DRAINAGE AND AERATION DEVICE FOR PLANT CONTAINERS

A drain shield for a plant container prevents compaction of soil, maintain drainage and provide for aeration of the roots of the plant. The drain shield comprises a unitary molded disk with a plurality of cube-like supports which are circumferentially spaced near the perimeter of the disk. The supports are positioned inward from the outer edge of the disk creating an eave around the perimeter of the disk that overhangs the supports. When the disk is placed on the bottom of a plant container, the supports form a series of uniform passages that lead to an unobstructed inner space under the disk. The side walls of the supports, as they relate to each other and to the center of the disk, are tapered in such a way that the passages between adjacent supports becomes larger toward the center of the disk. The underside of the disk, and to the inward side of the supports, is concave, forming a dome.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to plant containers, such as planters and pots, for flowers and other plants and, more particularly, to drainage systems for plant containers to maintain proper drainage and aeration of plants.

BACKGROUND

Gardeners have been cultivating plants in various containers for millennia. The majority of planters and pots of average size and larger, available at garden centers and discount stores, come with a single drain hole in the bottom. This single hole configuration, especially when small in relation to the volume of the container, has proven to be inadequate leading to drainage issues.

Maintaining proper hydration levels in the container is critical for optimum plant health. When the plant is watered, the water is directed to a single opening. Soil and organic material is carried toward the hole by the water, leading to compaction of the soil and plugging of the drainage hole. Over-saturated soil leads to an issue known as root rot, which can be difficult to remedy and usually results in the plant dying.

A common suggestion to avoid over-saturation is to drill additional holes in the bottom; however, this solution is not an option due to the likelihood of damaging or cracking the planter. Another long-standing practice is to place broken shards of clay pots over the drain hole creating passages under the compressed soil for the water to egress. The nature of placing random shards over the drain hole yields inconsistent result making it difficult to establish a system for assembling and maintaining a diverse array of plants.

Recently, much research has been conducted to determine the most effective methods and materials to be used to achieve optimum drainage and plant health in a plant container. Much of the research has defied conventional wisdom. For example, one common practice is putting rocks in the bottom of a planter, under a layer of planting mix to expedite drainage of water from the planter. Research has shown the water actual does not migrate into the rocks as one would expect. Rather, the soil fills the interstitial gaps in the rocks and water pools on top of the rocks so that the soil remains saturated.

When one incurs the considerable cost of assembling a planter, enjoying the restorative benefits of working with thriving plants is the goal.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure comprises a drain shield to a plant container to prevent compaction of soil, maintain drainage and provide for aeration of the roots of the plant. The drain shield comprises a unitary molded disk with a plurality of cube-like supports which are circumferentially spaced near the perimeter of the disk. The supports are positioned inward from the outer edge of the disk creating an eave around the perimeter of the disk that overhangs the supports. When the disk is placed on the bottom of a plant container, the supports form a series of uniform passages that lead to an unobstructed inner space under the disk. The side walls of the supports, as they relate to each other and to the center of the disk, are tapered in such a way that the passages between adjacent supports becomes larger toward the center of the disk. The underside of the disk, and to the inward side of the supports, is concave, forming a dome.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to a drain shield for use with plant containers to prevent compaction of soil, maintain drainage and provide for aeration of the roots of the plant. The drain shield is placed on the bottom of the plant container before soil or planting mix is added to the plant container and covers the drain hole in the bottom of the container. Soil or planting mix is then added to cover the drain shield and fill the plant container. The drain shield prevents soil compaction in the drain hole and provides passages for the egress of water from the plant container. The same passages improve aeration of the roots of the plant by providing a pathway for the ingress of air.

FIGS. 1-3illustrate a plant container system10for cultivating flowers or other plants. The plant container system10comprises three main components: a plant container20, a drain pan30(also known as a saucer) and a drain shield50. The plant container20comprises may comprise a planter or pot configured to contain a medium (e.g., potting mix or soil) for growing plants. In the exemplary embodiment shown inFIG. 1, the plant container20comprises a pot having a flat bottom22and tapered sidewall24. The bottom22includes a drain hole26allowing excess water to drain from the pot to prevent over-saturation of the plant roots. The drain pan30comprises a shallow dish designed to catch the excess water that drains from the plant container20. The bottom surface of the drain pan30typically includes a series of ribs to raise the plant container20slightly above the bottom of the drain pan30thus allowing excess water to drain and air to enter the drain hole. The drain shield is placed inside the plant container20to cover the drain hole before the growing medium is added to the plant container20. The primary purpose of the drain shield is to maintain good drainage and aeration as hereinafter described.

