Self watering bottle planter insert

Abstract

A self watering bottle planter insert allows a regular bottle to be transformed into a hydroponic planter. The self watering bottle planter insert is insertable into a bottle and removes the need for a separate source of nutrients. The planter uses composite media with an enriched substrate layered beneath a more standard hydroponic growth media to add nutrients to the water for the life cycle of the plant. Also provided is a substrate assembly for use in a bottle planter assembly.

1 . A bottle planter comprising:
 an elongated insert for inserting into a neck of a bottle, the insert comprising a housing;   a plurality of substrates within the housing, wherein a first of the plurality of substrates is different than a second of the plurality of substrates;   wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are arranged consecutively along a length of the elongated insert such that the second substrate is lower than the first substrate when the elongated insert is inserted into a neck of a bottle.   
     
     
         2 . The bottle planter of  claim 1 , wherein the housing of the insert comprises at least one vertical aperture such that the first and second substrates are exposed to an interior of the bottle through the at least one vertical aperture. 
     
     
         3 . The bottle planter of  claim 1 , wherein the second substrate includes a plant nutrient not contained in the first substrate. 
     
     
         4 . The bottle planter of  claim 3 , wherein the plant nutrient is dissolvable such that the plant nutrient dissolves into a fluid in the bottle when the elongated insert is inserted into the neck of a bottle. 
     
     
         5 . The bottle planter of  claim 3 , wherein the second substrate further comprises pH buffers not contained in the first substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The bottle planter of  claim 3 , wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are formed from different materials, and wherein the material forming the second substrate has a higher capillary draw than the material forming the first substrate. 
     
     
         7 . The bottle planter of  claim 6 , wherein, when inserted into the neck of a partially filled bottle, the second substrate is at least partially submerged in the fluid, and the first substrate is separated from the fluid, such that fluid is received at the first substrate by way of capillary action from the second substrate. 
     
     
         8 . The bottle planter of  claim 7 , wherein the housing of the insert comprises at least one vertical aperture such that the second substrate is exposed to an interior of the bottle through the at least one vertical aperture, and where the at least one vertical aperture is provided only on a bottom portion of the housing. 
     
     
         9 . The bottle planter assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the first substrate has a tree bark base and the second substrate has a peat moss base. 
     
     
         10 . The bottle planter of  claim 3 , wherein the first substrate is seeded and the second substrate is unseeded. 
     
     
         11 . A planter assembly comprising:
 a first substrate for supporting hydroponic planting of seeds;   a second substrate different than the first substrate;   wherein the first and second substrate are combined in an elongated plug such that the first and second substrate are arranged consecutively along a length of the plug.   
     
     
         12 . The planter assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the second substrate includes a plant nutrient not contained in the first substrate. 
     
     
         13 . The planter assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the plant nutrient is dissolvable such that the plant nutrient dissolves into a fluid when the elongated plug is inserted into a fluid. 
     
     
         14 . The planter assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the second substrate further comprises pH buffers not contained in the first substrate. 
     
     
         15 . The planter assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are formed from different materials, and wherein the material forming the second substrate has a higher capillary draw than the material forming the first substrate. 
     
     
         16 . The planter assembly of  claim 15 , wherein, when inserted into a fluid during use, the second substrate is at least partially submerged in the fluid, and the first substrate is separated from the fluid, such that fluid is received at the first substrate by way of capillary action from the second substrate. 
     
     
         17 . The planter assembly of  claim 16  further comprising an elongated housing encasing the first and second substrates, and wherein the housing comprises at least one vertical aperture such that the second substrate is exposed to the fluid through the at least one vertical aperture, and where the at least one vertical aperture is provided only at a bottom portion of the housing. 
     
     
         18 . The planter assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the first substrate has a tree bark base and the second substrate has a peat moss base. 
     
     
         19 . The planter assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the first substrate is seeded and the second substrate is unseeded.