which prevents the shoots from growing out prematurely through the openings and can be pulled upwards as the plant grows, whereby the film preferably rests against the inner wall of the hollow body and can be pulled out of the hollow body via its end opening.

The enclosed schematic drawings of preferred embodiments and applications serve to further explain the innovation.
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Fig. 1 shows a vertical section of the rearing of a

Plant with little or no

Self-sustainability through the new

Device according to a first embodiment.

Fig. 2 shows in vertical section the cultivation of a plant with little or no self-sustaining ability using the device according to the invention according to a second

Example of implementation.

Fig. 3 shows in vertical section the use of the device according to the innovation in the cultivation of pure ground cover plants, whereby Fig. 3a shows a first

Vegetation phase and Fig. 3b represents the final vegetation phase.

Fig. 4 shows in perspective as an embodiment of the innovation

Device is a cylindrical tube with rectangular and circular lateral openings.

Fig. 5 shows in perspective as

Example of implementation of the new

Device is a cylindrical tube that can be opened lengthwise; for reasons of simplification, the lateral openings are not shown.
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Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of a further embodiment of the device according to the invention, a cylindrical tube which can be put together in the longitudinal direction from two pieces, whereby here too, for reasons of

In the simplified representation the side openings are not shown.

Fig. 7 shows a vertical section of another embodiment of the innovation, in which shoots of

at least one plant can also be held on the outside of a hollow body by means of clamps inserted into its openings.

Fig. 8 shows two clamps for use according to Fig. 7,

Fig. 8a shows a gamma-shaped bracket and Fig. 8b shows an omega-shaped bracket.

In the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1, a tube-like hollow body 1, which is preferably a circular cylindrical tube open at both ends, is inserted with its one end region 2 into a substrate 3, which can be, for example, potting soil, peat or expanded clay. The substrate 3 is located in a container 4, which is only shown in outline, e.g. a flower pot. The end region 2 reaches approximately to the bottom of the container 4. The hollow body 1 is inserted in such a way that its longitudinal center axis L-L runs essentially vertically, i.e.

perpendicular to the essentially horizontal substrate surface 5, whereby the interior of the hollow body 1 in the end region 2 also contains the substrate 3.

In the area of the hollow body 1, which in the inserted state is approximately flush with the substrate surface 5, the root ball 6 of a plant 7 with little or no self-supporting capacity is inserted.

The part la of the hollow body 1 extending from the top of the root ball 6 to the end region 2 is provided with openings 8 penetrating the side wall, which serve to allow roots to emerge into the substrate 3 during further growth of the plant 7 and the root ball 6 and to supply the roots located inside the hollow body with air and moisture.

The area Ib of the hollow body 1, which protrudes upwards above the substrate surface 5, has a large number of openings 10 through the side wall up to the upper end area 9, which serve to supply the plant 7 with air and light, even if the hollow body itself is opaque, and through which, in a later growth phase, when the shoots of the plant inside the hollow body 1 climb upwards, side shoots can emerge to the outside. At the beginning of the growth phase, which is shown in Fig. 1, the latter is prevented, however, by a light-permeable film tube 11, which covers the inner wall of the area Ib of the hollow body 1 and rests against it, and which, as indicated by the arrow A, can be pulled out upwards through the upper end opening 12 of the hollow body. This is preferably done in such a way that at least the terminal shoot of the plant is prevented from emerging through one of the lateral openings 10, so that it grows out of the end opening 12. The openings 10 are indicated by dots in the upper end area 9 of the hollow body, since they can be seen, at least in outline, through the film tube. For the sake of simplified representation, these

Openings are not shown, although they would be visible there too. The same applies to the representations in Fig. 2 and 3.

The second embodiment shown in Fig. 2 largely corresponds to that of Fig. 1 and corresponding parts are also provided with the same reference numerals.

However, the hollow body also contains a

Larger through hole 13 occupying substrate surface 5,

through which the shoots of a plant enter the interior of the

hollow body 1 when the root ball 6a of the

Plant is so large that it can be found inside the hollow body 1

would not find space, and therefore next to it in the

Substrate 3 is planted.

