CA1069698A - Root control planter - Google Patents
Root control planterInfo
- Publication number
- CA1069698A CA1069698A CA269,357A CA269357A CA1069698A CA 1069698 A CA1069698 A CA 1069698A CA 269357 A CA269357 A CA 269357A CA 1069698 A CA1069698 A CA 1069698A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- container
- tree
- roots
- deflector
- root
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 9
- 238000005336 cracking Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 claims description 19
- 239000002689 soil Substances 0.000 claims description 8
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 7
- 239000000945 filler Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 abstract description 4
- 230000006378 damage Effects 0.000 description 6
- 241000196324 Embryophyta Species 0.000 description 3
- 238000007373 indentation Methods 0.000 description 3
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 3
- 239000007858 starting material Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000004698 Polyethylene Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 2
- -1 polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 229920000573 polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 241000191291 Abies alba Species 0.000 description 1
- 244000025254 Cannabis sativa Species 0.000 description 1
- 230000009977 dual effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000001125 extrusion Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229920000915 polyvinyl chloride Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000004800 polyvinyl chloride Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000008653 root damage Effects 0.000 description 1
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
Landscapes
- Cultivation Receptacles Or Flower-Pots, Or Pots For Seedlings (AREA)
Abstract
ROOT CONTROL PLANTER
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A tree planter which prevents the roots of a tree from cracking a nearby sidewalk, including a planting container which is buried in the ground with a young tree therein, the container having sidewalls of slick and impenetrable material such as plas-tic, and with the sidewalls sloping outwardly, so that the open bottom of the container is larger than the top, to help deflect roots downwardly so that when they begin growing outwardly they grow at a level far below the sidewalk.
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A tree planter which prevents the roots of a tree from cracking a nearby sidewalk, including a planting container which is buried in the ground with a young tree therein, the container having sidewalls of slick and impenetrable material such as plas-tic, and with the sidewalls sloping outwardly, so that the open bottom of the container is larger than the top, to help deflect roots downwardly so that when they begin growing outwardly they grow at a level far below the sidewalk.
Description
" 1069698 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to apparatus for controlling the growth of the roots of trees planted near a sidewalk, curb, or the like.
The cracking of sidewalks, curbs, driveways, building foundations, and the like by nearby trees is a well-known phenomenon. Steps which can be taken to avoid such damage, such as the destruction of roots leading under the sidewalk, is difficult and expensive. An apparatus and method for ~rowing trees so that their roots will not damage nearby sidewalks and the like, would be of great benefit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
:
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided in a tree installation which includes a planting location near a sidewalk or other structure which can be cracked by a root of a tree, and which also in-cludes a tree at said location and which is of a kind whose roo~s can reach and crack the structure, the improvement comprising: a root deflector dis-posed between said planting location and most of said structure, said deflec-tor having root impanetrable smooth walls with a bottom at a depth at which horizontally-growing roots under the structure would not crack the structure when the roots are mature, said deflector being constructed to allow roots to grow thereunder, whereby roots upon contacting said deflector are generally directed downwardly and can emerge only from the bottom of the deflector at a depth that prevents them from cracking the sidewalk or other nearby structure.
The deflector may comprise a container having sidewalls of root-impenetrable material such as ~lick plastic, with the walls sloping outwardly down to an open bottom of the container. As a result, when the young roots reach the container walls~ the roots are deflected downwardly, and begin to grow outwardly only after they reach the bottom of the walls. The roots tend to continue growing do~nwardly and outwardly at the same depth as the bottom of the container, which is considerably below the level of the sidewalk.
~ " .
