Bark and wood fiber growing medium

• US 10,519,073 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2019
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Profile Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Profile Products LLC
• Inventors: Spittle, Kevin Scott, Bowers, Gary Lane
• Primary Examiner(s): Langel, Wayne A
• Application Number:
  US16/366,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20190218154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 279 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 24/23 Wood, e.g. wood chips or sawdust
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 24/28 containing peat, moss or sphagnum
• CPC Class Codes: C05D 9/02 containing trace elements
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 11/00 Other organic fertilisers
• CPC Class Codes: C05G 3/80 Soil conditioners
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 17/16 applied in a physical form other than a solution or a grout, e.g. as platelets or granules
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 17/32 of natural origin, e.g. cellulosic materials
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 17/52 Mulches

Abstract

A growing medium comprising fibrous tree bark and fibrous wood components, wherein the fibers of the growing medium have an average length to width ratio, such that the growing medium has a dry bulk density of about 60 kg/m³ or lower and wet bulk density of about 120 kg/m³ or lower.

Claims

1. A growing mix comprising:

about 5 to about 70 weight % fibrous tree bark, based on the total weight of the growing mix;

about 20 to about 80 weight % fibrous wood components, based on the total weight of the growing mix; and

additional component(s) including macronutrients and mineral(s),

wherein about 10 to about 80 weight % of the growing mix, based on the total weight of the growing mix, comprises fibers having an average length to width ratio of about 14;

1 to 31;

1 and about 10 to 80 weight % of the growing mix, based on the total weight of the growing mix, comprises fibers having an average length to width ratio of about 39;

1 to 56;

1.

2. The growing mix of claim 1, wherein the growing mix comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm, a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm, and a third portion having a particle size 0.15-0.29 mm such that the first portion or the second portion is greater than the third portion.

3. The growing mix of claim 1, wherein the growing mix comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm and a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm such that the first and second portions collectively form more than 25 weight % of the growing mix.

4. The growing mix of claim 1, wherein the growing mix comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm, a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm, and a third portion having a particle size of 0.15-0.29 mm such that the first portion is at least 3 weight % of the growing mix greater than the third portion.

5. The growing mix of claim 1, wherein the growing mix comprises less than 30 weight % of particles having a sieve size larger than #16.

6. The growing mix of claim 1, wherein the growing mix comprises about 60 to about 65 weight % fibrous tree bark and about 35 to about 40 weight % fibrous wood components.

7. The growing mix of claim 1, wherein the growing mix comprises about 5 to about 10 weight % fibrous tree bark.

8. The growing mix of claim 1, wherein the growing mix comprises about 8 to about 15 weight % fibrous tree bark.

9. The growing mix of claim 1, wherein the growing mix comprises about 45 to about 50 weight % fibrous wood components.

10. The growing mix of claim 1, wherein the growing mix comprises about 40 to about 60 weight % fibrous wood components.

11. The growing mix of claim 1, wherein the growing mix comprises about 1 to about 15 wt. % of the additional components.

12. The growing mix of claim 1, further comprising at least one of micronutrient(s), fertilizer(s), chemical binder(s), natural gum(s), manmade fiber(s), soil, or seed.

13. The growing mix of claim 1, wherein the growing mix further comprises a surfactant.

14. The growing mix of claim 1, wherein the fibrous tree bark is pine bark.

15. The growing mix of claim 1, wherein the fibrous wood components comprise wood chips, wood fiber, or both.

16. A growing medium comprising:

about 70 to about 90 weight % fibrous tree bark, based on the total weight of the growing medium;

about 10 to about 30 weight % fibrous wood components, based on the total weight of the growing medium; and

about 1 to about 15 weight % additional component(s) including at least one of macronutrient(s), mineral(s), chemical binder(s), interlocking manmade fiber(s), natural gum(s), soil, or surfactant,

wherein at least about 10 weight % of the fibers, based on the total weight of the growing medium, have an average length to width ratio of at least about 9.

17. The growing medium of claim 16, wherein the growing medium comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm and a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm such that the growing medium comprises at least about 30 weight % more of the first portion than the second portion.

18. The growing medium of claim 16, wherein the growing medium comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm, a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm, and a third portion having a particle size of 0.71-1.17 mm, the third portion being greater in weight % of the growing medium than the second portion.

19. The growing medium of claim 16, wherein the growing medium comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm, a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm, and a third portion having a particle size of 0.71-1.17 mm such that the first and third portions collectively form more than 25 weight % of the growing medium.

20. The growing medium of claim 16, wherein the growing medium comprises less than 30 weight % of particles having a sieve size larger than #16.

