Horticultural nonwoven substrate and side mat

Claim 2

A horticultural nonwoven horizontal substrate combined with a substantially vertical nonwoven side mat, said substrate and said side mat being a unitary three-dimensional random fibrous nonwoven porous structure of rot-proof synthetic fibers forming a continuous aeration zone when placed beneath and around soil accommodating plant roots, said rot-proof fibers consisting essentially of a plurality of looped, intersecting and substantially amorphous filaments of melt-spun synthetic polymers bonded together at their intersection, wherein the surfaces of said mat and said substrate which are in contact with said soil have a lower porosity than the sides that do not contact said soil, said lower porosity being sufficiently low to prevent substantial penetration of soil into said aeration zone.

Claim 3

A horticultural nonwoven horizontal substrate combined with a substantially vertical nonwoven side mat according to claim 1 wherein said surfaces contacting said soil have a porosity of from 50 to 70 percent and the remaining surfaces in contact with said soil have a porosity of from 85 to 95 percent.

Claim 4

A horticultural nonwoven horizontal substrate combined with a vertical nonwoven side mat extending upwardly from said substrate, said combination being adapted to contain soil within the inside surfaces of said substrate and side mat, means beneath said horizontal substrate and outwardly of said vertical side mat to support the same, said substrate and said side mat being three-dimensional random fibrous nonwoven porous structures of rot-proof synthetic fibers, the surfaces of said substrate and side mat contacting the soil having lower porosity than the surfaces not contacting the soil, said structures conforming to the internal shape of said support means and forming an aeration zone when placed beneath and around soil accomodating plant roots within said structures, said support means being in supporting contact with said combined substrate and side mat, whereby soil is substantially prevented from penetrating into said aeration zone.

Claim 5

A horticultural nonwoven horizontal substrate combined with a vertical nonwoven side mat extending upwardly from said substrate, said combination being adapted to contain soil within the inside surfaces of said substrate and side mat, means beneath said horizontal substrate and outwardly of said vertical side mat to support the same, said substrate and said side mat being three-dimensional random fibrous nonwoven porous structures of rot-proof synthetic fibers, the surfaces of said substrate and side mat contacting the soil having lower porosity than the surfaces not contacting the soil, said structures conforming to the internal shape of said support means and forming an aeration zone when placed beneath and around soil accomodating plant roots within said structures, said support means being in supporting contact with said combined substrate and side mat, whereby soil is substantially prevented from penetrating into said aeration zone.

Claim 6

A planter combination for the hydrocultural growth of plant life comprising a substantially horizontal base layer composed of a porous filamentary web situated below a root zone of a growing plant, a secondary approximately vertically positioned porous filamentary web extending upwardly from said base layer, said horizontal and vertical webs at least partially surrounding said root zone and a water-permeable growing medium contained by said horizontal and vertical webs for the development and growth of said plant, each of said webs consisting essentially of continuous filaments of a melt-spun, substantially amorphous fiber-forming synthetic polymer, which filaments are resistant to rotting and decomposition under plant growing conditions, a plurality of said filaments of each of said webs being looped in adjacent rows for random intersection of overlapping loops with adherence at their points of intersection to form a retaining wall for said water-permeable growing medium, said horizontal base and vertically positioned web, said horizontal base and vertically positioned web being three-dimensional random fibrous nonporous structures, the surfaces of said structures contacting said growing medium having a lower porosity than those that do not contact said growing medium, said lower porosity being sufficiently low to prevent substantial penetration of said growing medium into said porous filamentary web.

Claim 7

A planter combination for the hydrocultural growth of plant life comprising a substantially horizontal base layer composed of a porous filamentary web situated below a root zone of a growing plant, a secondary approximately vertically positioned porous filamentary web extending upwardly from said base layer, said horizontal and vertical webs at least partially surrounding said root zone and a water-permeable growing medium contained by said horizontal and vertical webs for the development and growth of said plant, each of said webs consisting essentially of continuous filaments of a melt-spun, substantially amorphous fiber-forming synthetic polymer, which filaments are resistant to rotting and decomposition under plant growing conditions, a plurality of said filaments of each of said webs being looped in adjacent rows for random intersection of overlapping loops with adherence at their points of intersection to form a retaining wall for said water-permeable growing medium, said horizontal base and vertically positioned web, said horizontal base and vertically positioned web being three-dimensional random fibrous nonporous structures, the surfaces of said structures contacting said growing medium having a lower porosity than those that do not contact said growing medium, said lower porosity being sufficiently low to prevent substantial penetration of said growing medium into said porous filamentary web.

Claim 8

A planter combination according to claim 4 wherein said surfaces contacting said growing medium have a porosity of from 50 to 70 percent, and said surfaces not contacting said soil having a porosity of from 85 to 95 percent.