GB2516049A

GB2516049A - Vertical flexible or rigid hanging or free standing planter

Info

Publication number: GB2516049A
Application number: GB201312294A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Neil Hawkins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-07-09
Filing date: 2013-07-09
Publication date: 2015-01-14
Also published as: GB201312294D0

Abstract

A vertical hanging or free standing planter comprises a tube C having apertures D marked on the outside of the tube. The tube may have a flexible net liner and the liner may have a plurality of open ended pockets attached to the inner surface thereof. A collar A having four holes may be positioned on the top of the planter (in use) and the inner circumference may have a U shaped trough which may be perorated with holes. A bowl E may be attached to the bottom of the tube by means of flexible clips with barbed ends.

Description

I

VERTICAL FLEXIBLE OR RIGID HANGING OR FREE STANDING PLANTER

This invention relates to a device that enables the planting and growing of plants in a compost filled, flexible net lined, vertical plastic sleeve, with water and plant food reservoirs at the top and bottom. Plant food pockets are provided on the inner liner.

The above enable the plants to receive a constant supply of nutrients and water throughout the unit. The unit can be used free standing or suspended.

There are many variants of vertical tube planters. Some are simple bags that when filled with a growing medium support the growth of plants. However when feeding or watering, the water and fertilizer escape out the bottom leaving the contents dry and without sufficient nutrients.

If a bowl is added at the bottom as in the case of some other vertical planters then this water is trapped but the contents and plants in the top half of the unit dry out. Other units have a receptacle that cover the top to hold water; this prevents the top from being planted and creates a bald' appearance when the unit is grown on. In all cases the top half section of the vertical planters to a larger degree and the bottom half to a lesser degree, suffer a dearth of fertilizer and water because they are leeched out and either lost out the bottom or trapped in the bowl, to the detriment of the plants.

Yet other vertical tube planters have a rigid outer tube where watering of the plants is achieved by connecting a hose pipe to one end and flushing water through. The same results of the compost drying out and nutrient loss, top and bottom persist, once the water has passed though the unit.

This invention will now be described by way of example and reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure I shows the plan elevation of the top collar and the four holes on the circumference to enable it to be suspended Figure2 shows the cross section AA of fig I showing the U shaped perforated water and plant food channel reservoir.

Fig 3 shows the outside side elevation of the top collar.

Fig 4 shows a cross section of BB of fig I showing the perforations to enable the water and plant nutrients to leak into the main body of the unit. It also shows the upturned lip that runs around the entire outside circumference of the collar.

Fig 5 shows the inner net liner and two of any number of open ended plant food pockets situated on the inside surface of the liner.

Fig 6 shows the inner net liner tube vertically opened and shows four of the open ended plant food pockets situated on the inside surface of the inner liner.

Fig 7.shows plan view of the net inner and showing the opened ended plant food pockets.

Fig 8 shows the outer plastic liner indicating any number of holes across its entire surface.

Fig 9 shows the outer plastic tube opened vertically and any number of holes across it entire surface Fig 10 shows the plan elevation indicating the 4 securing barbed clips and the inner plant food reservoir within the bottom reservoir.

Fig II shows the outside view of the bottom reservoir Fig 12 shows a section AA of the bottom reservoir indicating the centre plant food reservoir and the profile of the clips.

Fig 13 shows the plan elevation of the bottom collar Fig 14 shows the side view of the bottom collar Fig 15 shows the section AA of the bottom collar indicating the upturned lip that runs around the entire circumference of the collar Fig 16 shows the completed assembled unit.

To overcome these problems the present invention has a deep channel of any depth.

Fig I and fig 2 shows this, running around the inner circumference of a support collar at the top of the vertical planter as seen in fig 2 and 4 in which there are any number of holes of any size that enable the channel when filled with water and slow release or diluted liquid fertilizer to slowly release the contents into the top half of the vertical planter thus preventing it from drying out and becoming starved of fertilizer. This means of storing water at the top of the vertical planter does not interfere with planting the top of the unit with plants. Fig 3 shows the outside view of the collar Further to allow for the supply of fertilizer to the middle of the vertical planter there are provided opened pockets around the inner circumference of the net liner as seen in Fig 5, 6 and 7. in these pockets can be placed slow release fertilizer pellets, thus providing a constant source of fertilizer for the installed plants in the middle area of the vertical planter.

The outer plastic sleeve as seen in fig 8 and 9 has any number of circles and scissors marked on it through and in which plants are planted.

The water reservoir fig 10, plan shows the inner plant food reservoir including the four barbed securing clips. Fig 11 shows an outside view of the water reservoir. The assembled tube is secured in position by four barbed clips as can be seen in fig12 the cross section AA of fig 10. Plant food is placed in the inner perforated receptacle seen in Fig 10 and 12. This serves to provide fertilizer to the bottom half of the vertical planter.

The bottom end of the plastic outer tube and inner liner are secured to a collar as seen in Fig 13, 14 and 15, It is this collar, securing the bottom end of the plastic tube with its net liner that clips into the four barbed clips on the inner bottom surface of the water reservoir as seen in fig 10, 11 and 12.

The completely assembled unit fig 16 gives a very good idea as to the shap and potential application of the invention.

Fig 16 shows; A. the top collar with the top edge of the water and fertilizer reservoir showing.B. shows the holes for suspending the unit. C. shows the plastic tube within which is the net liner. D. shows the printed circles indicating where to cut out and plant. E. shows the bottom water reservoir within which is the fertilizer holding receptacle as seen in fig 10 and 12. Within the water reservoir and part of it are the four barbed hooks as seen in fig 10 and the profiles in 12.

In the event of the unit being filled with compost provision is allowed for the access of this medium via the top without hindrance. Further when planting the unit with plants it can be planted on the top surface of the unit without hindrance.

Watering can be achieved via the top of the unit with some of the water being trapped in the reservoir running around the circumference of the top collar and slowly released over time. While the rest of the water that is not captured can follow its normal route down to be held in the bottom reservoir The plants growing in the compost are kept supplied with a constant source of nutrients by way of the top collar water and fertilizer reservoir, the 4 or more fertilizer filled pockets halfway down the inside of the unit and attached to the net liner and the fertilizer filled reservoir in the centre of the bottom reservoir.

Thus this planter invention with the provisions outlined above, requires a lot less watering, feeding and maintenance than other similar units currently available.