Fig. 3 shows a further application, especially for pure ground cover plants, which would not be able to climb upwards inside the hollow body 1 if the hollow body 1 were standing vertically. For this purpose, the plant 7b, as can be seen from Fig. 3a, is placed in the hollow body 1, as in the case of the example in Fig. 1, whereby the hollow body is, for example, stored on a flat support 14 essentially horizontally or only slightly rising towards the end region 9 until at least the terminal shoot of the plant has grown out of the opening 12. The hollow body is then erected with the plant growing in it and, as can be seen from Fig. 3b, inserted into the substrate 3.

The openings 8 and 10 can be designed the same or differently, whereby it is important to ensure that they take up as large an area of the wall surface of the hollow body 1 as possible. However, there are limits to this aim where a further increase in the area taken up by the openings 8 and/or 10 would reduce the structural strength of the hollow body too much.

so that, for example, when its lower end region la is inserted into the substrate 3, it would bend or deform.

Fig. 4 shows a preferred design of the openings 8 and 10. It can be seen that rectangular openings 8 are provided in the lower area la to be inserted into the substrate 3, with the longer edges 15 of the openings 8 being aligned in the direction of the longitudinal axis L-L of the hollow body. This design is particularly suitable for the root growth of plants with sensitive roots. In the area Ib of the hollow body that protrudes above the substrate surface 5, circular openings 10 are provided, with openings 10a with a large diameter taking up the larger part of the surface and additional smaller openings 10b preferably being provided in the areas between them. In a hollow body 1 with a diameter of 5 cm, for example, the larger holes 10a preferably have a diameter of 15 mm, the smaller ones a diameter of 10 mm. According to a further preferred design, the hollow body has circular openings over its entire longitudinal extent.

In order to make the introduction of the plants and the root ball into the hollow body 1 as simple as possible, the latter is preferably designed to be hinged, as shown in Fig. 5, or to be assembled from two longitudinal pieces, as shown in Fig. 6, wherein in both cases the openings 8 and 10 are omitted for the sake of simplicity.
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In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, the hollow body 1 consists of two half-shells 16 and 17, which can be folded apart via a longitudinally extending hinge 18a in order to insert the tubular film 11 and the plant 7 with root ball 6. Attached to the free ends of the half-shells 16 and 17 and connected to one another

Engaging elements 18b of a snap connection enable a secure closure of the hollow body 1 after the filling process described above.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, the lower area la of the hollow body 1 consists of a pipe section 19, which is provided with an outwardly projecting collar 21 just before its upper end 20. The outer diameter of the pipe section 19 corresponds to the inner diameter of a pipe section 22, which forms the upper area 1b of the hollow body, so that the pipe sections 19 and 22 can be plugged together after a plant with a root ball has been inserted into the top of the pipe section 19. This construction also allows the hollow body 1 to be extended as desired by plugging more than two pipe sections into one another; care is taken to ensure that the openings of the plugged-in pipe sections are aligned. For this type of application, it is therefore expedient to use pipe sections that have openings of the same shape and arrangement in the same way in the upper and lower areas.

Fig. 6 also shows a reinforcing bead 23 attached to the upper end of the hollow body 1, which limits the end opening 12 and prevents shoots hanging out of the end opening 12 from being sheared off at the edge of the hollow body 1, which without the reinforcing bead would only have a thickness corresponding to the material thickness of the hollow body.

Fig. 7 shows an additional embodiment variant in which the basic structure consisting of vessel 4, substrate 3 and hollow body 1 corresponds to that of Fig. 1, wherein the same parts are provided with the same reference numerals.

To avoid repetition, only the features that differ from those in Fig. 1 are described in detail below.

described. A plant 7 is planted inside the hollow body 1 with its root ball 6, the shoots of which climb upwards inside the hollow body 1. However, due to the lack of the foil 11 shown in Fig. 1, some shoots grow outwards through the openings 10 in the lower area of the hollow body 1, as can be seen from the left part of Fig. 7. These shoots are guided upwards on the outside of the hollow body 1 like a trellis, with the shoots being held in place by clips 24 which are detachably inserted into individual openings 10.

