CA2235777A1 - Growing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A horizontal, multi-tiered growing apparatus (11) that supports a plurality of ducts (14). Each duct (14) has a set of openings (17) for supporting containers (35) that hold plants (38) and growing media (41). The ducts (14) are supported from a set of support poles (20) having support brackets (29). The ducts (14) are disposed in vertically spaced apart relation from each other. A pump (56) conveys water and nutrients to each plant (38) through drip tape emitters (44) disposed above each container (35). The water and nutrients flow through the emitters (44) into the growing media (41) in the containers (35). The unabsorbed fluids pass through an opening (47) in the containers (35) into the duct (14) for disposal or recycling. The horizontal, multi-tiered arrangement maximizes the yield of strawberry daughter plants and other crops. The arrangement also utilizes space efficiently and organizes the plants for the performance of crop maintenance tasks.

Description

File No.: 2322-1-001 GROWING APPARATUS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for commercial production and growing of plants.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the commercial production of plants, such as strawberry plants, it is desirable to maximize the yield of individual plants for sale by harvesting offshoots or "daughter" plants from a mature strawberry plant or ~'mother" plant. For the purposes of illustration only, strawberries will be discussed. Other plants such as tomatoes, onions, herbs, lettuce, beans and cumbers can also be grown in the apparatus.
One traditional way of producing daughter plants is to allow the mother plant to grow multiple daughter plants over the course of the growing season in a plastic mulch bed and then to have the daughter plants harvested by hand. In order to harvest the daughter plants, CA 0223~777 1998-04-24 laborers typically walk by each plant and bend over to remove the daughter plants. After the daughter plants are harvested, they are graded and sorted by size.

Large scale attempts at daughter plant production have primarily focused on using raised beds in outdoor fields. Some small scale attempts at strawberry plant and fruit production have focused on multi-tiered structures. The structures are designed for supporting strawberry plants vertically with individual plants positioned above other plants to increase the number of plants that can be grown in a given area. One such system is the Gro-Max system, available from Verti-Gro in Kissimmee, Florida, which involves suspending stacks of Styrofoam pots around a central support pole. The individual pots hold up to four plants and are stacked one above the other in the vertical direction. Water and nutrients are injected at the top of the stack of pots and flow down through holes in the bottom of each pot to the next lower pot under the force of gravity. The Gro-Max system is used primarily for strawberry fruit production and is not completely satisfactory for daughter plant production, because the stacking of the plants around a vertical pole results in plants on one side of the pole receiving less light than plants on the other side. Also, the CA 0223~777 1998-04-24 arrangement of the pots vertically around the circumference of the vertical pole makes tending to the plants and harvesting the plants difficult. Because of its design the Grow Max system requires the laborer to work around in a circle which can lead to confusion and S even disorientation that can result in neglect of some of the plants during the execution of work tasks.

The pots on the Gro-Max system are permanently attached to the apparatus and therefore, planting and removal of the individual strawberry plants is required to introduce the plants to the system and to remove the plants. Another drawback to the Gro-Max system is that the harvesting of daughter plants in the system is difficult because of the tendency of the daughter plants to hang down into and become intertwined with the plants positioned below. With the daughter plants tangled with other plants, it is difficult to remove the daughter plants without missing or damaging them.

Another growing apparatus that has been used for strawberry plants is a hanging bag system. The bags have slots for insertion of individual strawberry plants. The bags are supported next to each other in rows from a horizontal pole. In this manner multiple rows of the bags can be stacked above one another by hanging them from higher poles.

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CA 0223~777 1998-04-24 Each side of the bag has openings for ten plants. The bags suffer from some of the drawbacks of the Gro-Max system including the fact that light is blocked by the bag and one side of the bag receives more light than the other side. Also, the bag blocks the growth of the daughter plants and causes them to grow into the plants positioned below them making them more difficult to h~rvest.

Multi-tiered growing apparatus have also been used in the area of hydroponics. In hydroponics, the plants are placed in sterile media and the roots are fed by a nutrient rich liquid. Without receiving nutrients from a growing media, the hydroponic systems rely exclusively on the liquid nutrients. It is customary in these systems for the liquids to be delivered to the roots of the plants through ducts.

