METHOD FOR CULTIVATING PLANTS

Abstract

A method for cultivating a plant, especially an orchid, is provided. The method involces a seedling at least partly surrounded by a substrate being introduced into a plant pot, the plant pot being introduced into one of multiple cells of a tray and the plant pot being immobilized in the cell, wherein the plant pot is introduced into the cell of the tray until a cell wall which is impenetrable for roots and especially unbreached towers above the plant pot.

Claims

1. A method cultivating a plant, the method comprising the steps of: introducing a seedling at least partially surrounded by a substrate into a plant pot, introducing the plant pot into one of multiple cells of a tray and the plant pot being immobilized in the cell, the plant pot being introduced into the cell of the tray until a cell wall, which is impenetrable for roots and unbreached, towers above the plant pot.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a completely laterally limited plant growth region which is impenetrable for roots and unbreached is established above a plant pot base as a result of the introduction of the plant pot into the cell.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the plant pot and cell of the tray are matched with one another such that a crossing point between the upper outer edge of the plant pot and the cell wall is impenetrable for roots.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cultivated plant with the substrate is removed from the plant pot immobilized in the tray, the plant pot remaining in the cell of the tray.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plant in the plant pot is cultivated in at least two growth phases, the plant pots being repositioned at greater intervals between first and second growth phase.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the plant pots are arranged in crates for the first growth phase.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the plant pots are arranged in the tray for the second growth phase.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the plant pots are sorted after the first growth phase on the basis of features to assess the development of the plants.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the sorting is done by means of an automated visual evaluation.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tray and/or the plants situated in the inserted plant pots are configured at the end of cultivation.

10. The method according to claim 10, wherein the tray, plant pots containing maldeveloped plants are replaced with plant pots containing well-developed plants.

12. The method according to claim 10 wherein the plants are oriented by twisting the plant pots in the tray.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein fertilizer is introduced into the plant pots.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the tray and/or the plant pots are labelled.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Reference is now made more particularly to the drawings, which illustrate the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention and wherein similar reference characters indicate the same parts throughout the views. Further aspects of the method according to the invention can be gathered from the following description of the figures, where

[0021] FIG. 1 shows the method according to the invention.

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a system for carrying out the method according to the invention.

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of the system as per FIG. 2.

[0024] FIG. 4 shows a sectional view according to IV-IV in FIG. 3.

[0025] FIG. 5 shows a sectional view according to V-V as per FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Where appropriate, equivalent elements of the invention are provided below with a uniform reference number. The features of the exemplary embodiments, as described below, can also be subject matter of the invention in feature combinations other than as presented and in combination with at least the features of the independent claim.

[0027] FIG. 1 a) shows the provision of seedlings 2 to carry out the method. In a first method step, these are introduced into a substrate 4 in the form of a plug (FIG. 1 b). To this end, the plug is slitted longitudinally. The plug is bent open at the slit and the seedling 2 is introduced into the plug. The seedling 2 with the substrate 4 is subsequently introduced into a plant pot 6.

[0028] Multiple such plant pots 6, into which a seedling 2 with substrate 4 has been introduced in each case, are arranged close to one another in a crate 16. Here, the crates 16 serve for simplified handling of the plant pots 6 arranged close to one another.

[0029] FIG. 1 c) depicts the growth phase following the introduction of the seedlings 2 into the plant pots 6. Multiple crates 16 are arranged next to one another for better utilization of space.

[0030] At the end of this first growth phase, the individual plants are subjected to a visual evaluation (FIG. 1 d). Here, this is done in an automated manner. A picture of one or more plants is taken and automatically evaluated. The plants are subsequently sorted according to developmental state. For example, this sorting can be done into three categories, poorly developed, normally developed and exceptionally developed, based on the size, shape and/or number of leaves or others of the above-mentioned features or combinations of features.

[0031] In a next method step, depicted in FIG. 1 e), plant pots 6 containing plants assigned to the same category are introduced into the cells 8 of a tray 10. In this connection, the plant pots 6 are introduced into the cell 8 of the tray 10 until a cell wall 12 which is impenetrable for roots and especially unbreached towers above the plant pot 6. In the exemplary method, the plant pots 6 are immobilized in the cell 8 of the tray 10 at this point, immobilization meaning here an immobilization with respect to movements of the plant pot 6 out of the cell 8 of the tray 10. At the same time or in addition, prevention of rotational movements in the cell 8 can be achieved, but does not on its own represent immobilization in the context of this method.