FIGS. 4-9illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the drain shield50. The drain shield50comprises a cover plate52and a plurality of supports70spaced along the periphery of the cover plate52. When the drain shield50is placed in a plant container20, the supports70support the cover plate52in spaced relation to the bottom of the plant container20so that a domed chamber is formed beneath the cover plate52and passages80leading into the chamber are formed between the supports70. The passages80allow the egress of water and ingress of air. In some embodiments, a mesh material (not shown) can be placed in the chamber.

In one embodiment, the cover plate52is generally circular in form and has a top surface54and a bottom surface56. The top surface54of the cover plate52is substantially flat. The bottom surface56includes a generally flat outer region58adjacent the outer edge of the cover plate52and a concave central region60that forms a dome on the underside of the cover plate52. The side edge62of the cover plate52is slightly angled so that soil is pushed outward

The supports70are circumferentially spaced and extend downward from the outer region58of the bottom surface56. The bottom end of the supports70should allow positive contact with the bottom surface of most plant containers20, whether the bottom is flat, concave, or even slightly convex.

The supports70are spaced inwardly from the outer edge of the cover plate52so that the cover plate52forms an eave that overhangs the supports70. The function of the eave is two-fold. The first relates to the initial assembly of the plant container20when the potting mix is added. Several steps in the planting process require pressing the plant and potting mix down into the plant container20. The overhang or eave provided by the cover plate52, along with the tapered side edge62of the cover plate52, ensures that compression of the potting mix during the assembly does not cause compaction of potting mix in the passages between the supports70. Instead, the structure of the cover plate52pushes the potting mix away from the passages80. The second function relates to the water flow over the eave. Water cannot penetrate the cover plate52so the water is diverted to the outer edges and over the eave, creating a beneficial flow of water through the passages80that will help wash fine particles out through the drain hole in the plant container.

In one embodiment, the supports70are trapezoidal in shape as shown inFIG. 5. Each support30includes an outer face72, an inner face74and side faces76. The outer faces72of the supports70are flat. In use, the growing medium accumulating in front of the supports70help in directing the flow of water through the passages80between the supports70. The side faces76of the supports70that face each other are flat and tapered in such a way that the passage80between two adjacent supports70becomes larger towards the center of the drain shield50, i.e. from the inlet end to the outlet end. The tapering of the side faces76ensures that any soil or potting mix entering the passage80can pass through the passage80without becoming trapped or compacted.

The drain shield50can vary in size depending on the size of the plant container and/or drain holes. One design consideration is that the size of the passages80between the supports70should be smaller than drain hole22in the plant container so that any material that passes through the passages80will be able to freely exit through the drain hole22to avoid clogging. In one embodiment, the width and height of the inlet end of the passages80is less than a diameter of the drain hole22in the plant container20for which it is designed.

Over the course of time a significant amount of material will make its way to the bottom of the plant container20and collect around the device, reducing its efficiency. Even with the many passages80for the water to egress out of the plant container20, some may become clogged resulting in poor drainage. At that point, the obstructions will need to be cleared out by either placing the plant container20in a tub of water and moving it up and down a few times allowing water to enter the drain hole22and pushing through the passages80clearing them out. This process will also suspend undesirable silt that has collected on the bottom allowing it to drain out with excess water, restoring proper drainage. The bottom surface56of the cover plate52will divert the water through the passages80protecting the root ball from having precious nutrients from being washed out and preserve the capillary passages that have formed over time. The drain shield50will also help distribute fertilizer if one chose to bottom feed the plant occasionally, again keeping the root ball protected. Another option would be to tip the plant container20on its side and use a garden hose to clear the debris restoring drainage and aeration.