US3914900A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Means and method for planting and growing plants and crops
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1974-07-01
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Granted: 1975-10-28
•
Expires: 1994-07-01
Abstract
Abstract A specially formulated film or cover for weed, insect, temperature and moisture control, is located and held in place by decomposable or biodegradable plugs or anchor elements which serve as carriers and placement means for the planting element, such as a seed, seedling, cutting, tuber, or the like. The same plug also carries soil modifier or plant growth-promoting elements such as fertilizer, soil conditioner, insecticide, repellant, or the like, in proper relation with respect to the plant or planting element. The film or mulch layer preferably contains balanced nutrients or growth-promoting or control elements, being composed of material which controls water penetration and assists in regulating temperatures of the underlying soil. The film itself may be either of reusable type or decomposable to contribute growth-promoting materials to the soil. The plant husbandry thus obtained is claimed as a new agricultural method.
Inventors
- 👤 Lavell M Bigelow
- 👤 Mark E Bigelow
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 09:53
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01G; A01G13/00; A01G13/30; A01G13/32; A01G13/33; A01G13/38; A01G9/00; A01G9/02; A01G9/029; A01G9/0293; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S428/00; Y10S428/913
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
171 words
Mulching equipment or system for promoting growth of desired plants and suppressing others which comprises, in combination: a. A continuous cover sheet for placement on the ground over an area to be planted, said sheet being sufficiently impervious to control moisture and being puncturable by peg means next described, and b. Plural peg means, each of which is decomposable or degradable in the soil but sharp and rigid enough to be driven through and penetrate said sheet, each peg means having an element for limiting its penetration into the ground and having at least one side channel which is open to the side throughout substantially the full length of the peg means, said channel being formed to effectively guide the plant upward and through the penetration in the sheet made by the peg means and comprising plant retention element means for holding a plant element such as a seed or seedling at the proper depth in the soil when the peg means is driven to its penetration limit in the soil.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
171 words
Mulching equipment or system for promoting growth of desired plants and suppressing others which comprises, in combination: a. A continuous cover sheet for placement on the ground over an area to be planted, said sheet being sufficiently impervious to control moisture and being puncturable by peg means next described, and b. Plural peg means, each of which is decomposable or degradable in the soil but sharp and rigid enough to be driven through and penetrate said sheet, each peg means having an element for limiting its penetration into the ground and having at least one side channel which is open to the side throughout substantially the full length of the peg means, said channel being formed to effectively guide the plant upward and through the penetration in the sheet made by the peg means and comprising plant retention element means for holding a plant element such as a seed or seedling at the proper depth in the soil when the peg means is driven to its penetration limit in the soil.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A system according to claim 1 in which a seed and a pellet of plant-growth-promoting substance is included in each plug.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
A system according to claim 1 in which each plug further includes means for holding a supply of liquid plant growth promotor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
A system according to claim 1 in which each plug contains a pellet of fertilizer material.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
A system according to claim 4 in whicH the pellet is a water soluble capsule enclosing a plant growth promoting substance.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
A system according to claim 1 in which the sheet is degradable on the ground and includes plant growth promoting substances which will be released into the soil as the sheet degrades.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
154 words
The method of growing plants at spaced intervals from each other over a planting area, which comprises placing a cover sheet having substantial moisture-controlling and weed-suppressing properties over said area, pre-positioning plant generating elements, such as seeds and the like, and retaining at least one such element in an open side channel in each of a plurality of drivable peg means capable of piercing a hole in the cover sheet and penetrating the soil thereunder, then driving all said peg means, spaced at said intervals or distances from each other, through said sheet to hold it in place over said area while thereby inserting the plant generating element to proper planting depth in said soil, the side channel in each of said peg means serving as a conduit or passageway to guide the plant, as it grows from said soil, upwardly and through the hole formed by said peg means in the cover sheet.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
154 words
The method of growing plants at spaced intervals from each other over a planting area, which comprises placing a cover sheet having substantial moisture-controlling and weed-suppressing properties over said area, pre-positioning plant generating elements, such as seeds and the like, and retaining at least one such element in an open side channel in each of a plurality of drivable peg means capable of piercing a hole in the cover sheet and penetrating the soil thereunder, then driving all said peg means, spaced at said intervals or distances from each other, through said sheet to hold it in place over said area while thereby inserting the plant generating element to proper planting depth in said soil, the side channel in each of said peg means serving as a conduit or passageway to guide the plant, as it grows from said soil, upwardly and through the hole formed by said peg means in the cover sheet.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 7 in which plural side channels are provided for each peg means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 7 in which each plug comprises plant nutrient material and is degradable in the soil to supply plant growth promoting substances to the plant held thereby as said plug degrades.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-10-27 | 1979-04-28 | 1979-10-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-10-27 | 1983-04-28 | 1983-10-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-10-27 | 1987-04-28 | 1987-10-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |