Patent ID: 8296996

Claim:
A device for assisting plant growth comprising: means for dispensing a nutrient into soil to assist plant growth for plants planted in the soil, said means including a core material which is adapted to be buried in soil in which plants are planted and which includes a nutrient to be delivered to the plants buried in the soil in a regulated manner, the nutrient in said core material being activated when contacted by water, a partially water-permeable coating on said core, and a water-absorbent coating encapsulating said partially water-permeable coating and said core material, said water-absorbent coating absorbing and storing water from the soil to store water during periods of significant rainfall, said water-absorbing coating and said partially water-permeable coating on said core co-operating with each other to transfer water to the core material in a regulated manner to activate the nutrient in a regulated manner; said partially water-permeable coating and said water-absorbing coating being permeable to activated nutrient in said core material and regulating transfer of activated nutrient in said core material through said partially water-permeable coating and through said water-absorbent coating so that water is absorbed from the soil and transferred to the nutrient in a regulated manner to activate the nutrient in said core material and activated nutrient is transferred from said core material to the soil in a regulated manner.