21. The growing medium of claim 16, wherein the growing medium comprises about 75 to about 85 weight % fibrous tree bark and about 15 to about 25 weight % fibrous wood components.

22. The growing medium of claim 16, wherein the growing medium comprises less than about 10 wt. % of the additional components.

23. The growing medium of claim 16, wherein the growing medium comprises the surfactant.

24. The growing medium of claim 16, wherein the fibrous tree bark is pine bark.

25. The growing medium of claim 16, wherein the fibrous wood components comprise wood chips, wood fiber, or both.

26. The growing medium of claim 16, wherein the growing medium comprises the interlocking manmade fiber(s).

27. The growing medium of claim 16, wherein the soil is present in the growing medium in the amount of about 15 weight % or less of the total weight of the growing medium.

28. A growing medium comprising:

about 20 to about 80 weight % fibrous tree bark, based on the total weight of the growing medium; and

about 20 to about 80 weight % fibrous wood components, based on the total weight of the growing medium,

wherein about 10 to about 80 weight % of the growing medium, based on the total weight of the growing medium, comprises fibers having an average length to width ratio of about 14;

1 to 31;

1 and about 10 to 80 weight % of the growing medium, based on the total weight of the growing medium, comprises fibers having an average length to width ratio of about 39;

1 to 56;

1 such that the growing medium has a dry bulk density of about 96.11 kg/m³ or less.

29. The growing medium of claim 28, wherein the growing medium has a dry bulk density of about 32.04 kg/m³ or less.

30. The growing medium of claim 28, wherein the growing medium comprises about 20 to about 40 weight % fibrous tree bark and about 60 to about 80 weight % fibrous wood components.

31. The growing medium of claim 28, wherein the growing medium comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm and a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm such that the growing medium comprises at least about 30 weight % more of the first portion than the second portion.

32. The growing medium of claim 28, wherein the growing medium comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm, a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm, and a third portion having a particle size of 0.71-1.17 mm, the third portion being greater in weight % of the growing medium than the second portion.

33. The growing medium of claim 28, wherein the growing medium comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm, a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm, and a third portion having a particle size of 0.71-1.17 mm such that the first and third portions collectively form more than 25 weight % of the growing medium.

34. The growing medium of claim 28, wherein the growing medium comprises less than 30 weight % of particles having a sieve size larger than #16.

35. The growing medium of claim 28, wherein the growing medium comprises less than about 15 wt. % of the additional components.

36. The growing medium of claim 28, wherein the fibrous tree bark comprises pine tree bark.

37. The growing medium of claim 28, wherein the fibrous wood components comprise wood chips.

38. A growing mix comprising:

substantially bark free growing medium having fibrous pine wood components; and

man-made fiber(s),

wherein about 10 to about 80 weight % of the growing mix, based on the total weight of the growing mix, comprises fibers having an average length to width ratio of about 14;

1 to 31;

1 and about 10 to 80 weight % of the growing mix, based on the total weight of the growing mix, comprises fibers having an average length to width ratio of about 39;

1 to 56;

1.

39. The growing mix of claim 38, wherein the growing mix comprises about 1 to 15 weight % of the man-made fiber(s) based on the total weight of the growing mix.

40. The growing mix of claim 38, wherein the growing mix comprises about 85 to 99 weight % of the growing medium, based on the total weight of the growing mix.

41. The growing mix of claim 38, wherein the growing mix comprises about 90 to 95 weight % of the growing medium, based on the total weight of the growing mix.

42. The growing mix of claim 38, wherein the growing mix comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm, a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm, and a third portion having a particle size of 0.71-1.17 mm such that the first portion or the second portion is greater than the third portion.

43. The growing mix of claim 38, wherein the growing mix comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm and a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm such that the first and second portions collectively form more than 25 weight % of the growing mix.

44. The growing mix of claim 38, wherein the growing mix comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm, a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm, and a third portion having a particle size of 0.71-1.17 mm such that a weight difference between the first and third portions is less than 5 weight %.

45. The growing mix of claim 38, wherein the growing mix comprises less than 30 weight % of particles having a sieve size smaller than #50.

46. The growing mix of claim 38, wherein the fibrous pine wood components comprise wood chips.

47. The growing mix of claim 38, wherein the growing medium includes about 100 weight % of wood components, based on the total weight of the growing medium.

48. The growing mix of claim 38, wherein the growing medium further includes at least one of micronutrient(s), fertilizer(s), chemical binder(s), natural gum(s), manmade fiber(s), soil, or seed.