. -- 2 --- , .: - -, . : -: . : -fl As a result, any roots which grow under an adjacent sidewalk or the like and which greatly increase in diameter as the tree ages, will not contact the sidewalk to lift and crack the sidewalk.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is pro-vided a method for creating a tree installation at a planting location loca-ted near a sidewalk or the like, comprising: growing the roots of a tree in a container which has slick and root-impenetrable sidewalls; formed a planting hole at said planting location which is wider than said container; installing said container, with the bottom thereof free of obstructions to root passage, in said planting hole, and filling the region around said container with filler material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
, In the accompanying drawings which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention:
; Figure 1 is a sectional side view of a tree installation of the present invention, shown at a time long after the installation;
Figure 2 is a perspective and exploded view of a tree planter of ; the type illustrated in Figure 1, and also showing a removable bottom there-fore;
Figure 3 is a view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;
Figures 4-7 are side views showing the tree growing in an installa-tion method of the present invention during stages prior to the development of the installation as shown in Figure l;
Figure 8 is a partial perspective view of a planting installation constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;
Figure 9 is a sectional side view of a planting installation con- -: :
structed in accordance with still another embodiment of the invention; and ~ ' ~ ' - : . . : . .. : : - . : ::
: . - . . ,.: . . : . ~ -Figure 10 is a sectional side view of a planting installation constructed in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OP THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
. _ _ . . .. . _ _ . .. _ Figure 1 illustrates a tree installation 10 showing a ~airly mature tree 12E with its center close to a sidewalk 14. The roots near the trunk of the tree are located within a container or tree planter 16 which controls the growth of the roots 18, so that the root portions which extend laterally by more than a few feet from the center or axis 20 of the plant-ing location and tree trunk, grow at a considerable depth D below the ground.
The depth D is much greater than the depth W of the sidewalk 14 below the ground. As a result, as the tree further matures and the roots 18 become ; thicker, they will still not come close to the sidewalk 14 or in contact there-with, so that the sidewalk will not be pushed upwardly and cracked.
The cracking of sidewalks by tree roots is normally caused by roots which lie immediately below the sidewalk within a few inches thereof, and which expand in diameter as the tree matures. As the root diameter reaches, a point where the root contacts the sidewalk or presses against dirt which is not pushed aside, the sidewalk is pressed upwardly and it is de-formed or cracks. In the present invention, a container is provided which will direct the tips of the young roots as they grow outwardly from the center 20 of the tree planting location. Although the tips of some roots tend to extend horizontally, they can be deflected from their normal course.
In the present invention, apparatus is provided which deflects the roots downwardly to a depth considerably below the sidewalk. Therafter, the I roots tend to grow downwardly and horizontally at this depthJ so that they ! will not come close to the sidewalk as they increase in diameter with maturity.
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate details of the planting container 16 ; in which a tree can be grown~ and which forms a deflector that causes the roots to grow outwardly at a considerable depth below the ground. The .
..
.
10~698 container includes sidewalls 22 which extend in a largely vertical direction but at a downward-outward angle with re-spect to the vertical, so that the bottom of the container is larger than the top. In addition, the sidewalls 22 are constructed of a material, such as polyethylene plastic or other slick and nonporous material, which is slick and which cannot be penetrated by the tips of the roots as they grow outwardly from the tree. As a result, as the tips of the roots reach the sidewalls 22, the tips are deflected to grow down along the sidewalls. The outward angling of the sidewalls 22 encourages the deflected roots to be de-flected downwardly, so that they tend to grow downwardly along the sidewalls until they reach the bottom 16B of the container. Thereafter, the roots are free to grow outwardly but at a deep level within the ground.
The container 16 is provided with a plurality of ridges 24 which ex~end largely vertically along the inside wall surfaces of the sidewalls 22. The ridges 24 help to prevent the deflected roots from growing sidewardlyJ which could cause their entanglement with one another ~commonly described as root binding). The ridges 24 are constructed with a stepped portion 26 near their upper ends to facilitate the stacking of containers on one another for storage and ship-ping without binding toge*her. Thus, the ridges 24 serve dual purposes, in avoiding root entanglement and in facilitat-ing storage of the planting containers. A complete container assembly includes a bottom cover 30 which is utilized to cover the bottom of the container during shipping or during initial growing and storage above ground of a young tree that is to be transplanted. The cover 30 has a bottom sheet portion ': . ' . ' 106969~3 32 with drainage holes 35, and has short upstanding sidewalls 34 which have an indentation 36. When the cover is placed over an outstepped lower sidewall portion 38 of the container, the indentation 36 of the bottom cover lies slightly over the outstepped container portion 38. A band indicated at 40 then can be tightened about the indentation 36 to hold the cover 30 to the container 16. -Figure 4 - 7 illustrate a preferred commercial growth and installation method of the present invention, where a tree of substantial size is to be transplanted at the final location.
