Self-watering planter assembly

Abstract

A planter insert and planter insert assembly. In an embodiment, the planter insert assembly includes a planter housing with an upper portion and a bottom reservoir portion with a bottom interior surface; a tray defining a containment space for plant support media, wherein the tray is disposed within the upper portion of the planter housing, the tray having a bottom surface with a plurality of perforations allowing for insertion of at least one wicking member, the tray further having a sidewall including a bottom portion, wherein the bottom surface of the tray depends from the bottom portion of the sidewall; and a tray support disposed within the bottom reservoir portion of the planter housing, the tray support having a top surface, wherein the tray is supported only by the tray support when the bottom surface of the tray is positioned on the top surface of the tray support.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A planter insert, comprising:
 a tray defining a containment space for plant support media, the tray having a bottom surface defining a plurality of perforations, at least one of the perforations allowing for insertion of at least one wicking member, the tray further having a sidewall including a bottom portion, wherein the bottom surface of the tray depends from the bottom portion of the sidewall, wherein excess fluid in the plant support media in the containment space exits the tray through the perforations in the bottom surface.   
     
     
         2 . The planter insert of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one layer of fluid-permeable material covering the plurality of perforations in the bottom surface of the tray, the at least one layer of fluid-permeable material defining at least one hole allowing for insertion of the at least one wicking member, wherein each hole in the at least one layer of fluid permeable material is aligned with one of the perforations in the bottom surface of the tray.   
     
     
         3 . The planter insert of  claim 1 , wherein the tray further includes at least two handles depending from the sidewall. 
     
     
         4 . The planter insert of  claim 1 , wherein the tray has a circular cross-section. 
     
     
         5 . The planter insert of  claim 1 , the tray further including a top perimeter surface having a perimeter, the bottom surface having a perimeter, wherein the sidewall of the tray is downwardly tapering, wherein the perimeter of the top perimeter surface of the tray is larger than the perimeter of the bottom surface of the tray. 
     
     
         6 . The planter insert of  claim 5 , wherein the sidewall of the tray is concave. 
     
     
         7 . The planter insert of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a tray support, the tray support having a top surface, wherein the tray is supported only by the tray support when the bottom surface of the tray is positioned on the top surface of the tray support.   
     
     
         8 . The planter insert of  claim 7 , the tray support further including at least one leg positioned beneath the top surface of the tray support. 
     
     
         9 . The planter insert of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one leg is a plurality of downwardly converging legs. 
     
     
         10 . A planter insert assembly, comprising:
 a planter housing including an upper portion and a bottom reservoir portion, the bottom reservoir portion having a bottom interior surface;   a tray defining a containment space for plant support media, wherein the tray is disposed within the upper portion of the planter housing, the tray having a bottom surface with a plurality of perforations, at least one of the perforations allowing for insertion of at least one wicking member, the tray further having a sidewall including a bottom portion, wherein the bottom surface of the tray depends from the bottom portion of the sidewall; and   a tray support disposed within the bottom reservoir portion of the planter housing, the tray support having a top surface, wherein the tray is supported only by the tray support when the bottom surface of the tray is positioned on the top surface of the tray support.   
     
     
         11 . The planter insert assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 at least one layer of fluid-permeable material covering the plurality of perforations in the bottom surface of the tray, the at least one layer of fluid-permeable material defining at least one hole for allowing insertion of the at least one wicking member, wherein each hole in the at least one layer of fluid permeable material is aligned with one of the perforations in the bottom surface of the tray.   
     
     
         12 . The planter insert assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the tray further includes at least two handles depending from the sidewall. 
     
     
         13 . The planter insert assembly of  claim 10 , the tray support further including at least one leg positioned beneath the top surface of the tray support. 
     
     
         14 . The planter insert assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one leg is a plurality of downwardly converging legs. 
     
     
         15 . The planter insert of  claim 10 , wherein the tray has a circular cross-section. 
     
     
         16 . The planter insert assembly of  claim 10 , the tray further including a top perimeter surface having a perimeter, the bottom surface having a perimeter, wherein the sidewall of the tray is downwardly tapering, wherein the perimeter of the top perimeter surface of the tray is larger than the perimeter of the bottom surface of the tray. 
     
     
         17 . The planter insert assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the sidewall of the tray is concave. 
     
     
         18 . The planter insert assembly of  claim 16 , the upper portion of the planter housing including a top perimeter edge having a perimeter, the bottom portion of the planter housing including a bottom perimeter edge having a perimeter, wherein the planter housing is downwardly tapering, wherein the perimeter of the top perimeter edge of the planter housing is larger than the perimeter of the bottom perimeter edge of the planter housing. 
     
     
         19 . The planter insert assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the bottom reservoir portion of the planter housing has a volume, wherein the containment space defined in the tray has a volume, wherein the volume of the bottom reservoir portion is at least two times the volume of the containment space. 
     
     
         20 . The planter insert assembly of  claim 10 , the bottom reservoir portion of the planter housing defining at least one fluid overfill hole, wherein fluid in the bottom reservoir portion rising to a height of the at least one fluid overfill hole exits the planter insert assembly through the at least one fluid overfill hole.