One such hydroponic system is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,255,896 issued to Carl. The system provides a set of ducts for piping nutrients to the roots of the plants. Each duct has several openings for placement of Styrofoam cups. The cups hold a sterile media along with the individual plants. Openings in the bottom of the cups allow the roots to extend into the nutrient filled liquid. The system is not particularly well suited for the commercial production of strawberry plug plants for several reasons. First, with a sterile media in the cups, , .. , .. . , . _ , ., CA 0223~777 1998-04-24 it is critical that the roots of the plants extend far enough toward the bottom of the cup and into the ductwork to receive the nutrients or the plant will die. In the case of cuttings or seedlings, they have to be grown somewhere else until they are of a sufficient size to survive in s the sterile media in the system. Accordingly, the system does not readily accommodate immature plants. Also, the plants may need to be repotted yet another time in order to prepare them for sale because they are not in condition to be transported as their roots are massed and there is no soil to provide nutrients to the plants during shipping.

~lso, in the hydroponic system the liquid that contains the nutrients flows through the entire system and passes through the roots of several plants. With the same liquids encountering all of the plants diseases can easily be spread across the crop.

The hydroponic system requires that a relatively large volume of liquids pass through the ducts because the plants do not receive any nutrients from the media in the containers. The amount of liquid to be supported and the number of vertical tiers affects the stability of the apparatus which may become top heavy. Also, the hydroponic system requires a certain level of liquid within the ducts so that the roots are exposed to enough liquid. In order to maintain this level of fluid, the :.., ; :
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.' . , CA 0223=,777 1998-04-24 ducts must be approximately level so that each plant is exposed to the same amount of liquid for uniform growth in the system. This requirement can lead to installation problems especially in outdoor environments where the terrain is uneven. Another drawback to the system is that the liquids are usually pumped through a closed loop with the liquid entering the system at the top and flowing down through the system with the aid of gravity. In this manner, the plants at the bottom of the system may receive a lower concentration of nutrients than the plants at the top of the system because of nutrient absorption by the top level plants causing poorer growth of plants further away from the source of the fluids.

What is needed is a vertically supported, multi-tiered growing apparatus that accommodates all plants in separate containers, that maximizes the light and air flow around the individual plants, that increases the yield of strawberry daughter plants while making them easier to harvest, and that eliminates the drawbacks to the hydroponic systems. Such a system would provide a generally equal level of nutrients to all plants growing in the system, regardless of location.

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CA 0223~777 1998-04-24 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves the above described problems by providing an apparatus having a plurality of horizontally disposed ducts capable of holding individual containers for plants. The ducts are capable of being supported vertically in a multi-tiered configuration.

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a plurality of ducts having openings that are spaced apart along the length of each duct. The openings are sized to be capable of receiving standard planting pots of the variety that are typically sold at nurseries. The ducts are supported horizontally and arranged in a parallel multi-tiered vertical configuration by support brackets. The support brackets are J-shaped and attached to a set of support poles that provide support for the brackets. The brackets support the ducts at predetermined positions along the span of the ducts. The support brackets are positioned on each side of the poles and at differing heights along each pole. In this manner, the ducts can be supported in pairs back to back and above and below other pairs of ducts. Alternatively, the ducts can be staggered or spaced in different configurations depending ~'!' ,, . . ' .
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CA 0223~777 1998-04-24 on the system design by mounting the brackets to the support poles according to the desired spacing design.

The individual pots can hold a growing media and a plant and typically have at least one drainage hole at tlle bottom to allow excess, unabsorbed liquids to escape. The pots are sized to fit partially inside the ducts by being inserted into the duct openings.

The ducts are installed at a slope from the horizontal along their longitudinal axis in order to provide for flow of unabsorbed liquids inside the ducts from one end of the duct to the other end of the duct for disposal or recycling.

The system also includes a drip tape for delivering liquid and nutrients into the individual pots from a central fluid reservoir or source. The liquid and nutrients are conveyed to the drip tape by a pump. The pump can convey liquid to all of the tiers of the apparatus simultaneously during interrnittent periods or the pump can be made to cycle between the individual tiers of the system.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-tiered horizontal growing system to achieve an efficient plant production per unit area.

. .; ; . - .. , CA 0223~777 1998-04-24 It is also an object of the present invention to provide a growing apparatus that provides even exposure to light and air flow for proper growth of daughter plants.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a multi-tiered growing apparatus that accepts standard plastic pots of the type commonly used for retail sale of individual plants.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a systern that irrigates each plant individually in the most efficient manner possible so as to conserve water and nutrients and prevent the spread of disease.

A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a multi-tiered growing system that provides easy access for harvesting and tending to strawberry daughter plants.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an irrigation system for applying water and nutrients approximately equally to individual potted plants in a plurality of horizontally disposed elongate ducts arranged in a multi-tiered vertical system.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description of ~ .. ~ . . .. ....... . .. .. .. .