Initially, the tree is grown from a seed or other part of a mature tree in a normal fashion, as in the ground or in a small pot. As shown in Figure 4, the small tree or starter tree 20A
together with soil 42 around its roots, is then installed in soil 44 of a container or planter 16 of the present invention which has been already installed in a shallow hole in the ground, with the upper end 16U of the container preferably a few inches above the level of the surrounding ground. The area 46 immedi-ately about the container 16 is preferably filled with gravel-type filler material, to carry water down to the bottom of thecontainer so the roots do not tend to grow up, while planting mix preferably will have been placed below the bottom level of the container 16. Normal watering of the starter tree inside ~ :
the planting container is performed in the same manner as ; it would be performed if the planting container were not used.
Figure 5 illustrates the starter tree 20B which is partially matured in a field grown installation, and with the roots having grown downwardly to the bottom of the walls .
,~
~0696(3l9 of the container 16 ~the tap root and some of the other roots extend below the bottom of the container). The container with the tree 20s therein is then ready to be transplanted to the final planting location. This is accomplished by removing soil to leave a hole 48, and by cutting off the roots of the tree at a cut line 50 along the bottom of the container. After the container with the tree 20B has been removed from the ground as by a loader machine, the bottom of the container is covered by the bottom cover 30 as shown in Figure 6. It may be noted that the bottom cover 30 has skid grooves 52 which aid in the lifting of the unit for transportation and moving on a truck bed. At the site of the final installation, as shown in Figure 7, a hole 54 is dug, the bottom cover 30 of the container assembly is removed and discarded, the container 16 is installed in the ground with its upper end even with the surrounding soil level or within an inch or two thereof, and the hole is backfilled as in the original planting, preferably with gravel 55 at least at the side nearest the sidewalk.
The roots of the tree can now continue to grow, and will tend to grow at a level substantially no higher than the bottom of the container, to form a mature tree as shown in Figure 1. Where it is not necessary to initially plant a large tree at the final location, a youn~ tree may be planted in the container 16 which is installed in the po-sition of Figures 1 and 7. Where a Christmas tree is trans-ported to a customer site each year and removed several weeks ; later, the tree may be kept in its container at all times with the roots being recut along the bottom of the container as shown at cut line 50 in Figure 5 before each return to the customer.
~06969~3 Thus, the container encourages the roots to grow down- .-ward and outward at a considerable depth below the ground to avoid root damage to sidewalks and the like. The ridges 24 of the container minimize root entanglement and binding. The deep roots not only avoid damage to nearby structures, but also result in a stronger plant and permit the planting of an-nuals and grass up to the trunk or base of the tree. For a typical sidewalk which extends only a few inches below ground level, a planting container with sidewalls 22 of a foot in depth is normally sufficient to guard against damage to near-by sidewalks, although a sidewall depth of about one and one-half feet is preferred.
Figure 8 illustrates a container installation 60 pri-marily useful for the control of roots on an existing large tree 63 which is growing in a small plot completely surrounded by sidewalks 61. In this installation, the container 62 is formed by a pair of extrusions in the form of sheets 64 and 66 completely surrounding the tree 6:;. In order to install the con-tainer, the roots of the tree are first cut off and soil is removed to leave a trench at the periphery of the plot where the container is to be installed, to permit installation of the sheets so they will be level with the existing soil~/ The flanges 68 are provided to secure the sheets in the soll.
This planter prevents the existing surface roots from growing out and directs new roots down and out.
Figure 9 illustrates a deflector 70 installed in a side-walk 72 near which a tree 74 is growing. The deflector 70 is a simple sheet of slick material such as polyethylene or polyvinyl-chloride plastic, with a flanged upper end 76 which is instal-led in the edge portion 72E of the sidewalk nearest the base ~()69698 of the tree. It can be seen that as the roots 78 of the treereach the deflector 70, the deflector urges the roots to grow downwardly so that they will lie considerably below the side-walk 72. Where a sidewalk already exists, a trough can be dug along the edge of the sidewalk to install a deflector sheet therein, as shown at 80 in Figure 10.
Thus, the invention provides a deflector arrangement, which may be in the form of a containe~ completely surrounding the base of a tree or merely positioned along one side of the tree, which encourages downward growth of the tree roots, so that they will grow outwardly at a great enough depth to avoid damage to surrounding sidewalks as the roots grow in diameter with maturity of the tree. The invention can be utilized for shrubs, and therefore the term "tree" includes any plant whose roots can crack a sidewalk or the like.
