# US 4,397,114 A · Soiless growing system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 4,397,114 A - Document ID: US4397114A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 06/171,499 - Filed: 1980-07-23 - Granted: 1983-08-09 - Earliest claimed: 1975-05-15 - Assignees: Margaret R. Skaife, Trustee - Inventors: William A. Skaife - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4397114A ## CPC - B65D 21/08: Containers of variable capacity (containers of polygonal cross-section adapted to be of variable capacity formed by folding or erecting blanks made of paper {B65D5/0005}) - A01G 9/02: Receptacles, e.g. flower-pots or boxes (self-acting watering devices A01G27/00; hanging flower baskets, holders or containers for flower-pots A47G7/00); Glasses for cultivating flowers - A01G 27/00: Self-acting watering devices, e.g. for flower-pots - A01G 31/02: Special apparatus therefor (self-acting watering devices A01G27/00) - B65D 85/52: for living plants; for growing bulbs - Y02P 60/21: Dinitrogen oxide [N2O], e.g. using aquaponics, hydroponics or efficiency measures - B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES - A01G: HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING (picking of fruits, vegetables, hops or the like A01D46/00; propagating unicellular algae C12N1/12) - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A horizontal water reservoir pipe includes plant support riser pipes spaced along its length, each of which contain a growing medium in a mesh tube, extending into the water in the water pipe. The riser pipes are corrugated and provide air circulation from the atmosphere along the corrugations and between the mesh tube and the riser pipe. The growing medium may be Hasselfors peat or any other medium which has large and small pores with enough pores of large enough size to limit the saturation capillary fringe from the water table to a small fraction of the height of the growing medium and enough pores of small enough size to hold sufficient moisture in the root zone to provide abundant water for seed and plant growth. The growing medium is in communication with the atmosphere to provide for continuous entry of oxygen and escape of carbon dioxide to provide abundant oxygen for seed and plant growth. An alternate application of the plant support riser pipes is in swamp land wherein the swamp water is the water pipe or reservoir. A trough of plant life can be supported by the riser tubes with moisture being wicked to the growing medium in the trough by the growing medium. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A soiless growing system for all seeds and plants comprising: an elongated water pipe horizontally disposed and continuously containing water, said pipe including a series of openings along its top side, a plant support riser pipe positioned in each opening, a perforated tube fitted with a growing medium means provided in each plant support riser pipe with the lower end of the perforated tube and growing medium means extending into the water in the water pipe, said growing medium means having a water table with a saturation capillary fringe and a root zone thereabove, said growing medium means having large and small pores with enough pores of large enough size to limit the saturation capillary fringe from said water table to a small fraction of the height of the growing medium and enough pores of small enough size to hold sufficient moisture in said root zone to provide abundant water for seed and plant growth, air means in communication with the growing medium means to provide for continuous entry of oxygen and an escape of carbon dioxide to provide abundant oxygen for seed and plant growth, and said riser plant support pipes are corrugated with annularly extending air passageways spaced along the length thereof and being in communication with the atmosphere to thereby provide air to said growing medium means through said perforated tube. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said perforated tube and said plant support riser pipe are spaced apart sufficiently to allow air to circulate along said perforated tube between said annular air passageways and the communicating point with the atmosphere. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said perforated tubes with growing medium and growing plants or seeds may be removed from said plant support riser pipe and relocated to an alternate location. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said water in said water pipe contains a single fertilizer mix which feeds all the different plants and seeds growing in the system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said water pipe is located above ground. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said water pipe is located in the ground with the plant support riser pipes extending above the ground. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 and a pumping system and water reservoir are connected to said water pipe to provide a continuous supply of water to said water pipe. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7 wherein a plurality of water pipes are connected to said pumping system and water reservoir. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said plant support riser pipes alternately extending at different angles to the vertical to provide lateral growing space for adjacent plants. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9 wherein the plants in the system include short and tall plants with the short plants being positioned in the plant support riser pipes closest to the sun. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said water pipe and said plant support riser pipes are dark colored to absorb heat from sunlight which is conducted to said growing medium means and said water. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said perforated tube is a mesh material having a bottom end for holding said growing medium means therein. ### Claim 13 A swamp growing system for all seeds and plants comprising: a plurality of plant support riser pipes vertically disposed in a swamp with the upper ends of the pipes extending above the water level of the swamp, a growing medium means in said pipes extending from below the water level to above the water level, said growing medium means having a water table with a saturation capillary fringe and a root zone thereabove, said growing medium means having large and small pores with enough pores of large enough size to limit the saturation capillary fringe from said water table to a small fraction of the height of the growing medium and enough pores of small enough size to hold sufficient moisture in said root zone to provide abundant water for seed and plant growth, air means in communication with the growing medium means to provide for continuous entry of oxygen and an escape of carbon dioxide to provide abundant oxygen for seed and plant growth, and said riser plant support pipes are corrugated with annularly extending air passageways spaced along the length thereof and being in communication with the atmosphere to thereby provide air to said growing medium means through said perforated tube. ### Claim 14 A soiless growing system for all seeds and plants comprising: an elongated water pipe horizontally disposed and continuously containing water, said pipe including a series of openings along its top side, a plant support riser pipe positioned in each opening, a growing medium means provided in each plant support riser pipe and extending into the water in the water pipe, said growing medium means having a water table with a saturation capillary fringe and a root zone thereabove, said growing medium means having large and small pores with enough pores of large enough size to limit the saturation capillary fringe from said water table to a small fraction of the height of the growing medium and enough pores of small enough size to hold sufficient moisture in said root zone to provide abundant water for seed and plant growth, air means in communication with the growing medium means to provide for continuous entry of oxygen and an escape of carbon dioxide to provide abundant oxygen for seed and plant growth, and said riser plant support pipes are corrugaged with annularly extending air passageways spaced along the length thereof and being in communication with the atmosphere to thereby provide air to said growing medium means through said perforated tube.