A planting system

Abstract

A planting system 10 comprises a sheet of material 11 for planting in or on a planting area and a plant reproductive material 13, wherein the plant reproductive material is held in a pre-defined patte

Description

This invention relates to horticulture in general and more specifically to a planting system to simplify the planting process. This invention further relates to a planting process utilising the planting system. Gardening for some is merely a hobby, but for others it can be considered as a means to be self-sufficient by growing their own fruit and vegetables. In times of economic downturn, there is an increasing need to economise, and more and more people start to grow their own food. Not only can it cost far less to grow your own fruit and vegetables, but arguably home-grown produce tastes better. There are various factors which need to be taken into account when planning the layout of a garden area. The planting process conventionally involves the placement of plant seeds, bulbs, cuttings or corms into the ground. The choice of plants to be grown within close proximity to each other often requires consideration of the characteristic of the plants, including their environmental tolerances (e.g. to different conditions, such as sun, shade, moisture level). The choice of plants may need to be based upon their ability to germinate and grow at the same time of year or to germinate in succession as well as many other factors. For the novice gardener it can be difficult to know where to start. Even seasoned gardeners often require research and detailed consideration regarding the selection and placing of plants to be grown together. It is a principle aim of the present invention to provide a system which simplifies the planting process and addresses at least some of the aboveidentified issues. According to this invention, there is provided a planting system comprising: a sheet of material for planting in or on a planting area; and plant reproductive material, wherein the plant reproductive material is held in a pre-defined pattern by the sheet of material. According to a closely related aspect of the present invention there also comprises a planting process, comprising the following steps: selecting a sheet of material having plant reproductive material held thereto in a pre-defined pattern; and placing the sheet of material on or in a planting area. The planting process of the present invention utilises the planting system of the invention. As such, features of the process and system shall be discussed collectively and shall relate to both. The present invention is intended to replace or supplement the conventional planting process which requires careful planning, particularly regarding when and where the plant reproductive material of each individual plant is to be planted. The term “plant reproductive material” may refer to any material which, when planted, results in growth of a plant. Indeed, the plant reproductive material may comprise one or more of seeds, bulbs, corms, rhizomes, tubers and plant cuttings. The term “plant” as used herein should be construed as meaning anything which can be grown in a garden and includes flowers, shrubs, herbs, grasses, fruit and vegetables. The term “planting area” means an area which facilitates the germination and growth of plants; this includes but is not limited to soil, compost and manure. Preferably, the sheet of material holds pre-determined plant reproductive material in a pre-determined pattern. The plant reproductive material may be configured to develop into a plurality of types of plants which serve to complement each other. The type and arrangement of plant reproductive material on a sheet may be carefully selected during assembly of the system to produce the optimum range and thereby simplify the planting process. The pre-defined pattern of plant reproductive material may differ depending on the types of plants to be developed therefrom. Plant reproductive material may be selected based upon one or more of the following: - Whether they require similar environmental conditions, e.g. sunlight, shade, moisture etc. - Whether they will be capable of germinating and / or growing at the same time of the year or designed to germinate in succession. - Whether they have different root depths thereby extracting nutrients from different levels. - Whether it is desired to harvest rapid growers early and leave space for slower ones. - Whether some plants are required to deter insects or be sacrificial in order to protect the other plants. - Whether some plants are required to provide nutrients for other plants (e.g. nitrogen from legumes for other plants to utilise). - Whether sturdy plants with strong stems (such as com) are required to support other plants that need to climb (e.g. peas or beans). The above factors are some of many that need to be taken into consideration by the seasoned gardener utilising conventional planting processes. Other factors which often need to be considered, include whether flowering plants are required to produce a “wild garden” or whether a particular colour scheme is desired. The present invention aims to simplify the whole process so that a person may select a system based upon what type of plants they require (e.g. vegetables, flowers etc.) without having to determine the best arrangement or individual plant selection. The shape and properties of the sheet of material must be such that it does not adversely affect the ability of the plant reproductive material to grow. The sheet may be formed from a thin material and different shapes and / or sizes may be provided depending upon the required surface area. Ideally, the sheet of material is planar. Preferably the sheet of material is flexible or semi-flexible so that it may conform to the surface of the planting area, which may be an uneven layer of soil. The plant reproductive material may be embedded in the sheet of material during production thereof. This could be achieved by way of a manual or an automated process. Alternatively, the plant reproductive material may be secured to a surface of the sheet of material. Securing may be achieved using adhesive and / or natural gum and / or by mechanical fixings (e.g. staples). The sheet of material may be a synthetic material, such as plastic. Alternatively, the sheet of material may comprise natural compounds such as paper, gelatine, seaweed or indeed any substance with can be produced in a thin layer. Preferably, the sheet of material is biodegradable. This reduces the actions required by a person to remove and dispose of the sheet of material, although the removal of the sheet of material remains an option. The sheet of material may have written indications thereon identifying the plants being grown. The planning system may further comprise a plant enrichment material whereby the process includes the additional step of covering the sheet of material with a layer of the plant enrichment material. The plant enrichment material may be soil, compost, manure or other material which facilitates the germination and growth of plants. In addition to holding the plant reproductive material, the sheet of material may serve a further purpose. The sheet of material may be configured to serve as a weed suppressant membrane, preventing the growth of weeds. Additionally, the sheet of material may serve as a mulch to protect the growing plants and to improve the structure of the soil. Support substances that serve to support the growth and health of plants may advantageously be incorporated into the sheet of material. Such substances may include plant nutrition, fertilisers, trace minerals, growth inhibitors or promoters for example. These may be embedded in the sheet of material during production thereof or attached to the sheet of material after production. Preferably, the planting system comprises a plurality of sheets of material for planting in the ground, each sheet having plant reproductive material held thereby in a pre-defined pattern. Each sheet may be specifically designed to be used at a particular time of year or a series of sheets may be designed to be used in succession, for example to optimise the harvesting season. Advantageously, sheets of material may be designed to be used in rotation with each new sheet benefitting from the plants of the previous sheet. By way of example only, an embodiment of this invention will now be described in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a planting system in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of an alternative planting system in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of a garden area created using the planting system and method of the present invention. Referring initially to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a planting system 10 according to the present invention. The planting system comprises a sheet of biodegradable material 11,12 having plant reproductive material 13 held thereto. The sheet of material 11 shown in Figure 1 is rectangular in shape whereas the sheet of material 12 shown in Figure 2 is of a non-uniform shape, having adopted the desired contour of a garden planting area 15, with two adjoining straight edges 16, 17 and a third wavy edge 18 joining the remote end 19, 20 of each of the straight edges 16, 17. The sheet of material 11, 12 is thin and flexible to allow it to conform to uneven surfaces on which it is laid. As shown in Figures 1 and 2 the sheet of material 11,12 may be supplied in a range of different shapes to accommodate many different garden layout designs. Alternatively, or additionally, the sheet of material may be user customisable by cutting to a desired shape and / or size. Bespoke designs may also be custom-made upon request. Held on each sheet of material 11, 12 is plant reproductive material 13. This is embedded into the sheet of material 11,12 during production. The plant reproductive material 13 is shown in Figures 1 and 2 in the form of seeds but may be any material which is capable of growing into a plant. The pattern of plant reproductive material 13 varies depending upon the plants to be grown and the selected design. Whilst groups of seeds 13 have been illustrated, the pattern of the plant reproductive material 13 may take any suitable form. Figure 3 shows a garden planting area 15 utilising the planting system 10 and the planting process of the present invention. The method of this invention will now be discussed. As a first step a sheet of material 12 was selected having an arrangement of plant reproductive material 13 designed to produce a desired garden layout. The choice may depend upon various factors, including aesthetic appeal, or desired vegetation, for example. The selected sheet of material 12 was then placed on the planting area 15 so as to conform to the layer of earth thereunder. A layer of plant enrichment material, in the form of soil 21 was then placed on top of the sheet of material to cover the seeds. Over time, and with appropriate care, the seeds grew and produced the desired garden layout with a range of flowers 25 and other plants 26 illustrated in Figure 3. The sheet of material 11, 12 is biodegradable thereby avoiding pollution. Furthermore, in addition to holding the plant reproductive material 13, the sheet of material 11,12 has further advantages. The sheet of material 11, 12 not only serves as a weed suppressant membrane, restricting the growth of weeds but also serves as a mulch to protect the growing plants and to improve the structure of the soil 21. Support substances that serve to support the growth and health of plants, including plant nutrition are advantageously embedded into the sheet of material during production.

