Plant husbandry – Plant irrigators and/or fertilizers – apparatus or method
Patent
1999-09-13
2000-08-29
Carone, Michael J.
Plant husbandry
Plant irrigators and/or fertilizers, apparatus or method
47 79, 47 81, A01G 2702, A01G 2706
Patent
active
061089702
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a guard to surround plants, particularly newly planted plants, which will not only protect the plant from the effects of physical damage but will also protect the plant from desiccation due to lack of water.
BACKGROUND ART
It is well known to provide newly planted plants, including seedling trees and shrubs, with a protective screen during its early formative growing period. Such plant screens are generally constructed to prevent the plant from being physically damaged by wind or other environmental factors such as being eaten by rodents and other animals or being trampled on by stock animals.
Such known plant guards are conventionally of two types. There are those in which the guard extends about only a part of the plant. Typically such guards are v-shaped and held in place by three vertically arranged stakes, one at each end and one at the apex. In such arrangements the apex of the guard is arranged to point into the direction of the expected prevailing wind to deflect the wind from the plant. The other principal type of plant guard are those that substantially completely surround the plant. Such guards may be circular, square or of any other desired cross sectional shape. They will normally a tube of a synthetic plastics material film held in place by three or more stakes driven into the ground inside the tube and spaced apart around the plant.
In the case of either of the known types of tree guard the guard serves only a part of the function of protecting the plant during its early post-planting life. The reason for this is that the plant is susceptible to a number of adverse environmental influences in addition to physical damage. There is desiccation which is a major problem while the plant establishes its root system, there is also the problem of weed competition. The tree guard to the type that completely surrounds the plant will to some extent shade out weed competition and protect the ground closely adjacent to the plant from drying out as rapidly as it otherwise might. None of the known tree guards, however address the fundamental problem of supplying water to the freshly planted plant during the first weeks and months after it is planted.
It is known to provide a water reservoir adjacent to a newly planted plant however such known reservoirs provide no protection against other environmental hazards as have been described above. The provision of water to newly planted trees and shrubs until they become established can be a substantial undertaking and represent a cost that is considerably greater than the initial cost of the plant.
Attempts have been made to conserve water through mulching of newly planted plants however such efforts only address the issue of the rate of water loss and not the application of water to the plant.
The present invention is designed to provide an alternative to known plant guards which are designed to enable plants to be more readily nurtured in the period after they have been planted.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In a first aspect the present invention is directed to a plant guard that may be used to deliver water to a plant adjacent to which the guard is positioned, the plant guard including a hollow tubular body, adapted to contain water, the body having a length, measured between two ends of the body or around its periphery if it is annular, a width, measured between a pair of spaced apart faces, and a height, measured between a lower edge and an upper edge, the height of the body being very much greater than the width of the body and being less than its length: means to permit the addition of water to the body adjacent its upper edge; and means adjacent the lower edge of the body to permit the delivery of water in a controlled manner from the body to a plant surrounded by the guard. the body being so formed that it may be maintained with its lower edge on the ground adjacent a plant and its faces rising substantially vertically from the ground by vertically extending supporting means and wherein the body is a
REFERENCES:
patent: 179297 (1876-06-01), Grader
patent: 2909328 (1959-10-01), Babyak
patent: 3206892 (1965-09-01), Telkes et al.
patent: 3337418 (1967-08-01), Halacy, Jr.
patent: 3361359 (1968-01-01), Chapin
patent: 3711992 (1973-01-01), Martin
patent: 3816959 (1974-06-01), Nalle, Jr.
patent: 4087938 (1978-05-01), Koch
patent: 4125963 (1978-11-01), Johnson
patent: 4267665 (1981-05-01), Wallace et al.
patent: 4268992 (1981-05-01), Sharf, Sr.
patent: 4336666 (1982-06-01), Caso
patent: 4711051 (1987-12-01), Fujimoto
patent: 4805324 (1989-02-01), Jenkins et al.
patent: 4821453 (1989-04-01), Morehead
patent: 4869018 (1989-09-01), Scales et al.
patent: 4901472 (1990-02-01), Donohue et al.
patent: 4961285 (1990-10-01), Jenkins et al.
patent: 5212905 (1993-05-01), Philoctete
patent: 5426887 (1995-06-01), Spencer et al.
patent: 5613320 (1997-03-01), Thomasson et al.
patent: 5809689 (1998-09-01), Mathur
Carone Michael J.
Nguyen Son T.
LandOfFree
Self-watering plant guard does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Self-watering plant guard, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Self-watering plant guard will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1236466