Method and apparatus for increasing the spacing between plants in accordance with their growth rate

摘要

A selected number of troughs containing small plants therein are placed in a parallel relation with each other at one end of a soilless growth chamber. Tubular screw sections having helical grooves therein are employed for advancing the troughs from the loading end of the chamber to the unloading end thereof, the helical or screw pitch being considerably greater at the unloading or harvesting end in order to accommodate for the increased size of the plants as they reach maturity. In other words, the pitch of the helix is correlated with the rate at which the plants mature. Tubular screw sections having different pitches can be substituted when the growth rate differs from one species to another.