Claims

1. A planting system comprising:a sheet of material for planting in or on a planting area; andplant reproductive materialwherein the plant reproductive material is held in a pre-defined pattern by the sheet of material.

2. A planting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plant reproductive material comprises one or more of the following: seeds, bulbs, corms, rhizomes, tubers and plant cuttings.

3. A planting system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the plant reproductive material is selected to develop into a plurality of types of plants which serve to complement each other.

4. A planting system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the predefined pattern of plant reproductive material differs depending on the types of plants to be grown therefrom.

5. A planting system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the sheet of material is planar.

6. A planting system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the sheet of material is flexible.

7. A planting system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the plant reproductive material is embedded in the sheet of material.

8. A planting system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the plantreproductive material is secured to a surface of the sheet of material.

9. A planting system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plant reproductive material is secured to the sheet of material using one or more of adhesive or natural gum.

10. A planting system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the sheet of material is configured to serve as a weed suppressant.

11. A planting system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the sheet of material serves as a mulch.

12. A planting system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the sheet of material is biodegradable.

13. A planting system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein plant nutritional material is incorporated into the sheet of material.

14. A planting system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, further comprising a plant enrichment material configured to be applied as a layer over the sheet material on a planting area.

15. A planting system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the plant enrichment material is one or more than one of soil, compost, or manure.

16. A planting system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, comprising a plurality of sheets of material for planting in the ground, each sheet having plant reproductive material held thereby in a pre-defined pattern.

17. A planting process, comprising the following steps:selecting a sheet of material having plant reproductive material held thereto in a pre-defined pattern; andplacing the sheet of material on or in a planting area.

18. A planting process, as claimed in claim 17 comprising the further step of:covering the sheet of material with a layer of plant enrichment material.

Images