Hydroponic growing medium and method

Claim 1

A method of hydroponically growing a plant, said method comprising the steps of providing an elongated element of non-biodegradable fibers, said element having an exterior shell that surrounds the internal fibers which is formed from the outermost layer of said fibers by melting the outermost layer of said fibers, said internal fibers being oriented generally axially of said element, said fibers being adapted to provide capillary transfer of a nutrient solution from one end of said element to the other end of said element, said fibers selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, acrylic, polyvinyl acetate, and mixtures thereof, said elongated element having a bending length at least about 50% greater than the bending length of the fiber sliver or fiber two from which said element is produced, said internal fibers having a bulk density between about 0.02 grams per cc and about 0.10 grams per cc, and said internal fibers having a denier of less than about 100, orienting said elongated element in a generally vertical fashion, gripping said elongated element between its ends for restraining said element in said generally vertical orientation, said gripping being accomplished by partially deforming said element upon insertion of that element in a generally V-shaped clamp so that said element's one end is above said clamp when said element's other end is immersed in said solution, said element initially being restrained within said clamp due to the deformation of said element by said clamp, seating a seed on said element's one end, said one end having a surface area substantially greater than the cross-sectional are of said seed, and immersing said element's other end in a nutrient solution, said shell cooperating with said plant's root system during growth of said plant so as to direct said root system from said element's seat end toward said element's nutrient solution end while confining said root system interiorly of said element within said shell substantially throughout that section of said element not exposed to said nutrient solution, said interior confinement being in response to the structural integrity provided by said element's shell, the immersion lasting for a sufficient time period to permit and promote root growth within said element as well as exterior to said element, but the exterior root growth occurring only at that end of said element immersed in the nutrient solution.

Claim 2

A method of hydroponically growing a plant, said method comprising the steps of providing an elongated element of non-biodegradable fibers, said element having an exterior shell that surrounds the internal fibers which is formed from the outermost layer of said fibers by melting the outermost layer of said fibers, said internal fibers being oriented generally axially of said element, said fibers being adapted to provide capillary transfer of a nutrient solution from one end of said element to the other end of said element, said fibers selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, acrylic, polyvinyl acetate, and mixtures thereof, said elongated element having a bending length at least about 50% greater than the bending length of the fiber sliver or fiber two from which said element is produced, said internal fibers having a bulk density between about 0.02 grams per cc and about 0.10 grams per cc, and said internal fibers having a denier of less than about 100, orienting said elongated element in a generally vertical fashion, gripping said elongated element between its ends for restraining said element in said generally vertical orientation, said gripping being accomplished by partially deforming said element upon insertion of that element in a generally V-shaped clamp so that said element's one end is above said clamp when said element's other end is immersed in said solution, said element initially being restrained within said clamp due to the deformation of said element by said clamp, seating a seed on said element's one end, said one end having a surface area substantially greater than the cross-sectional are of said seed, and immersing said element's other end in a nutrient solution, said shell cooperating with said plant's root system during growth of said plant so as to direct said root system from said element's seat end toward said element's nutrient solution end while confining said root system interiorly of said element within said shell substantially throughout that section of said element not exposed to said nutrient solution, said interior confinement being in response to the structural integrity provided by said element's shell, the immersion lasting for a sufficient time period to permit and promote root growth within said element as well as exterior to said element, but the exterior root growth occurring only at that end of said element immersed in the nutrient solution.