Plant irrigation apparatus

A plant irrigation apparatus for providing a fluid to one or more plants, comprising:

• a plurality of platforms, each having a support surface disposed at a platform elevation, wherein the plurality of platforms are spaced with respect to one another to define a plurality of intersecting interior channels that at least partially define a fluid reservoir;
• at least one fluid level regulating structure configured to maintain a maximum elevation for the fluid, wherein the maximum elevation is lower than the platform elevation;
• and
• a capillary mat supported by the plurality of platforms, the capillary mat having a lower layer that is in direct engagement with the platforms and an upper layer that is disposed on the lower layer and is spaced from the platforms by the lower layer, wherein at least a portion of the lower layer of the capillary mat is disposed within the fluid reservoir below the maximum elevation of the fluid such that the lower layer of the capillary mat is normally completely wetted by the fluid, and the upper layer of the capillary mat has a structure that only transmits the fluid by capillary action in response to compression of the upper layer of the capillary mat, such that the fluid is transmitted from the lower layer of the capillary mat to a top surface of the upper layer of the capillary mat in response to compression of the upper layer of the capillary mat.

A plant irrigation apparatus for providing a fluid to one or more plants, comprising:

• a fluid retaining tray fabricated as a one-piece vacuum-formed structure, the fluid retaining tray including:
• a plurality of support surfaces disposed in a spaced array, the support surfaces disposed at a platform elevation such that voids are defined under each support surface,
• a plurality of channel bottom surfaces, at least some of the channel bottom surfaces disposed between adjacent pairs of the support surfaces to provide a substantially grid like bottom for the fluid retaining tray,
• each support surface circumscribed by a plurality of generally upright walls that extend from the support surfaces to the channel bottom surfaces to space the support surfaces from the channel bottom surfaces,
• a peripheral wall that cooperates with the channel bottom surfaces and the generally upright walls to at least partially define a fluid reservoir for containing the fluid, and
• at least one fluid level regulating structure configured to maintain a maximum elevation for the fluid, wherein the maximum elevation is lower than the platform elevation;
• and
• a capillary mat supported by the plurality of support surfaces by direct engagement of the capillary mat with the support surfaces, wherein at least a portion of the capillary mat is disposed within the fluid reservoir below the maximum elevation of the fluid.