CA 0223~777 1998-04-24 embodiments of the invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is illustrated in the drawings in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throug11out the figures of which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of the present invention showing a partial view of the individual plants and the drip emitting tape;

Fig. 2 is a first side elevation view of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a second side elevation view of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a detailed side view of one of the growing positions on the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the present invention; and, Fig. 6 is a schematic perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention.

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CA 0223~777 1998-04-24 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is discussed with regard to strawberry plants, but can be readily adapted to be used for growing tomatoes, onions, herbs, lettuce, beans, cucumbers and the like. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a growing apparatus 11 comprises a plurality of ducts 14 having a set of openings 17 that are spaced longitudinally along each duct 14.
The ducts 14 may be constructed of any material suitable for conveying irrigation liquids, such as, but not limited to clay, g!ass, plastic, wood, metal, bamboo or other naturally occurring hollow tube-like structure, and the like. The preferred material for growing strawberry plug plants is commercially available 4 inch diameter PVC
tubing, which is lightweight, durable and easier to cut than metal tubing. The ducts 14 are suspended from support poles 20 which are preferably constmcted of a mild steel tubing such as that typically used for metal fences. The support poles 20 are preferably fixedly mounted in the ground at a predetermined distance from the surface with concrete footings (not shown). Alternatively, the support poles could be freestanding and portable should the user ever need to move the apparatus. The support pole 20 is preferably configured to support "''~ ' ' ' CA 0223~777 1998-04-24 pairs of elongate ducts 14 in back-to-back fashion. Each pair of ducts 14 is disposed in a vertically spaced apart relation with respect to the other pairs of ducts 14. The support poles 20 are connected to each other by a cross member 23 that attaches at the top of each pole 20 s through a support loop 26. The cross member 23 is also constructed of mild steel tubing and provides stability to the system. For even greater stability, adjacent rows of the growing apparatus 11 can also be tied together by extra support members (not shown). However, the system does not require a great deal of extra support because the ducts 14 are made of lightweight material, do not carry a significant volume of fluids, and are positioned to counterbalance each other. In outdoor installations, extra support may be desirable when wind conditions are introduced.

The ducts 14 are supported from the support poles 20 by a set of lS brackets 29. The brackets 29 attach to the support poles 20 by mechanical fasteners 30 and are J-shaped in order to forrn a cradle to hold the duct 14. The duct 14 rests in the curved portion 31 of the bracket 29 (best shown in Fig. 4). In order to stabilize the ducts 14, which tend to rotate in the curved brackets 29 when the weight of the plant creates torque, a set of fasteners 32 are positioned on alternating . .. ,. _. ....~
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. ,, ,, . ~ . , , CA 0223~777 1998-04-24 brackets 29. The fasteners 32 are preferably of the self-tapping screw type that pass through the bracket 29 and into the duct 14 to hold the duct in place. It is to be understood by those skilled in the art that other means for attaching the ducts 14 to the brackets 29 would work S equally as well. The ducts 14 are preferably sloped along their longitudinal axis in order to provide for fluid flow inside the ducts 14 from one end 33 to the other end 34 of the duct 14.

A set of containers 35 are sized to fit into the openings 17 in the ducts 14 and to hold a plant 38 and a growing media 41. The container 35 holding the plant 38 and the growing media 41 extends into the duct 14 through the opening 17. ~ecause the plant 38 is fed water and nutrients from above the plant surface into the growing media 41, the distance that the container 35 extends into the duct 14 is not critical.
The containers 35 are preferably standard four inch plastic pots similar to pots that are used for the retail sale of small plants. It is to be understood that four inch pots are preferred for strawberries and that other pot sizes and shapes can be substituted for smaller or larger systems to accommodate other plants.

The plants 38 are spaced along the longitudinal axis of the ducts 14 according to the spacing of the openings 17. Each pair of rows of .
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CA 0223~777 1998-04-24 ducts 14 is also spaced apart from the ducts 14 positioned above and below it. For strawberry plants the appropriate vertical spacing between rows of ducts 14 is approximately eighteen inches, but for crops consisting of larger plants the spacing would be increased. In this manner, the entire plant 38 can receive light without any major obstructions.

