IRRIGATION LANDSCAPE AND GROWING SYSTEM

Abstract

A fixed irrigation landscape growing system comprises: a supporting substrate; a water absorbent blanket arranged above the substrate; and a growing medium, notably a soil layer, arranged above the water absorbent blanket. Irrigation is provided by irrigation pipes or by sprinklers.

Claims

1. A fixed irrigation landscape growing system installed in a region selected from: a Koppen climate region BWh (warm desert climate), BWk (cold desert climate), BSh (warm semi-arid climate), BSk (cold semi-arid climate), Csa (warm mediterranean climate), Csb (temperate mediterranean climate), California and a Koppen zone Csb, Csa, BS and BW in California; comprising: a supporting substrate; a water absorbent blanket comprising needled mineral wool fibres and being arranged above the substrate, in which at least 50% of the fibres by number of the needled mineral wood blanket are orientated at an angle of 20 with respect to the major surface of the needled mineral wool blanket; a growing medium, arranged above the water absorbent blanket; and an irrigation system selected from: a plurality of spaced irrigation pipes arranged above the water absorbent blanket in which the average spacing between the irrigation pipes is at least 30 cm, and a plurality of spaced circle irrigation sprinklers arranged above the growing medium in which the distance between a first sprinkler and each of its adjacent sprinklers is greater than 1.2 times the radius of the sprinkler pattern of the first sprinkler.

2. The fixed irrigation landscape growing system of claim 1, in which the spaced irrigation pipes are arranged between the water absorbent blanket and the growing medium.

3. The fixed irrigation landscape growing system of claim 1, in which the spaced irrigation pipes are arranged above the growing medium.

4. The fixed irrigation landscape growing system of claim 1, in which the sprinkler patterns of the adjacent sprinklers leaves a non-sprinkled area which is 0.01% of the area of the sprinkler pattern of one of the sprinklers.

5. The fixed irrigation landscape growing system of claim 1, in which the irrigation sprinklers are arranged with a spacing of at least 2 cm, between the sprinkler patterns of adjacent sprinklers.

6. The fixed irrigation landscape growing system of claim 1, in which the water absorbent blanket comprises binderless mineral wool fibres.

7. The fixed irrigation landscape growing system of claim 1, in which the water absorbent blanket has a thickness in the range 10 mm to 50 mm.

8. The fixed irrigation landscape growing system of claim 1, in which the water absorbent blanket has the form of a continuous strip having: a length which is 4 m and a width which is 0.7 m.

9. The fixed irrigation landscape growing system of claim 1, in which the water absorbent blanket has a water retention which is 500 l/m.sup.3.

10. The fixed irrigation landscape growing system of claim 1, in which the water absorbent blanket is free of superabsorbent polymers.

11. The fixed irrigation landscape growing system of claim 1, in which the growing system comprises grass growing through and protruding from the growth medium.

12. The fixed irrigation landscape growing system of claim 1, in which the landscape growing system is a grass covered portion of a park.

13. The fixed irrigation landscape growing system of claim 1, in which the landscape growing system forms part of a sports surface selected from a golf course and a sports pitch.

14. The fixed irrigation landscape growing system of claim 1, in which the average spacing between the irrigation pipes is 2 m.

15. A method of irrigating a landscape growing system installed in a region selected from: a Koppen climate region BWh (warm desert climate), BWk (cold desert climate), BSh (warm semi-arid climate), BSk (cold semi-arid climate), Csa (warm mediterranean climate), Csb (temperate mediterranean climate), California and a Kppen zone Csb, Csa, BS and BW in California; wherein the landscape growing system comprises: a supporting substrate; a water absorbent blanket comprising needled mineral wool fibres and being arranged above the substrate, in which at least 50% of the fibres by number of the needled mineral wood blanket are orientated at an angle of 20 with respect to the major surface of the needled mineral wood blanket; a growing medium, notably a soil layer, arranged above the water absorbent blanket; and a fixed irrigation system, wherein the method comprises supplying an average quantity of irrigation water which is 3 L/m2 per day and 15 L/m2 per day to the landscape growing system through the irrigation system over at least one period of five consecutive days during the months of June, July and August.

16. (canceled)

17. The fixed irrigation landscape growing system of claim 1, in which the growing medium is a soil layer.

18. The fixed irrigation landscape growing system of claim 1, in which the average spacing between the irrigation pipes is at least 40 cm.

19. The fixed irrigation landscape growing system of claim 1, in which the irrigation system is configured to supply, over at least one period of five consecutive days during the months of June, July and August an average quantity of irrigation water which is 3 L/m2 per day and 15 L/m2 per day.

20. The fixed irrigation landscape growing system of claim 1, in which the water absorbent blanket has a thickness in the range 15 mm to 25 mm.

