Irrigation system for commercial plant cultivation

Claim 1

An irrigation system for growing plants located in individual containers, comprising a flexible, liquid-impervious hose having means therein for emitting therefrom liquid at a controlled rate along the length thereof, a plurality of individual plant-accepting containers, each of said containers having liquid-passing means therein to allow the entry of liquid into the interior thereor for absorption by growing media and plants therein, and a tray body having plural recesses for accommodating said individual containers, said recesses being arranged in pairs along two rows extending along opposite sides of said tray body, and a central groove extending along the length of said tray body between said rows of recesses for receiving said liquid-supplying hose and for discharging the liquid emitted therefrom laterally into said pairs of plural recesses at discrete locations along said groove for absorption by said growing media and plants located in said individual containers, the flow rate for said hose being selected to match the rate of absorption of said liquid to minimize liquid transfer between said plural recesses, and for each adjacent pair of recesses a first transverse connecting passage for channeling the discharge from said hose into said recesses, and a second transverse passage on the opposite side of each said recess for discharging to a remote area any excess of said liquid channelled to said recess.