The plants 38 require that their growing media 41 be irrigated and drained for proper growth. In order to deliver liquid and nutrients to the growing media 41 in each container 35, the growing apparatus 11 preferably includes a drip tape emitter 44. The emitter 44 is a pressure compensating low rate drip tape that is widely available and well lcnown to those skilled in irrigation. The drip tape of the present invention is preferably T-Tape brand which is widely available from irrigation supply companies. The drip emitter 44 is designed for low rate emission of fluids. The emitter 44 delivers liquid to each container 35 individually in low rate, precisely delivered quantities.
-The end of the drip tape emitter 44 is fixedly attached to the end of the duct 14 to hold the emitter 44 in position. The attachrrlent is preferably made by threading the drip tape 44 through an eye hook 49 that is attached to the end of the duct 14, as shown in Fig. 4. After the 14 ,, .. ., .~,, ~ . . .
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CA 0223~777 1998-04-24 emitter is threaded through the hook 49, the end is tiecl off on the eye hook 49. As an alternative, irrigation of the plant 38 could be accomplished by other means known to those skilled in the art such as by dripper heads or other emitters capable of delivering fluids to the S individual containers 35. A much less preferred alternative would be spr~y heads.

The fluids that are delivered to the apparatus 11 by the drip tape emitter 44 and that pass through the growing media 41 into the duct 14 can be recovered from the lower end 33 of the duct 14 by a cover 50 having a tube stub 51 attached thereto (best shown in Fig. 4). The tube stub 51 connects to a hose 53 at the end of each of the ducts 14.
The unabsorbed fluids from the ducts 14 can be removed through hose 53 and discarded or recycled. It is preferable to discard the unabsorbed liquids in order to eliminate the possibility of cross lS contamination and the spread of diseases from recycled liquids.
However, if recycling is required, there are systems available for treating (e.g., ultraviolet radiation, filtration with activated charcoal, and/or HEPA filters) the liquids before reusing them.

The drip tape emitters 44 for each duct 14 are fed by a pump 56 for conveying liquids. The pump 56 conveys the liquids to the drip tapes .... ..
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CA 0223~777 1998-04-24 44 through a set of tubing 59, a pressure regulator 60, and a manifold 62. The pressure regulator of the present invention is available from Nelson irrigation in Walla Walla, Washington. The tubing 59 connects to the pressure regulator 60 which reduces the pressure from approximately 50-60 p.s.i. to 10 p.s.i. Fluid pressure in the drip tape emitters 44 is built up from the bottom of the manifold 62 to the top of the manifold G2. It is to be understood by those skilled in the art that through different duct layouts and control methods (e.g., timers, logic circuits and sensors), the delivery of the liquid to the drip tape emitters 44 can be altered. For example, the system can be designed to deliver fluid to different banks of ducts 14 through different manifolds. Also, the fluids can be delivered to individual ducts 14 at different times or to deliver fluids to all of the ducts 14 at the same time depending on the size of the pump 59 and the design of the control system. As an alternative, the system could be designed to deliver fluids in response to humidity,- water level, pH or nutrient composition sensing means. Thus, as is known to those skilled in the art, the delivery of the fluid to the individual containers can be accomplished in numerous ways depending on the design of the manifolds and the size and controls associated with the pump 56.

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The growing apparatus 11 is preferably equipped with a tube 63 extending the length of the duct 14 and resting on the bottom of the interior for circulating a heated liquid through the ducts 14 in order to provide heat to the root system.

S In operation, the plants 38 are planted into the containers 35 and the containers 35 are placed into the openings 17 in the ducts 14. It is intended that the plants 38 that are introduced into the growing apparatus 11 be rooted only once during the entire growing process.
By using standard planting pots, the plants 38 may be initially grown outside of the growing apparatus 11 in the same containers 35 that will eventually be placed into the growing apparatus 11. After the plants 38 have grown sufficiently outside of the system, such as in the case of seedlings or cuttings, the containers 35 can be placed into the growing apparatus 11 without the need for any transplant.

lS Once the plants 38 are positioned in the apparatus 11, the pump 56 conveys water and nutrients individually to the containers 35 in each duct 14. The water and nutrients are delivered into the top of each container 35 by the drip emitters 44. In this manner each container 35 is delivered approximately the same amount of water and nutrients and there is no cross contamination of the fluids between the CA 0223~777 1998-04-24 individual containers 35. Depending on the configuration of the pump 56 and controls, the water and nutrients can be delivered to the ducts 14 simultaneously or in alternating fashion at predetermined intervals.
Water and nutrients that are not absorbed by the growing media 41 in s the container 35 will pass through the openings 47 at the bottom of the container 35 into the duct 14. Due to the slope of the ducts 14 along the longitudinal axis, the unabsorbed liquids will flow from one end 34 of the duct 14 to the other end 33 where they are collected for disposal or recycling.

lo After the plant 38 has been in the apparatus 11 long enough for it to be ready to be sold, the entire container 35 can be removed from the growing apparatus l l. In this manner the plant 38 can be sold without ever having to remove it from the container 35. Not having to uproot the plant 38 saves time and eliminates the possibility of darnage to the lS plant 38 during uprooting. Also, the ability to have the plant 38 packaged in this manner gives the plant producer flexibility as the plant 38 is always in condition for immediate individual sale.