Although particular embodiments of the in~ention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art and consequently i~ is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equival-cnts.
.
,~ .
_g_ ,~ , .. .
.
This invention relates to apparatus for controlling the growth of the roots of trees planted near a sidewalk, curb, or the like.
The cracking of sidewalks, curbs, driveways, building foundations, and the like by nearby trees is a well-known phenomenon. Steps which can be taken to avoid such damage, such as the destruction of roots leading under the sidewalk, is difficult and expensive. An apparatus and method for ~rowing trees so that their roots will not damage nearby sidewalks and the like, would be of great benefit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
:
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided in a tree installation which includes a planting location near a sidewalk or other structure which can be cracked by a root of a tree, and which also in-cludes a tree at said location and which is of a kind whose roo~s can reach and crack the structure, the improvement comprising: a root deflector dis-posed between said planting location and most of said structure, said deflec-tor having root impanetrable smooth walls with a bottom at a depth at which horizontally-growing roots under the structure would not crack the structure when the roots are mature, said deflector being constructed to allow roots to grow thereunder, whereby roots upon contacting said deflector are generally directed downwardly and can emerge only from the bottom of the deflector at a depth that prevents them from cracking the sidewalk or other nearby structure.
The deflector may comprise a container having sidewalls of root-impenetrable material such as ~lick plastic, with the walls sloping outwardly down to an open bottom of the container. As a result, when the young roots reach the container walls~ the roots are deflected downwardly, and begin to grow outwardly only after they reach the bottom of the walls. The roots tend to continue growing do~nwardly and outwardly at the same depth as the bottom of the container, which is considerably below the level of the sidewalk.
~ " .
. -- 2 --- , .: - -, . : -: . : -fl As a result, any roots which grow under an adjacent sidewalk or the like and which greatly increase in diameter as the tree ages, will not contact the sidewalk to lift and crack the sidewalk.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is pro-vided a method for creating a tree installation at a planting location loca-ted near a sidewalk or the like, comprising: growing the roots of a tree in a container which has slick and root-impenetrable sidewalls; formed a planting hole at said planting location which is wider than said container; installing said container, with the bottom thereof free of obstructions to root passage, in said planting hole, and filling the region around said container with filler material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
, In the accompanying drawings which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention:
; Figure 1 is a sectional side view of a tree installation of the present invention, shown at a time long after the installation;
Figure 2 is a perspective and exploded view of a tree planter of ; the type illustrated in Figure 1, and also showing a removable bottom there-fore;
Figure 3 is a view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;
Figures 4-7 are side views showing the tree growing in an installa-tion method of the present invention during stages prior to the development of the installation as shown in Figure l;
Figure 8 is a partial perspective view of a planting installation constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;
Figure 9 is a sectional side view of a planting installation con- -: :
structed in accordance with still another embodiment of the invention; and ~ ' ~ ' - : . . : . .. : : - . : ::
: . - . . ,.: . . : . ~ -Figure 10 is a sectional side view of a planting installation constructed in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OP THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
. _ _ . . .. . _ _ . .. _ Figure 1 illustrates a tree installation 10 showing a ~airly mature tree 12E with its center close to a sidewalk 14. The roots near the trunk of the tree are located within a container or tree planter 16 which controls the growth of the roots 18, so that the root portions which extend laterally by more than a few feet from the center or axis 20 of the plant-ing location and tree trunk, grow at a considerable depth D below the ground.
The depth D is much greater than the depth W of the sidewalk 14 below the ground. As a result, as the tree further matures and the roots 18 become ; thicker, they will still not come close to the sidewalk 14 or in contact there-with, so that the sidewalk will not be pushed upwardly and cracked.
The cracking of sidewalks by tree roots is normally caused by roots which lie immediately below the sidewalk within a few inches thereof, and which expand in diameter as the tree matures. As the root diameter reaches, a point where the root contacts the sidewalk or presses against dirt which is not pushed aside, the sidewalk is pressed upwardly and it is de-formed or cracks. In the present invention, a container is provided which will direct the tips of the young roots as they grow outwardly from the center 20 of the tree planting location. Although the tips of some roots tend to extend horizontally, they can be deflected from their normal course.
