CULTURE PLATE FOR THE ROOTING OF YOUNG PLANTS

PLATEAU DE CULTURE POUR L'ENRACINEMENT DE JEUNES PLANTS

English Abstract

In the case of a culture plate for the rooting of young plants with rows arranged in parallel with each other in order to accommodate pots oriented downwards with holes in the base of the pots and with a surrounding edge enclosing the culture plate, it is planned that the plate base is arranged in a deeper position in relation to the edge and that transversely directed grooves are provided in the plate base at a certain distance apart.

French Abstract

Dans le cas d'une plaque de culture pour l'enracinement de jeunes plants avec des rangées disposées en parallèle les uns avec les autres afin de s'adapter aux pots orientés vers le bas comportant des trous dans la base des pots et avec un bord renfermant la plaque de culture, il est prévu que la plaque de base est disposée dans une position plus basse par rapport au bord et que des rainures dirigées transversalement sont prévues dans la plaque de base à une certaine distance.

Claims

Claims:
1. A culture tray for young plants to take root in parallel rows to support
pots
oriented towards the base which have openings of a smaller diameter in their
base walls surrounding the culture tray, whereby the tray base is arranged at
a lower position in relation to the walls and transversely directed channels
at
predefinable distances apart from one another are arranged on the tray base,
whereby a multiplicity of pots, having top edges shaped in such a way that
they close the channels completely, are hooked in the parallel channels,
consisting or rows of pots, and that the channels located between two
adjacent areas of the tray base are part of the culture tray and, in
comparison
with the channels or the multiplicity of pots, are raised sloping to both
sides.
2. A culture tray according to claim 1, wherein said channels are arranged in
similar or dissimilar lengths.
3. A culture tray according to claim 2, wherein said channels are provided
with at
least one hole through which surplus water may flow into a water-collection
system.
4. A culture tray according to claim 3, wherein said housing base wall has
wall
sections defining a bottom wall for each of said channels and said pots are
provided with a bottom wall with at least one hole for the drainage of surplus
water wherein the pot bottom wall is spaced above the bottom wall of said
channels.
5. A culture tray according to claim 4, wherein said plant pots have top edges
defining open top ends and wherein said culture tray has ledges on which
said top edges of said pots are supported.
6. A culture tray according to claim 5, wherein said housing base wall has
sidewalls defining opposite walls of the channels which extend conically
downward and wherein said multiplicity of pots each have sidewalls which
also extend conically downward.
7

7. A culture according to claim 1, wherein the areas between said channels
with
parallel elevations have loops to support a roof strip.
8. A culture tray according to claim 7, wherein roof strips are intended to
cover
several channels.
9. A culture tray according to claim 1 wherein the areas between said channels
of the culture tray or the roof strips are generally convex.
10. A culture tray according to claim 9, wherein the different cross sections
can be
combined, preferably in different angles of inclination.
11. A culture tray according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said culture
trays are
provided and each include means for hooking together said trays in order to
effectively form one long row of culture trays.
12. A culture tray according to claim 11, wherein a plurality of culture trays
arranged in a row each comprise an open-top housing having a base wall and
a peripherally extending edge, said base wall defining a plurality of
transversely extending and spaced-apart channels which may accommodate
the multiplicity of plant pots, said housing base wall being arranged at a
lower
position in relation to said peripherally extending edge and said transversely
directed channels being provided in the housing base wall at predefinable
distances apart from one another wherein said channels are provided with at
least one hole through which surplus water may flow into a water-collection
system and wherein said housing-base wall has wall sections located
between two adjacent channels which are arranged in a pitched roof shape,
said row of culture trays including one starting tray, at least one center
tray,
and one end tray, each of said trays including a surrounding edge at least
particularly enclosing said tray and a multiplicity of plant pots arranged in
parallel rows, said plant pots having open top ends, and sidewalls depending
from said top ends which merge with a pot-bottom wall having a hole, and
means for hooking said culture trays to each other in a row.
8

13. A culture tray according to claim 12, wherein said means for hooking
includes
each of said trays having at least one trimmed end which is dimensioned and
configured to hook into a trimmed end of one of the other trays and wherein
said starting tray and said end tray have trimmed end sections at their
respective ends directed towards the row of culture trays and wherein at least
one center tray has trimmed ends on both of its ends whereby said starting
tray and said end tray can be hooked into said center tray on opposite ends
thereof and said center tray can be hooked on opposite ends into an adjacent
starting, center or end tray.
14. A culture tray according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said culture
trays are
provided and each include means for hooking together said trays in order to
effectively form one long row of culture trays.
15. A culture tray for the rooting of young plants in parallel rows in a
multiplicity of
plant pots, comprising:
a. an open top housing having a base wall and a peripherally extending
edge, said base wall defining a plurality of transversely extending and
spaced apart channels which may accommodate the multiplicity of
plant pots, said housing base wall being arranged at a lower position in
relation to said peripherally extending edge and said transversely
directed channels being provided in the housing base wall at
predefinable distances apart from one another wherein said channels
are provided with at least one hole through which surplus water may
flow into a water-collection system and wherein said housing base wall
has wall sections located between two adjacent channels which are
arranged in a pitched roof shape, wherein said multiplicity of plant pots
are arranged next to each other and supported in said channels.
16. A culture tray according to claim 15, wherein said plant pots have top
edges
defining open top ends and wherein said culture tray has ledges on which
said top edges of said pots are supported.
9