The apparatus 11 of the present invention provides several advantages over what has been previously known in the art. The apparatus 11 provides excellent growing conditions for a large number of plants per .~ ,., ,. .;,. .
~ - t - ; !; , CA 0223~777 1998-04-24 unit of growing space. The system was designed for the production of strawberry plug plants but also may be used for growing a variety of other small crops. The fact that each plant 38 receives its own nutrients and water from a drip emitter 44 ensures that each plant 38 S receives only the water and nutrients that it needs and that diseases are not spread through contact of the same water and nutrients by several plants 38.

Also, by drip emitting the liquids into each container 35 individually, at the same time and in the same concentration, the amount of water and nutrients needed by each plant 38 can be delivered without losses due to overspray, runoff, and nutrient absorption by plants up-stream.
In this manner, the liquids are conserved. Drip emission of the fluids is preferred over spraying because spraying liquids moistens the foliage which is not as important as delivering liquids to the growing lS media 41 and which can result in foliar diseases. Also, sprayed liquids tend to splash from plant to plant which can transfer spores or mold from one plant to another.

Further, by drip emitting fluid containing w~ter and nutrients into the individual containers 35, the spread of disease can be curtailed very quickly by simply removing the container 35 with the diseased plant ... ,,, . , . . . _ , . . . . .
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CA 0223~777 1998-04-24 38 from the opening 17 in the growing apparatus 11. In a typical field or spray irrigation setting, the fluids splash from plant to plant and disease can be spread. In the hydroponic system, the same fluids are cycled through the entire duct system and come in contact with all of S the plants which can spread disease.

The positioning of the plants 38 in the apparatus 11 improves the production of "daughter" plants. Daughter plants are shoots th~t extend from a "mother" plant that can be cut and rooted. In the production of strawberry plug plants, daughter plant production is very important as the yield of daughter plants is key to maximizing the yield from a given crop. By spacing the rows of ducts 14 vertically, the daughter plants have space to grow out of the mother plant and to hang to the side and below the mother plant. With the daughter plants hanging to the side and below the mother plant, they can be easily recognized and harvested by the person tending the crop.
In fact, the linear design and the spacing of the plants 38 in the growing apparatus 11 make all of the tasks required for the maintenance of the crop easier. For instance, the layout of the growing apparatus l l reduces the amount of bending over required for tending to the crop, and the linear orientation of the apparatus 11 makes it , CA 0223~777 1998-04-24 easier to keep track of the plants 38 that have already received whatever care is being administered. Also, the positioning of the containers 35 in the ducts 14 provides support in a manner that minimizes obstruction of sunlight from the plants 38.

The system can deliver water and nutrients to all of the ducts 14 at once or can sequence from one duct 14 to another in alternating fashion, which might be useful if different plants are being grown in different rows, or if different age plants are being grown in different rows, requiring different nutrient compositions.

lo The present invention is also economical as it uses standardized growing containers 35 as elements of the invention and therefore, the system can easily accommodate existing containers and can accept plants in these containers without requiring a transplant. At the end of the growing process, the plants 38 can be removed from the system quiclcly and easily for individual retail sale or for disposal.

The invention provides advantages for growing seedlings or cuttings because these immature plants can be rooted in the soil in standard containers 35 and then placed into the system without any transplanting required.

CA 0223~777 1998-04-24 The present invention provides a structure that is cost effective and easy to build and that does not require heavy duty supports or bracing.
The ducts are made of lightweight material that counterbalance each other and that do not carry large volumes of liquid. The only bracing suggested for indoor installations is a single cross member that ties all of the support poles together through a loop at the top. For outdoor installations where wind forces may be greater, additional support may be preferable but is not required.