[0032] Upon transfer from the crates 16 into the trays 10, the plants are relocated at a greater interval in relation to one another. What is achieved by the introduction of the plant pots 6 such that an uninterrupted cell wall 12 towers above the plant pot 6 is that there is a reduction in formation of epiphyte roots which protrude across into an adjacent cell 8. A connection between two adjacent and especially approximately identically sized plants via such roots protruding from their cell 8 is thus largely avoided.

[0033] The introduction of the plant pots 6 is followed by a second growth phase (FIG. 1 f). Here too, there is again arrangement of multiple trays next to one another. As a result of combining plants which reached a similar developmental state after the first growth phase, said plants can be treated identically in the second growth phase. For example, it is conceivable that the second growth phase is shortened for plants in a tray 10 containing the plants which were exceptionally developed at the end of the first growth phase, in comparison with the second growth phase for plants in a tray 10 containing the plants which were only poorly developed at the end of the first growth phase. Using the method, it is thus possible, especially as a result of putting together similarly developed plants in a tray 10, for the conditions in the second growth phase to be optimally tailored to the needs of said plants, with the advantages brought about by the method according to the invention being realized at the same time.

[0034] FIG. 1 g) shows the configuring of the tray 10 and especially of the plants situated in the inserted plant pots after completion of the second growth phase. Here, the plants which are sub-standardly developed at the end of the second growth phase compared to the other plants in the tray 10 are removed with their plant pots 6 from the tray 10 and replaced with plant pots 6 containing similarly developed plants. Furthermore, the plants are oriented by twisting of the plant pots 6 in the cell 8. A marking identifying the tray 10 is affixed on said tray 10. For example, this can be achieved by the application of a self-adhesive label containing a number or a machine-readable character code such as, for example, a bar code. The marking can, however, also be stamped into or printed on the tray 10. Other marking options are also conceivable.

[0035] Furthermore, fertilizer can be introduced into the plant pots 6 in the tray 10 and/or the substrate can be covered, for example with a non-woven fabric. The configured trays 1 Oare combined in a trolley and taken to the next processing step (FIG. 1 }.

[0036] Subsequently, the cultivated plants with the substrate 4 are removed from the plant pot 6 immobilized in the tray 10, the plant pot 6 remaining in the cell 8 of the tray 10. The plant with the substrate 4 is then, for example, replanted into a larger substrate-filled plant pot (FIG. 1 i).

[0037] FIG. 2 shows a system for carrying out the method, comprising a tray 10 having multiple cells 8. What are depicted are plant pots 6 introduced into some of these cells 8 such that a cell wall 12 which is impenetrable for roots and especially unbreached towers above the plant pot 6 in each case. In the region of the cell wall 12 towering above the plant pot 6, the tray 10 has elements 14, by means of which the plant pot 6 is immobilized in the cell 8. Here, immobilization of the plant pot 6 means that the plant pot 6 is secured against removal. Twisting of the plant pot 6 can be prevented by the securing mechanism, but this is not absolutely necessary. The elements 14 are designed as catching lugs. The plant pot 6 is immobilized by the complete introduction of the plant pot 6 into the cell 8. By means of top-side approach slopes, introduction is easy to realize, whereas a bottom-side edge of the catching lug acts on the edge of the plant pot 6 such that simple removal of the plant pot 6 from the cell 8 is prevented.

[0038] FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of detail Ill. Four cells 8 are depicted. Plant pots 6 are introduced into two of the cells 8, wherein they are immobilized by the elements 14 designed as catching lugs. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show sectional views through a cell 8 containing introduced plant pot 6 as per sectional profile IV-IV and V-V, respectively, in FIG. 3. The plant pot 6 introduced into the cell 8 has an unbreached side wall. Said side wall forms, together with the unbreached cell wall 12, a complete lateral boundary of the plant growth region above the plant pot base 13. The upper outer edge 15 of the plant pot 6 fits closely on the cell wall 8. The region between outer edge 15 of the plant pot 6 and cell wall 8 is thus impenetrable for roots of the plant.