Bark and wood fiber growing medium

• US 10,519,373 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2015
• 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:
  US15/322,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20170152441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,646 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 13/0262 Mulches, i.e. covering material not-pre-formed in mats or sheets A01G13/0281 takes precedence; composition of mulches C09K17/52
• 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 17/52 Mulches

Abstract

A method for making a growing medium includes a step of combining tree bark and/or wood components together to form an initial composition; heating the initial composition to a temperature greater than about 149° C. under steam in a pressurized vessel; processing the initial composition through a refiner with a plurality of opposing disks to obtain the fibrous growing medium, the refiner separating fibers from each other; wherein the growing medium has total porosity of 88 volume % or more.

Claims

1. A growing medium comprising:

about 5 to about 95 weight % fibrous tree bark, based on the total weight of the growing medium; and

about 5 to about 95 weight % fibrous wood components, based on the total weight of the growing medium,

wherein the growing medium has a dry bulk density of about 48 kg/m³ or lower and wet bulk density of about 120 kg/m³ or lower.

2. The growing medium of claim 1, wherein the growing medium has a total porosity of 88 volume % or more.

3. The growing medium of claim 1, wherein the growing medium has a total porosity of 95 volume % or more.

4. The growing medium of claim 1, wherein water holding capacity of the growing medium according to ASTM D7367-14 is about 400 to 1000 weight %, based on the total weight of the growing medium.

5. The growing medium of claim 1, wherein 62.3-79.5% of the fibrous tree bark and the fibrous wood components have a particle size less than 2380 μ

m and greater than 150 μ

m.

6. The growing medium of claim 1, wherein the growing medium comprises about 10.1-25.0 weight % fibrous tree bark and fibrous wood components, based on the total weight of the growing medium, having a particle size greater than 710 μ

m and less than 1180 μ

m.

7. The growing medium of claim 1, further comprising at least one of fertilizer(s), macronutrient(s), micronutrients), mineral(s), chemical binder(s), natural gum(s), interlocking manmade fiber(s), soil, or seed.

8. The growing medium of claim 1, wherein the fibrous wood components comprise refined wood chips, wood fiber, or both.

9. The growing medium of claim 1, wherein the fibrous tree bark comprises pine tree bark.

10. The growing medium of claim 1, wherein the growing medium comprises about 20 to about 70 weight % fibrous tree bark and about 30 to about 80 weight % fibrous wood components, based on the total weight of the growing medium.

11. The growing medium of claim 1, wherein the growing medium comprises about 50 to about 60 weight % fibrous tree bark and about 40 to about 50 weight % fibrous wood components, based on the total weight of the growing medium.

12. The growing medium of claim 1, wherein the growing medium comprises about 10 to about 60 weight % fibrous tree bark and about 40 to about 90 weight % fibrous wood components, based on the total weight of the growing medium.

13. The growing medium of claim 1, wherein the growing medium is sterile.

14. A growing mix composition comprising:

about 40 to 85 weight % growing medium including fibrous tree bark and fibrous wood components; and

about 15 to 60 weight % peat,

wherein the growing medium has total porosity of 88 volume % or more.

15. The growing mix composition of claim 14, wherein the growing mix is substantially free of perlite.

16. The growing mix composition of claim 14, wherein the growing medium further comprises at least one of fertilizer(s), macronutrient(s), micronutrient(s), mineral(s), chemical binder(s), natural gum(s), interlocking manmade fiber(s), soil, or seed.

17. The growing mix composition of claim 14, further comprising composted pine bark, vermiculite, sand, rock wool, compost, animal manure, rice hulls, hardwood bark, softwood bark, coir, or a combination thereof.

18. The growing mix composition of claim 14, wherein the growing medium comprises about 5 to about 95 weight % fibrous tree bark and about 5 to about 95 weight % fibrous wood components, based on the total weight of the growing medium.

19. The growing mix composition of claim 14, wherein the fibrous tree bark comprises pine tree bark.

20. The growing mix composition of claim 14, wherein the growing medium has a dry bulk density between 24 and 104 kg/m³.

21. A growing medium comprising:

about 100 weight % fibrous pine wood components,

wherein the growing medium has a dry bulk density of 12.01 to 20.02 kg/m³ and wet bulk density of about 120 kg/m³ or lower.

22. The growing medium of claim 21, wherein the growing medium has a total porosity of 88 volume % or more.

23. The growing medium of claim 21, wherein water holding capacity of the growing medium according to ASTM D7367-14 is about 400 to 1000 weight %, based on the total weight of the growing medium.

24. The growing medium of claim 21, wherein the growing medium is sterile.