The addition of a tube for circulating heating liquids inside the ducts 14 improves the heating efficiency of the apparatus 11. During the winter and at other times of the year in certain geographical locations, nighttime temperatures get lower and supplemental heating of the greenhouse is required. It is well known that soil temperatures below 60~-65~ F retard plant growth. It is also well known that for most commercial crops maintaining the air temperature around the foliage is much less important than maintaining the soil temperature. By conveying a heated liquid, such as water or oil, through the tube 63, the tube 63 warms and radiant heat is supplied to the roots of the plants in an efficient manner. In particular, it is more cost efficient to raise the temperatures inside the ducts 14 than to raise the temperature : ., .~ ' : ,"
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CA 0223~777 1998-04-24 of an entire greenhouse. The tube 63 can be supplied with a heated liquid from a heat/pump apparatus 66 (not shown) that would heat the liquid and then pump the liquid through a closed loop circulating system as is commercially available and well known to those skilled in the art.

Referring to Fig. 6, as an alternative embodiment for outdoor situations where space is not at a premium, the apparatus 11 could be built for ground support of all of the ducts 14 in substantially parallel spaced apart rows. In this alternative embodiment of the invention the support poles 20 are eliminated. Rather, the ducts 14 lie on the ground in rows. Otherwise, all of the elements of the system are substantially the same as described previously. This alternative embodiment might be more practical and economical in some outdoor installations.

While the invention has been described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular forms set forth, but, on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

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Claims (19)

1. An apparatus for growing plants, comprising:

a) a plurality of elongate ducts each having a first end and a second end, and each having at least one opening spaced between the first and second ends;

b) a plurality of containers for supporting a plant and a growing media capable of being disposed inside the at least one opening;

c) means for delivering liquid to the plant and growing media; and d) means for conveying liquid to the delivery means.

2. The apparatus of Claim 1, further comprising a tube for conveying heated liquids disposed inside the plurality of ducts.

3. The apparatus of Claim 1, further comprising means for supporting and maintaining the plurality of ducts in a spaced apart relationship.

4. The apparatus of Claim 3, wherein the delivery means comprises a plurality of drip emitters connected to a hose.

5. The apparatus of Claim 3, wherein the delivery means comprises a drip tape connected to a manifold, the drip tape having a plurality of emitting holes.

6. The apparatus of Claim 3, wherein the delivery means comprises at least one dripper head connected to a manifold.

7. The apparatus of Claim 3, wherein the support means supports the plurality of ducts at a predetermined slope from the horizontal.

8. The apparatus of Claim 3, wherein the support means supports the plurality of ducts in a substantially parallel, spaced apart relation.

9. The apparatus of Claim 3, wherein the support means supports the plurality of ducts in pairs, each pair of ducts disposed horizontally and in vertically spaced apart relation with the other pairs.

10. The apparatus of Claim 3, wherein the support means further comprises:

a) a plurality of J-shaped support members supporting the ducts along the lengths of each of the ducts;

b) a plurality of support poles connected to and supporting the support members; and c) a stabilizing bar attached to the top of each of the support poles.

11. The apparatus of Claim 3, wherein the plurality of elongate ducts have at least one cover at one end of each of the ducts, the cover having an adapter attached thereto.

12. The apparatus of Claim 11, further comprising a return line connected to the adapter on each of the ducts.

13. The apparatus of Claim 3, wherein the container is substantially cylindrical and has a top open end and a bottom end, the bottom end having at least one aperture defined therein.

14. The apparatus of Claim 3, further comprising means for sequencing control of the conveying means.

15. The apparatus of Claim 14, wherein the sequencing means comprises a relay control system.

16. The apparatus of Claim 14, wherein the sequencing means comprises a programmable microprocessor control system.

17. The apparatus of Claim 3, further comprising a tube for conveying heated liquids disposed inside the plurality of ducts.

18. An apparatus for growing plants, comprising:

a) a plurality of elongate ducts each having a first end and a second end, and each having at least one opening spaced between the first and second ends, the duct being sloped from the first end to the second end, the second end having a cover with at least one adapter disposed thereon;

b) a plurality of containers for supporting a plant and a growing media, the containers being substantially cylindrical and having a top open end and a bottom end, the bottom end having an aperture defined therein, the containers capable of being inserted into the at least one opening in the ducts;

c) a drip tape having a plurality of emitting holes, the drip tape attached to each duct and extending across the open end of each of the containers; and d) means for conveying liquid to the drip tapes.

19. The apparatus of Claim 18, further comprising:

a) a plurality of J-shaped support members supporting the plurality of elongated ducts along the lengths of each of the ducts, the support members supporting the ducts in substantially parallel, spaced apart relation;

b) a plurality of support poles connected to and supporting the support members; and c) a stabilizing bar attached to the top of each of the plurality of support poles.