17.A culture tray according to claim 15, wherein said pots have top edges
which
are shaped and dimensioned to cover said channels completely.
18.A culture tray according to claim 15, wherein said housing base wall has
wall
sections defining a bottom wall for each of said channels and said pots are
provided with a bottom wall with at least one hole for the drainage of surplus
water which pot bottom wall is spaced above the bottom wall of said channels.
19. A culture tray according to claim 15, wherein said housing base wall has
wall
sections located between two adjacent channels which are arranged in a roof
shape.
20. A culture tray according to claim 15, wherein said housing base wall has
sidewalls defining opposite walls of the channels which extend conically
downwardly and wherein said multiplicity of pots each have sidewalls which
also extend conically downwardly.
21.A culture tray according to claim 16, wherein said top edges of said pots
each
has two flanges on opposite sides thereof which are supported on said
ledges.
22.A culture tray according to claim 15, wherein a plurality of said culture
trays
are provided and each include means for hooking together said trays in order
to effectively form one long row of culture trays.
23.An assembly of culture trays for the rooting of young plants, comprising:
a. ~a plurality of culture trays arranged in a row each comprising an open
top housing having a base wall and a peripherally extending edge, said
base wall defining a plurality of transversely extending and spaced-
apart channels which may accommodate the multiplicity of plant pots,
said housing base wall being arranged at a lower position in relation to
said peripherally extending edge and said transversely directed
channels being provided in the housing base wall at predefinable
distances apart from one another wherein said channels are provided

with at least one hole through which surplus water may flow into a
water-collection system and wherein said housing base wall has wall
sections located between two adjacent channels which are arranged in
a pitched roof shape,
b. ~said row of culture trays including one starting tray, at least one center
tray, and one end tray, each of said trays including a surrounding edge
at least particularly enclosing said tray and a multiplicity of plant pots
arranged in parallel rows, said plant pots having open top ends, and
sidewalls depending from said top ends which merge with a pot bottom
wall having a hole, and means for hooking said culture trays to each
other in a row.
24.An assembly of culture trays according to claim 23, wherein said means for
hooking includes each of said trays having at least one trimmed end which is
dimensioned and configured to hook into a trimmed end of one of the other
trays and wherein said starting tray and said end tray have trimmed end
sections at their respective ends directed towards the row of culture trays
and
wherein said at least one center tray has trimmed ends on both of its ends
whereby said starting tray and said end tray can be hooked into said center
tray on opposite ends thereof and said center tray can be hooked on opposite
ends into an adjacent starting, center or end tray.
11

Description

CA 02283546 1999-09-24
Cutture Plate for the Rootina of Youna PflantS
The Invention relates to a culture plate for the rooting of young plants with
rows
arranged in parallel with each other in order to accommodate pots oriented
downwards with holes in the base of the pots and with a surrounding edge
enclosing
the culture plate.
A well-known culture plate exhibits pot-like hollows or pots which are located
in rows
arranged in parallel with each other, are open at the top and have an opening
with a
smaller diameter in their base. The smaller opening in the base serves to
press the
balls of soil with root penetration, together with the young plant, out of the
pot-like
hollow trom the bottom and to allow surplus water to drain away. This culture
plate
has a rectangular shape and a surrounding edge.
Another culture plate well-known from EP 0 657 096 A1 has two supports in the
first
row Instead of the two outermost pots and, in the last row Instead of the two
second-outermost pots, two supports which are hollow, open at the bottom and
oriented upwards. In this case, the two second-outermost pots in the first row
are
each provided with one supporting ring on the base, the two outermost pots in
the
last row are each provided with one supporting ring on the base and one
centering
attachment is provided at the top end of each support. The supports exhibit an
opening in their walls pointing towards the culture plate. The supporting
rings on the
base of the two outermost pots and of the two second-outermost pots exhibit
lateral
recesses.
1

CA 02283546 1999-09-24
A great deal of water is required in order to water the plants In these well-
known
culture plates.
For various reasons, the objective is to minimize the consumption of water:
1. A high consumptlon of water has a negative Influence on the greenhouse
climate.
Diseases (above all, fungal diseases) are promoted by this.
2. Water is not always available in a sufffcient quantity, e.g. on Tenerife.
The invention Is based on the task of creating such a culture plate for which,
in
comparfson, very littie water is necessary for the watering of the plants.
According to the invention, this task Is solved by arranging the plate base In
a deeper
position In relation to the edge and by providing transversely directed
grooves In the
plate base at a predefinable distance apart.
The grooves are expediently provided with at least one hole through which the
surplus water flows into a water-collection system.
it is recommended that multiple pots arranged next to each other should be
suspended in the grooves.
The culture plate is expediently equipped with holder grooves in which the top
edge
of the multiple pots is supported.
Furthermore, the top edge of the multiple pots can be shaped in such a way
that it
closes the groove completely.
2

