US2008034651A1PendingUtilityA1

Production of sod using a soil-less sand based root zone medium

38
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Aug 7, 1992Filed: Dec 14, 2006Published: Feb 14, 2008
Est. expiryAug 7, 2012(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Michael Egan
A01C 1/044A01G 20/10
38
PatentIndex Score
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Claims

Abstract

The present invention relates to a soil-less sand based root zone medium for the production of sod. The present invention is also directed to a method for the production of sod using a soil-less sand based root zone medium and a sod mat produced by the method of the present invention.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 - 11 . (canceled)  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 28  wherein said organic amendments are selected from the group consisting of peats, processed sludge, rice hulls, fibrous plant materials, or organic polymers.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the organic amendment is Canadian sphagnum peat moss.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the root zone medium contains about 80% by weight sand and about 20% by weight organic amendment.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the organic amendment is Canadian sphagnum peat moss.  
   
   
       16 . The soil-less sand based root zone medium of  claim 28  wherein the root zone medium contains about 70% by weight sand and about 30% by weight organic amendment.  
   
   
       17 . The soil-less sand based root zone medium of  claim 16  wherein the organic amendment is Canadian sphagnum peat moss.  
   
   
       18 . The soil-less sand based root zone medium of  claim 28  wherein the sand grains have a uniform size ranging from about 0.05 mm to about 1 mm.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 28  further comprising blending grass seed with the soil-less sand based root zone medium.  
   
   
       20 - 21 . (canceled)  
   
   
       22 . A sod mat produced by the method of  claim 28  comprising a mat of turf grass and a layer of soil-less sand based root zone medium.  
   
   
       23 . A sod mat according to  claim 22  wherein the grass is a Bermuda grass.  
   
   
       24 . A sod mat according to  claim 28  wherein the grass is a Zoysia grass.  
   
   
       25 . A sod mat according to  claim 28  wherein the grass is a bent grass.  
   
   
       26 . A sod mat according to  claim 28  wherein the grass is selected from the group consisting of Fescues, Rye or Buffalo grass.  
   
   
       27 . (canceled)  
   
   
       28 . A method of producing turf grass in sod form, the method comprising the steps of: 
 blending a soil-less sand based root zone medium to form a soil-less blend that has a grain size of sand that substantially matches a grain size at a transplant site;    depositing a layer of the soil-less sand based root zone medium sufficient for production of turf grass;    introducing seeds, stolons, sprigs or plugs of a turf grass into the soil-less sand based root zone medium;    propagating the seeds, stolons, sprigs or plugs into a harvestable mat of turf grass sod and root zone medium;    wherein the soil-less sand based root zone medium comprises: 
 (i) at least about 60% by weight sand;  
 (ii) at most about 40% by weight organic amendment; and  
 (iii) an effective amount of fertilizer.  
   
   
   
       29 . A method of producing a mat of turf grass, the method comprising the steps of 
 preparing a root zone medium comprising sand, organic amendment, and fertilizer, wherein the sand has a grain size that substantially matches the grain size at a transplant site;    blending the root zone medium with seeds, stolons, sprigs or plugs of a turf grass;    propagating the seeds, stolons, sprigs or plugs into a mat of turf grass and root zone medium; and    harvesting the mat of turf grass and root zone medium.    
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the organic amendment is selected from the group consisting of peats, processed sludge, rice hulls, fibrous plant materials, or organic polymers.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the organic amendment is Canadian sphagnum peat moss.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the soil-less sand based root zone medium comprises: 
 (i) at least about 60% by weight sand;    (ii) at most about 40% by weight organic amendment; and    (iii) an effective amount of fertilizer.    
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32  wherein the organic amendment is from about 20% by weight to about 30% by weight of the soil-less sand based root zone medium.  
   
   
       34 . A sod mat produced by the method of  claim 29  comprising a mat of turf grass and a layer of soil-less sand based root zone medium.

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