Process and installation for the industrial production of plants in soil-free cultivation

Claim 1

A process for the industrial production of plants by out-of-ground cultivation, comprising the steps of: (1) (a) laying down a first film of plastics material, wherein the first film is impermeable to plant roots; (b) laying down upon the first film a second film, wherein the second film has longitudinal edges and comprises a non-woven, fine-mesh film permeable to plant roots; (c) laying down upon said second film a layer of a main culture substratum, wherein the main culture substratum layer comprises graded particles, has a width less than the width of the second film and has a predetermined thickness, (d) laying down upon the main culture substratum a third film, wherein the third film has longitudinal edges, comprises a non-woven, fine-mesh film permeable to plant roots and has a width greater than that of the main culture substratum layer; and (e) fastening together the longitudinal edges of the second and third films by adhesion or welding, to form a sleeve enclosing the main culture substratum layer; (2) depositing on the sleeve seeding and an additional culture substratum, wherein the seeding comprises seeds or cuttings and wherein the additional culture substratum is heavily moistened and comprises a semi-liquid mud; (3) applying water to the sleeve to rear plants from the seeding, wherein the plants and the second film, third film and main culture substratum together form an assembly; (4) sectioning or rolling up the assembly after the plants have been reared; and (5) cutting, handling and packing the sectioned or rolled assembly.