CA 02283546 1999-09-24
In further development of the invention, the multiple pots may be provided
with at
least one hole for the removal of the surplus water and may end above the base
of
the groove.
It is advantageous that those areas of the plate base of the culture plate
located
between two adjacent grooves can be formed in a roof shape so that the water
can
flow away to the grooves.
In further development of the invention, the opposite walls of the grooves may
run
downwards conically and the walls of the multiple pots may also run downwards
conically.
In this respect, those areas of the plate base located between two adjacent
grooves
are expediently formed In a roof shape.
Moreover, it is recommended that the culture piate should be formed in such a
way
that the multiple pots exhibit two flanges at the top which stick out on both
sides and
are supported in a holder groove.
It is particularly advantageous that several culture plates can be hooked
together in
order to form one longer row of culture plates.
Furthermore, the invention relates to a row of culture plates consisting of
several
culture plates for the rooting of young plants with rows arranged in parallel
with each
other in order to accommodate pots oriented downwards with holes in the base
of
the pots and with a surrounding edge enclosing the culture plate whereby the
culture
plates are hooked to each other.
In this respect, another thought of the invention is that the row of culture
plates
consists of one starting plate, at least one centre plate and one end plate.
3

CA 02283546 1999-09-24
In further development of the invention, it may be planned that the starting
plate is
trimmed at its end oriented towards the row of culture plates, that the end
plate is
also trimmed at its end directed towards the row of culture plates and that
the centre
plate is trimmed on both sides 1n such a way that the starting plate and the
end plate
can be hooked into the adjacent centre plate on one side and a centre plate
can be
hooked on both sides into the adjacent starting plate or into the adjacent end
plate
or into an adjacent centre plate.
4

CA 02283546 1999-09-24
The Invention is explained in greater detail below on the basis of a design
example
portrayed on the drawing. It shows
Fig. 1 an In-perspective representation of a row of culture plates, consisting
of
individuai culture plates hooked into each other,
Fig. 2 an in-perspective representation of the row of culture plates according
to Fig.
1 with individual culture plates arranged at a mutual distance apart and
Fig. 3 a longitudinal section through the row of culture plates along the line
III-III on
Figure 1 with one multiple pot.
The culture plate portrayed on the drawing is used for the rooting of young
plants.
Ttic row of culture plates portrayed on Figure 1 consists of one starting
plate 1, one
centre plate 2 and one end plate 3. The base of the row of culture plates
consists of
partial sections 4 to 11 which are formed in a roof shape and between which
grooves
12 to 18 are arranged. Moreover, a surrounding edge 19 to 26 is provided.
An example of the multiple pots is portrayed in the groove 13 - in this case,
consisting of 5 individual pots. An example with three individual pots is
portrayed in
groove 18. Multiple pots with 26 individual pots may be provided. The multiple
pots
27 and 28 have one flange 29 to 32 on each of the two sides with which they
are
supported in stepped shapes 33 and 34 at the top end of the walls forming the
grooves 18.
on Flgure 2, the row of culture plates portrayed on Figure 1 is portrayed when
the
Individual culture plates forming the row of culture plates are not hooked
into each
other. The same reference symbols are used here as on Figure 1. The starting
plate
1 is trimmed at its end facing the centre plate 2. Likewise, the centre plate
2 is
trimmed at its end facing the starting plate 1 whereby the two trimming
processes

CA 02283546 1999-09-24
are carried out in such a way that the outermost wall of the groove of the
starting
plate 1 projects over the outermost wall of the groove of the centre plate 2.
As a
result of this, both plates 1 and 2 are hooked with each other.
The end plate 3 is trimmed at its end 37 tacing the centre plate 2. Likewise,
the
centre plate 2 Is trimmed at its end 38 facing the end plate 3, i.e. in such a
way that
the wall 41 of the centre plate 2 projects over the wall 42 of the end plate
3. As a
result of this, both plates 2 and 3 are hooked with each other.
These conditions can be recognized easily on Figure 3. The wall 38 of the
starting
plate 1 projects over the wall 37 of the centre plate 2 whereby these walls
form a
part of the groove 14.
Multiple pots 27 are located in the groove 15 formed by the two walls 43 and
44. An
Intermediate space 47 is left between the bases 45 of the multiple pots 27 and
the
base 46 of the groove 15 so that the water emerging through the base opening
48 of
the multiple pots 27 can flow away in the lower area of the groove 15.
6
.._---~...

Representative Drawing