Osmotic fertilizer product and fertilization method

Claim 2

A fertilizer product comprising an imperforate reverse osmosis tubular membrane member composed of polyvinyl alcohol; a fertilizer material containing (consisting of) at least one member of the group consisting of (comprising) nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium; said tubular member containing an evenly distributed predetermined quantity of said fertilizer material; and said fertilizer material being released through said tubular member in proportion to the requirements of plant growth.

Claim 3

The fertilizer product of claim 1 where said tubular member is reinforced on its outer surface by filamentary yarn wrapped about the permeable membrane member.

Claim 4

A fertilizer product comprising an imperforate reverse osmosis member characterized by osmotic separation usefulness in the ionic and macromolecular range particle size separation from 10 -4 to 10 -7 millimeters and made from a water swellable polymer, said member sealingly enclosing granulated plant fertilizer materials containing (consisting of) at least one member of the group consisting of (comprising) nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.

Claim 5

A fertilizer product comprising an imperforate reverse osmosis member characterized by osmotic separation usefulness in the ionic and macromolecular range particle size separation from 10 -4 to 10 -7 millimeters and made from a water swellable polymer, said member sealingly enclosing granulated plant fertilizer materials containing (consisting of) at least one member of the group consisting of (comprising) nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.

Claim 6

Method of applying plant food to growing plants comprising the steps of: sealingly enclosing granulated plant food fertilizer containing (consisting of) at least one member of the group consisting of (containing) nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium within an essentially imperforate reverse osmosis member made from a water-swellable polymer and characterized by osmotic separation usefulness in the ionic and macromolecular range particle size separation from 10 -4 to 10 -7 millimeters; positioning and arranging said sealingly enclosed plant food in an upper layer of porous soil adjacent to but spaced apart from a growing plant with the plant food separated from the plant by said reverse osmosis member: and watering the porous soil in the area of the sealingly enclosed plant food whereby osmotic forces direct the water through the member wall solubilizing plant food enclosed therein and pressure differential between the interior of the membrane enclosure and the porous soil at the exterior thereof resulting from capillary pressure by virtue of moisture removal from the soil (sail) by the plant causing reverse osmosis transfer of said solubilized plant food through the membrane wall with capillary pressure transport to the plant.

Claim 7

Method of applying plant food to growing plants comprising the steps of: sealingly enclosing granulated plant food fertilizer containing (consisting of) at least one member of the group consisting of (containing) nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium within an essentially imperforate reverse osmosis member made from a water-swellable polymer and characterized by osmotic separation usefulness in the ionic and macromolecular range particle size separation from 10 -4 to 10 -7 millimeters; positioning and arranging said sealingly enclosed plant food in an upper layer of porous soil adjacent to but spaced apart from a growing plant with the plant food separated from the plant by said reverse osmosis member: and watering the porous soil in the area of the sealingly enclosed plant food whereby osmotic forces direct the water through the member wall solubilizing plant food enclosed therein and pressure differential between the interior of the membrane enclosure and the porous soil at the exterior thereof resulting from capillary pressure by virtue of moisture removal from the soil (sail) by the plant causing reverse osmosis transfer of said solubilized plant food through the membrane wall with capillary pressure transport to the plant.

Claim 10

A method of making a fertilizing product as described in claim 5 further comprising the step of wrapping a filamentary yarn braid around the outer surface of said tubular member thereby reinforcing said tubular means.