In the present invention, apparatus is provided which deflects the roots downwardly to a depth considerably below the sidewalk. Therafter, the I roots tend to grow downwardly and horizontally at this depthJ so that they ! will not come close to the sidewalk as they increase in diameter with maturity.
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate details of the planting container 16 ; in which a tree can be grown~ and which forms a deflector that causes the roots to grow outwardly at a considerable depth below the ground. The .
..
.
10~698 container includes sidewalls 22 which extend in a largely vertical direction but at a downward-outward angle with re-spect to the vertical, so that the bottom of the container is larger than the top. In addition, the sidewalls 22 are constructed of a material, such as polyethylene plastic or other slick and nonporous material, which is slick and which cannot be penetrated by the tips of the roots as they grow outwardly from the tree. As a result, as the tips of the roots reach the sidewalls 22, the tips are deflected to grow down along the sidewalls. The outward angling of the sidewalls 22 encourages the deflected roots to be de-flected downwardly, so that they tend to grow downwardly along the sidewalls until they reach the bottom 16B of the container. Thereafter, the roots are free to grow outwardly but at a deep level within the ground.
The container 16 is provided with a plurality of ridges 24 which ex~end largely vertically along the inside wall surfaces of the sidewalls 22. The ridges 24 help to prevent the deflected roots from growing sidewardlyJ which could cause their entanglement with one another ~commonly described as root binding). The ridges 24 are constructed with a stepped portion 26 near their upper ends to facilitate the stacking of containers on one another for storage and ship-ping without binding toge*her. Thus, the ridges 24 serve dual purposes, in avoiding root entanglement and in facilitat-ing storage of the planting containers. A complete container assembly includes a bottom cover 30 which is utilized to cover the bottom of the container during shipping or during initial growing and storage above ground of a young tree that is to be transplanted. The cover 30 has a bottom sheet portion ': . ' . ' 106969~3 32 with drainage holes 35, and has short upstanding sidewalls 34 which have an indentation 36. When the cover is placed over an outstepped lower sidewall portion 38 of the container, the indentation 36 of the bottom cover lies slightly over the outstepped container portion 38. A band indicated at 40 then can be tightened about the indentation 36 to hold the cover 30 to the container 16. -Figure 4 - 7 illustrate a preferred commercial growth and installation method of the present invention, where a tree of substantial size is to be transplanted at the final location.
Initially, the tree is grown from a seed or other part of a mature tree in a normal fashion, as in the ground or in a small pot. As shown in Figure 4, the small tree or starter tree 20A
together with soil 42 around its roots, is then installed in soil 44 of a container or planter 16 of the present invention which has been already installed in a shallow hole in the ground, with the upper end 16U of the container preferably a few inches above the level of the surrounding ground. The area 46 immedi-ately about the container 16 is preferably filled with gravel-type filler material, to carry water down to the bottom of thecontainer so the roots do not tend to grow up, while planting mix preferably will have been placed below the bottom level of the container 16. Normal watering of the starter tree inside ~ :
the planting container is performed in the same manner as ; it would be performed if the planting container were not used.
Figure 5 illustrates the starter tree 20B which is partially matured in a field grown installation, and with the roots having grown downwardly to the bottom of the walls .
,~
~0696(3l9 of the container 16 ~the tap root and some of the other roots extend below the bottom of the container). The container with the tree 20s therein is then ready to be transplanted to the final planting location. This is accomplished by removing soil to leave a hole 48, and by cutting off the roots of the tree at a cut line 50 along the bottom of the container. After the container with the tree 20B has been removed from the ground as by a loader machine, the bottom of the container is covered by the bottom cover 30 as shown in Figure 6. It may be noted that the bottom cover 30 has skid grooves 52 which aid in the lifting of the unit for transportation and moving on a truck bed. At the site of the final installation, as shown in Figure 7, a hole 54 is dug, the bottom cover 30 of the container assembly is removed and discarded, the container 16 is installed in the ground with its upper end even with the surrounding soil level or within an inch or two thereof, and the hole is backfilled as in the original planting, preferably with gravel 55 at least at the side nearest the sidewalk.
