CA2179250A1

CA2179250A1 - Tree transplanting apparatus

Info

Publication number: CA2179250A1
Application number: CA002179250A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Brian Burletoff
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-06-17
Filing date: 1996-06-17
Publication date: 1997-12-18

Abstract

Trees are container grown using multiple panel tree supports that are readily cut apart and removed in transplanting to minimize transplanting shock on the plant. Two types of support are disclosed. One is a pail-like container with a removable bottom and a side wall that may be split. The bottom of the support is removed by cutting three tabs. After the tree has been located in the transplantation hole, the peripheral wall is opened by cutting a further three tabs so that it can be removed without disrupting the tree roots. The second version of the apparatus has four panels radiating from a common center. This unit is used in conjunction with an outer container. Rope handles joining respective pairs of the panels are used for lifting the support and the tree out of the outer container.
When the tree has been located in a hole dug for this purpose, the panels are separated by cutting the web joining them at the center and they are drawn out from under the tree, thus minimizing damage to the tree roots.

Description

-- 217~2S~

TREE TRANSPLANTING APPARATUS
The present invention relates to the growth and L,dn~pld,,9,,9 of plants, especially trees.
Conventional methods of Lldnspl~llillg trees generally involve conside, ' I disruption to the plant roots. This in turn produces conside, ' ' stress on the plant. This stress can be ~ ac~::lua~dd with the llall:l~Jlallldliull of plants that have been pot grown for a lengthy time, for example plats that have been used indoors for decorative purposes.
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for growing and ~Idn~Jlalllill9 plants that mitigate this problem.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of growing and llall l~lalllillg a plant co""~ri~i"g:
providing a plant support;
providing readily severable zones in the support;
supporting soil on the plant support;
growing a plant in the soil supported on the plant support;
digging a hole in soil for receiving the ~Idll~Jldll~d plant;
placing the support with the plant and soil thereon in the hole;
severing the severable zones of the support; and withdrawing the individual parts of the support without suu:.lall '~y disturbing the soil or roots of the plant.
The plant is grown in soil on the plant support for whatever length of time is desired. During this time, the plant can be used as a decorative indoor or outdoor plant. In lld~ ,la"li"g, using the support to 25 place the plant in the receiving hole leaves the roots undisturbed. Similarly, cutting away the support after placing the plant leaves the roots in their original soil, suu:~ldlli "y undisturbed.

~ 217~2~

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for growing and ~lansplallli"~ plants, said apparatus comprising:
a plurality of panels; and 5severable means joining the said panels to form an upwardly concave plant support.
In one c,,,bo.l;,,,~r,l of the invention, the panels are arranged in the general configuration of a pail with a bottom panel joined to a peripheral panel by a series of severable tabs. The peripheral panel itself has ends 10 joined by further tabs that may be severed to open up the peripheral wall forremoval from the soil and plant roots. The bottom can be removed before the tree is placed in the hole at the lldn~plallLillg site.
A support of this type can be used for smaller trees and is suited for pot growing of trees indoors. The support may be marked to 15 show the geographic orientation of the tree as it is growing, so that it can be replanted in that Oli~llLaLiO~. This is believed to improve the health of thetree after Lld~ Jlal lldLiOn.
In another embodiment of the apparatus the panels are segments radiating from a common center web. The web can be severed to 20 separate the segments.
The segments preferably have coplanar inner portions and upwardly and outwardly sloping outer portions to provide the desired concave configuration.
With four segments, two ropes may be connected to respective 25 pairs of the segments to provide handles for lifting the support for lldll~ lalllillg purposes and also for pulling the segments from under the plant once it has been set in place.

