Plant box

Claim 1

Plant box comprising in combination: a container of preferably relatively porous material, such as compresses asbestos-cement, said container having an unperforated bottom and lateral side walls with continuous inner flanges along their lower edges, said inner flanges having a generally horizontal portion extending inwardly around the entire perimeter of the container and a downwardly extending portion connecting with said bottom, said lateral walls having at least one overflow aperture through the inner flanges, a perforated plate supported on said inner flanges of the lateral walls at a distance from the unperforated bottom of the container, said perforated plate delimiting with said bottom a drainage chamber containing a quantity of water, limited by the overflow aperture, a mass of suitable mineral substance container within said container upon the perforated plate and in which the plant roots grow, wick means extending through perforations in the perforated plate, said wick means adapted for conveying water by capillary action from the drainage chamber to the mass of mineral substance to regularly moisten said mineral substance, a water-tight tray for supporting said container, said water-tight tray having a horizontal bottom surrounded by a continuous lateral wall, said bottom including a longitudinal central recess formed therein and extending between opposite walls, the remaining portions of said bottom on the sides of said central recess adapted for supporting said container, the unperforated bottom of said container and said central recess forming a lower chamber open upwards at its ends and containing water to be evaporated through the open sapce between the walls of the tray and the lateral walls of the container to humidify the air surrounding the plant, a support for the tray positioned under the bottom thereof and between the lateral walls of said tray, said support being mounted on rollers, at least one electrical resistance heating means placed adjacent the perforated plate, said resistance heating means serving for moderately heating the mass of mineral substance containing the roots of the plant.