The roots of the tree can now continue to grow, and will tend to grow at a level substantially no higher than the bottom of the container, to form a mature tree as shown in Figure 1. Where it is not necessary to initially plant a large tree at the final location, a youn~ tree may be planted in the container 16 which is installed in the po-sition of Figures 1 and 7. Where a Christmas tree is trans-ported to a customer site each year and removed several weeks ; later, the tree may be kept in its container at all times with the roots being recut along the bottom of the container as shown at cut line 50 in Figure 5 before each return to the customer.
~06969~3 Thus, the container encourages the roots to grow down- .-ward and outward at a considerable depth below the ground to avoid root damage to sidewalks and the like. The ridges 24 of the container minimize root entanglement and binding. The deep roots not only avoid damage to nearby structures, but also result in a stronger plant and permit the planting of an-nuals and grass up to the trunk or base of the tree. For a typical sidewalk which extends only a few inches below ground level, a planting container with sidewalls 22 of a foot in depth is normally sufficient to guard against damage to near-by sidewalks, although a sidewall depth of about one and one-half feet is preferred.
Figure 8 illustrates a container installation 60 pri-marily useful for the control of roots on an existing large tree 63 which is growing in a small plot completely surrounded by sidewalks 61. In this installation, the container 62 is formed by a pair of extrusions in the form of sheets 64 and 66 completely surrounding the tree 6:;. In order to install the con-tainer, the roots of the tree are first cut off and soil is removed to leave a trench at the periphery of the plot where the container is to be installed, to permit installation of the sheets so they will be level with the existing soil~/ The flanges 68 are provided to secure the sheets in the soll.
This planter prevents the existing surface roots from growing out and directs new roots down and out.
Figure 9 illustrates a deflector 70 installed in a side-walk 72 near which a tree 74 is growing. The deflector 70 is a simple sheet of slick material such as polyethylene or polyvinyl-chloride plastic, with a flanged upper end 76 which is instal-led in the edge portion 72E of the sidewalk nearest the base ~()69698 of the tree. It can be seen that as the roots 78 of the treereach the deflector 70, the deflector urges the roots to grow downwardly so that they will lie considerably below the side-walk 72. Where a sidewalk already exists, a trough can be dug along the edge of the sidewalk to install a deflector sheet therein, as shown at 80 in Figure 10.
Thus, the invention provides a deflector arrangement, which may be in the form of a containe~ completely surrounding the base of a tree or merely positioned along one side of the tree, which encourages downward growth of the tree roots, so that they will grow outwardly at a great enough depth to avoid damage to surrounding sidewalks as the roots grow in diameter with maturity of the tree. The invention can be utilized for shrubs, and therefore the term "tree" includes any plant whose roots can crack a sidewalk or the like.
Although particular embodiments of the in~ention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art and consequently i~ is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equival-cnts.
.
,~ .
_g_ ,~ , .. .
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Claims (11)
1. In a tree installation which includes a planting location near a sidewalk or other structure which can be cracked by a root of a tree, and which also includes a tree at said location and which is of a kind whose roots can reach and crack the structure, the improvement comprising:
a root deflector disposed between said planting location and most of said structure, said deflector having root impenetrable smooth walls with a bottom at a depth at which horizontally-growing roots under the structure would not crack the structure when the roots are mature, said deflector being constructed to allow roots to grow there-under, whereby roots upon contacting said deflector are generally directed downwardly and can emerge only from the bottom of the deflector at a depth that prevents them from cracking the sidewalk or other nearby structure.
a root deflector disposed between said planting location and most of said structure, said deflector having root impenetrable smooth walls with a bottom at a depth at which horizontally-growing roots under the structure would not crack the structure when the roots are mature, said deflector being constructed to allow roots to grow there-under, whereby roots upon contacting said deflector are generally directed downwardly and can emerge only from the bottom of the deflector at a depth that prevents them from cracking the sidewalk or other nearby structure.
2. The tree installation described in Claim 1 wherein:
said depth is at least one foot below ground level.
said depth is at least one foot below ground level.
3. The improvement described in Claim 1 wherein:
said deflector walls extend at a downward, outward inclination.
said deflector walls extend at a downward, outward inclination.