The clamps 24 are flexible and/or elastic and, when working together with the openings 10, allow shoots of plants 7b, which are planted outside the hollow body 1, as shown by the root ball 6a, to be guided upwards along the outside of the hollow body 1. In contrast to the illustration in Fig. 2, as shown in the right-hand part of Fig. 7, these shoots do not have to be introduced into the interior of the hollow body 1, even if in practice individual shoots will grow inwards by themselves. The hollow body 1 can therefore also serve as a pure trellis frame to which the shoots of plants 7b can be easily attached using the clamps 24, without a plant 7 climbing up inside the hollow body 1, as shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 8 shows two embodiments of clamps 24, each consisting of a ring-segment-shaped part 25 and at least one bent end region 26. Fig. 8a shows a clamp with a gamma-shaped profile and Fig. 8b shows a clamp with an omega-shaped profile.

Claims (1)

Paul Kirchner Pappelallee 5 D-8000 Munich 50 DIEHL GLAESER HILTL & PARTNER Patent Attorneys - European Patent Attorneys MUNICH■HAMBURG* Law firm/Office Munich
Flüggenstrasse 13 ■ D-8000 Munich Dr Hermann O. Th. Diehl ■ Graduate physicist Joachim W. Glaeser ■ Graduate engineer* Dr. Elmar HiItI ■ Graduate chemist Erich Burger ■ Graduate engineer 25 June 1992
K5739-DE DI/SZ Device for rearing and Keeping plants with low or lack of self-sufficiency mtffin sayings Device for growing and maintaining plants with little or no self-sustaining ability, characterized by a hollow body (1) which is formed by a preferably cylindrical tube which is provided with lateral openings (8, 10) and in particular makes it possible to guide shoots of at least one plant inside the hollow body and to guide them outwards via the openings (8, 10) as they grow. Device according to claim 1, characterized in. Telephone ■ Telephone (0 89) 17 70 61 -63 ■ (0 89) 1 78 43 00 Teleprinter ■ Telex -5 ?&Idigr;5 14.5 £eu3 ti / Telecopier · Facsimile (0 89) 1 78 40 33 ■ (0 89) 1 78 40 34 M:\TEXT\GBM\5739DEA2.TXT that the tube contains means (13;18a,18b;20,21) which enable easy insertion of the plant (6,7). 3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the pipe can be assembled from several parts (16,17;19,22). 4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the parts are segments (16, 17) extending over the entire length of the hollow body. 5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the hollow body can be opened via a hinge (18a) running essentially in the direction of its longitudinal axis. 6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the hollow body is provided with rectangular openings (8) starting from one end region (2) and with round or oval openings (10) starting from the opposite end region (9). 7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that of the rectangular openings (8) the edges (15) with a larger edge length run essentially in the longitudinal direction (LL) of the hollow body (1), and/or that the round or oval openings (10) are provided in at least two sizes (10a, 10b). 8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the part of the hollow body with rectangular openings (8) makes up about 30% and the part of the hollow body with round or oval openings (10) makes up about 70% of the hollow body, and/or that the largest free diameter of the round or oval openings (10) M:\TEXT\GBM\5739DEAB.TXT between 5 and 30 mm, preferably between 10 and 20 mm. 9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a bead region (23) is attached to the upper edge of the hollow body (1) during use, which supports the protruding shoots. 10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the hollow body (1) is designed as a circular cylindrical tube. 11. Device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the hollow body (1) consists of a translucent material, preferably plastic. 12. Device according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that a transparent film (H) is provided which rests on the inner wall of the hollow body and is longitudinally displaceable relative to the inner wall. 13. Device according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that in the middle region of the hollow body (1) there is provided an opening (13) passing through its side wall, the diameter of which preferably corresponds approximately to half the diameter of the hollow body (1). 14. Device according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that holding means (24) for the drives are provided which can be introduced into the openings (10). M:\TEXT\GBM\5739DEAB.TXT 15. Device according to claim 14, characterized in that the holding means (24) can be introduced into the openings (10) from the outside and have areas (25) which protrude outwards from the outer wall of the hollow body (1) and serve to hold shoots of the plant on the outside of the hollow body (1). 16. Device according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the holding means are detachable insert clamps (24). 17. Device according to one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that the holding means are resilient and preferably consist of plastic. 18. Device according to one of claims 14 to 17, characterized in that the holding means (24) have at least one circular segment-shaped part (25) for receiving the drive and at least one angled end region (26). 19. Device according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the holding means are gamma-shaped or omega-shaped holding clamps (24a, 24b). M:\TEXT\GBM\5739DEAB.TXT