21. The fixed irrigation landscape growing system of claim 1, in which the water absorbent blanket has the form of a continuous strip having a length which is 9 m and a width which is 2 m.

22. The fixed irrigation landscape growing system of claim 1, in which the landscape growing system is a grass covered portion having an area of at least 10000 m.sup.2.

23. The method of irrigating a landscape growing system of claim 15, in which the irrigation system is selected from an irrigation system comprising a plurality of spaced irrigation pipes arranged above the water absorbent blanket and an irrigation system comprising a plurality of spaced circle irrigation sprinklers arranged above the growing medium.

Description

[0033] An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: FIG. 1 is cross-section through a landscape growing system;

[0034] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the landscape of FIG. 1;

[0035] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a prior art arrangement;

[0036] FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are plan views of alternative landscape growing systems;

[0037] FIG. 6 is a map of the world illustrating Kppen climate zones; and

[0038] FIG. 7 is a map illustrating Kppen climate zones in California.

[0039] The landscape growing system of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is part of a public park and comprises: [0040] a supporting substrate 14 provided by rocks and soil which has be landscaped using mechanical earth moving equipment; [0041] a water absorbent blanket 13 arranged above the substrate 14 and provided by a layer of needled mineral wool having a thickness of 20 mm and having the majority of its fibres substantially parallel to the substrate 14; [0042] a growing medium provided by a layer of soil 12 arranged above and spread over the needled mineral felt 13; and [0043] a plurality of spaced irrigation pipes 15,16,17 arranged above the water absorbent blanket 13, in this case laid on top of the soil 12.
Grass 11 having roots which penetrate the soil layer 12 in to the water absorbent blanket 13 completes the system. The illustrated system is non-planar and the flexible nature of the mineral wool blanket 13 allows it to conform to the profile of the substrate 14. The thickness of the soil covering 12 is non-homogeneous having a thickness t1 in some places and a greater thickness t2 in other places.

[0044] It is preferable for adjacent irrigation pipes to be substantially parallel at portions where they provide irrigation; this is the case for irrigation pipes 15 and 16 which are spaced at a distance d1 of about 50 cm. Irrigation pipes 16 and 17 are non-parallel; as each of these irrigation pipes is laid straight their average spacing is the average of the spacing d2 and d3 at their extremities.

[0045] FIG. 3 illustrates a prior art arrangement for circle sprinklers typically adopted with the aim of ensuring even distribution of water and avoidance of dry spots. Each sprinkler 31, 32 is spaced from its adjacent sprinklers by a distance which is equal to the radius of its sprinkler pattern 311, 321.

[0046] FIG. 4 illustrates an arrangement using six rotating circle sprinklers 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 each having a respective sprinkler pattern 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56. The sprinkler patterns of adjacent sprinklers overlap, for example as shown between the first 41 and fourth 44 sprinkler at 61 and between the fourth 44 and fifth 45 sprinkler at 62. A gap or non-sprinkled portion 71 nevertheless remains. Each sprinkler is spaced from its adjacent sprinklers by a distance which is greater than the radius of its sprinkler pattern.

[0047] In the landscape growing system of FIG. 5, the sprinkler patterns 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96 of adjacent sprinklers 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87 do not overlap. Indeed, there is a separation 101, 102 of at least 2 cm between adjacent sprinkler patterns.

[0048] The combination of the elements of the system in accordance with at least preferred embodiments of the invention provide adequate water distribution, notably thanks to the effect water distribution provided by the water absorbent blanket, such that the configurations illustrated in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 may be used to ensure adequate water distribution, notably in real conditions, notably which include wind and water pressure drops.

[0049] Table 1 shows an example of the quantity of irrigation water supplied according to an embodiment of the invention during the first 15 days of the summer month of June in climate zone B in the northern hemisphere.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Daily quantity Average daily quantity of of irrigation irrigation water supplied over water supplied consecutive five-day period Day (L/m.sup.2) period (L/m.sup.2) 1 0.8 2 1.1 3 2.3 4 3.8 5 4.0 days 1 to 5 2.4 6 3.8 days 2 to 6* 3.0 7 7.6 days 3 to 7* 4.3 8 13.2 days 4 to 8* 6.5 9 15.1 days 5 to 9* 8.7 10 22.7 days 6 to 10* 12.5 11 16.5 days 7 to 11* 15.0 12 13.2 days 8 to 12 16.2 13 13.2 days 9 to 13 16.2 14 11.7 days 10 to 15 15.5 15 10.6 days 11 to 16* 13.1

[0050] The periods marked * represent consecutive five day periods over which the average daily quantity of irrigation water supplied was 3 L/m.sup.2 per day and 15 L/m.sup.2. The expression L/m.sup.2 as used herein refers to litres of irrigation water per m.sup.2 of the irrigation landscape growing system.