4. The improvement described in claim 1 including:
a plurality of vertically-extending ridges formed on a side of said deflector wall which faces said tree, with said ridges laterally spaced from one another, whereby to minimize entanglement of deflected roots.
a plurality of vertically-extending ridges formed on a side of said deflector wall which faces said tree, with said ridges laterally spaced from one another, whereby to minimize entanglement of deflected roots.
5. The improvement described in claim 1 wherein:
said deflector comprises a sheet with an upper end imbedded in said sidewalk along an edge portion thereof which is nearest said planting location.
said deflector comprises a sheet with an upper end imbedded in said sidewalk along an edge portion thereof which is nearest said planting location.
6. The improvement described in claim 1 wherein:
said planting location includes a plot of soil of limited length and width, and said deflector comprises at least one sheet-like member extending around the perimeter of said plot, with the lower edge portion of the member extending outwardly away from the center of the tree.
said planting location includes a plot of soil of limited length and width, and said deflector comprises at least one sheet-like member extending around the perimeter of said plot, with the lower edge portion of the member extending outwardly away from the center of the tree.
7. The improvement described in claim 1 wherein:
said deflector comprises a container having root-impenetrable sidewalls extending primarily vertically and completely about a central location, and having an open bottom and top, said walls sloping outwardly away from the vertical so that the width of the bottom of the sidewalls is greater than the width of the top thereof.
said deflector comprises a container having root-impenetrable sidewalls extending primarily vertically and completely about a central location, and having an open bottom and top, said walls sloping outwardly away from the vertical so that the width of the bottom of the sidewalls is greater than the width of the top thereof.
8. The improvement described in claim 7 including:
a pluraity of primarily vertical ridges formed on the inner surface of said container sidewalls, each ridge having an out-wardly stepped portion at a predetermined distance from the top of the sidewalls, whereby to prevent root entanglement and permit stacking of containers on one another without binding.
a pluraity of primarily vertical ridges formed on the inner surface of said container sidewalls, each ridge having an out-wardly stepped portion at a predetermined distance from the top of the sidewalls, whereby to prevent root entanglement and permit stacking of containers on one another without binding.
9. A method for creating a tree installation at a planting location located near a sidewalk or the like, comprising:
growing the roots of a tree in a container which has slick and root-impenetrable sidewalls;
forming a planting hole at said planting location which is wider than said container;
installing said container, with the bottom thereof free of obstructions to root passage, in said planting hole, and filling the region around said container with filler material.
growing the roots of a tree in a container which has slick and root-impenetrable sidewalls;
forming a planting hole at said planting location which is wider than said container;
installing said container, with the bottom thereof free of obstructions to root passage, in said planting hole, and filling the region around said container with filler material.
10. The method described in claim 9 wherein:
said step of growing a tree in said container includes positioning said container, with the bottom of the container free of obstructions to root passage therethrough, so that the bottom rests in soil, and allowing said tree to mature enough that at least some of the tree roots extend to the sidewalls, of the container and thence downwardly out of the bottom of the container; and cutting off the roots of the tree at a location approximately even with the bottom of the container sidewalls prior to said step of installing said container in said planting hole.
said step of growing a tree in said container includes positioning said container, with the bottom of the container free of obstructions to root passage therethrough, so that the bottom rests in soil, and allowing said tree to mature enough that at least some of the tree roots extend to the sidewalls, of the container and thence downwardly out of the bottom of the container; and cutting off the roots of the tree at a location approximately even with the bottom of the container sidewalls prior to said step of installing said container in said planting hole.
11. The method described in claim 9 wherein:
said step of filling the region around said container with filler material includes applying gravel immediately against at least one side of said container.
said step of filling the region around said container with filler material includes applying gravel immediately against at least one side of said container.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA269,357A CA1069698A (en) | 1977-01-07 | 1977-01-07 | Root control planter |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA269,357A CA1069698A (en) | 1977-01-07 | 1977-01-07 | Root control planter |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1069698A true CA1069698A (en) | 1980-01-15 |
Family
ID=4107684
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA269,357A Expired CA1069698A (en) | 1977-01-07 | 1977-01-07 | Root control planter |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1069698A (en) |
-
1977
- 1977-01-07 CA CA269,357A patent/CA1069698A/en not_active Expired
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| MKEX | Expiry |