~ 217~250 This se~",~r,l~d support is preferably used in conjunction with an outer tub container for retaining soil and water.
Holes may be provided in each se~ment so that roots may grow down throu~h those holes. When a segment with holes is drawn from S under the plant it will draw the roots ~rowin~ throu~h the holes outwardly to the side of the plant which is beneficial place",t:"L for those roots. The remainder of the root structure remains undisturbed.
Using the invention trees and other plants may be pot ~rown indoors as ornamental plants for up to three years and then Lldn~ allL~d I0 outdoors.
In the acco" I~ Iyin~ drawin~s, which illustrate exemplary elllL- "e"L~ of the present invention:
Fi~ure 1 is an isometric view of one e",bc. "e"L of the invention;
Fi~ures 2a 2b and 2c illustrate the use of the embodiment of Fi~ure 1;
Fi~ure 3 is a plan view of another ~IllI,o~ "e"L of the invention;
Fi~ure 4 is a section alon~ line 4-4 of Fi~ure 3; and Fi~ures 5a, 5b and 5c illustrate the use of the embodiment of 20 Fi~ures 3 and 4.
Referrin~ to the accompanyin~ drawin~s, and especially to Fi~ures 1 and 2, there is illustrated a plant support 10 that is shaped generally like a pail. The support has a peripheral panel 12 that is fnJ:.Iu~ on in confi~uration. The panel has a top edge 14 a bottom ed~e 25 16 and two ends 18 and 20 that confront one another. The ends are joined by three inte~ral tabs 22.
A bottom panel 24 extends across the bottom of the peripheral ~ 21~250 panel. It has a shallow rib 26 around its outer edge aligned with the bottom edge of the peripheral panel. The rib is joined to the peripheral panel by three integral tabs 28.
A bale handle 30 is conne,.Lt:d to the top of the peripheral 5 panel.
The support is cor".l~L~d with a cover 32 that includes a top panel 34 and a skirt 36 extending around the top panel. A slot 38 extends radially from the center of the panel to the edge to accommodate the stem or trunk of a plant supported on the support.
The outer surface of the peripheral panel 12 has a label 40 desi~"dli"g a geographical direction in the illustrated case south, so that the tree can be llall:~JlallL~d in the proper orie"LaLion~
In use, the support is filled with soil 42 and a tree 44 or other plant is grown in the soil. The label 40 is attached to the support at the lS approp,idLe location during growth.
To Llansplàlll the tree, the tree in its support is lldnspo,lt:d to the llanspldlllalioll site. A hole 46 is dug in the ground at the appropriale location to receive the tree. The hole is wider but shallower than the support. The bottom panel 24 is removed from the support by cutting the 20 tabs 28. The fru:,loco"i~ al peripheral panel 12 then supports the tree and the soil. After adding an appropriate amount of water to the hole, the support is placed in the hole with the tree and the side tabs 22 of the support are cut splitting the peripheral panel so that it can be opened and removed from the soil and roots of the tree without disturbing either the soil 25 or the roots. Excess soil is then firmly packed around the tree to remove any air pockets left near the root tips below the soil surface.
Another e",L- "~"L of the apparatus is illustrated in Figures 3 ~ 217~2~0 4 and 5. The support 48 illustrated in those drawings has four segments 50 radiating from a common center web 52. Each segment has an inner portion 54 and an outer portion 56 that slopes upwardly and outwardly from the inner portion. The included angle "a" (Figure 4) between the two is 5 app,u,5",.,t~.1y 135~. The inner portions 54 of the four segments are coplanar. Near the outer edge of each segment is a hole 58. Two ropes 60 are threaded through the holes 58 of respective pairs of the segments to act as handles for Illall ~i~ting the support. Near the juncture of the inner and outer portions of each segment are a series of root holes 62.
The support 50 is used in conjunction with a tub-like container 64. The support is set in the tub which is in turn filled with soil 66. A tree 68 or other plant is grown in the soil on top of the support. As the tree grows, roots grow into the soil between the segments. Some roots will also grow downwardly through the root holes 62. In order to L,d"~.la"~ the tree, 15 the complete unit, including the outer container 64 and the inner support 48 is llall:~Jolle:d to the ll~nspl~"ldlion site. A hole 70 is dug in the ground and partially filled with water. The rope handles 60 are then grasped and lifted to raise the support 48 and the tree from the outer container 64. The support and tree are lowered into the hole 70. Each of the rope handles is 20 then cut in two and the center web 52 of the support is cut in two , ~I lions to separate the four segments 50. The segments are then removed by pulling on the individual rope handles. In doing this, any roots that have grown through the root holes 62 are drawn outwardly, which is a beneficial place",t:"L of the roots in L~a~lspla"Lin9 a tree. The remaining soil25 from the container and from the hole is packed around the tree.
The supports described in the foregoing are both preferably made from a recycled plastic material which is corrosion resistant and ~ 217~25~

relatively ille-~Jel,.;ic. The material should be of such a nature that the severable zones can be cut with a conventional utility knife. The supports can be used to support a growin~ tree for up to three years before it is Ll al-5~)1al I It:d .
While two particular embodiments of the present invention have been described in the foregoing it is to be ~",de,~l,,od that other e"lL - ,le"l:- are possible within the scope of the invention and are intended to be included herein. The invention is to be consid~ d limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method of growing and transplanting plants comprising:
providing a plant support;
providing readily severable zones in the support;
supporting soil on the plant support;
growing a plant in the soil supported on the plant support;
digging a hole in soil for receiving the transplanted plant;
placing the support with the plant and soil thereon in the hole;
severing the severable zones of the support; and withdrawing the individual parts of the support without substantially disturbing the soil or roots of the plant.

2. A method according to Claim 1 including the steps of providing the plant support with a bottom wall and a peripheral wall and wherein the step of providing readily severable zones in the support comprises providing severable bottom tabs joining the peripheral wall to the bottom and severable tabs in the peripheral wall, said method further comprising the step of severing the bottom tabs and removing the bottom wall from the side wall before placing the support with the supported plant in the hole.

3. A method according to Claim 1 including providing a support with a plurality of segments extending radially from a common center and wherein the step of severing the severable zones comprises separating the segments adjacent the common center.

4. Apparatus for growing and transplanting plants, said apparatus comprising:
a plurality of panels; and severable means joining the said panels to form an upwardly concave plant support.

5. Apparatus according to Claim 4 wherein the panels include an annular, peripheral panel with top and bottom edges and adjacent, opposed ends, and a bottom panel, and wherein the severable means include members joining the bottom panel to the bottom edge of the peripheral panel and members joining the ends of the peripheral panel.

6. Apparatus according to Claim 5 wherein the peripheral panel is frustoconical, widening from the bottom edge to the top edge.

7. Apparatus according to Claim 5 or 6 including a handle on the peripheral panel.

8. Apparatus according to Claim 5 or 6 including a cover adapted to fit over the top of the peripheral panel, the cover having a slot extending from the center of the cover to one edge thereof.

9. Apparatus according to Claim 5 or 6 including indicia marked on the peripheral wall to indicate a geographical direction.

10. Apparatus according to Claim 4 wherein the panels include a plurality of segments radiating from a common center and the severable means comprise a web joining the segments at the center.

11. Apparatus according to Claim 10 wherein each segment has an inner portion coplanar with the inner portions of the other segments and an outer portion that slopes upwardly and outwardly from the inner portion.

12. Apparatus according to Claim 11 including a plurality of apertures through each segment inner portion.

13. Apparatus according to Claim 10, 11 or 12 wherein the plurality of segments consist of four segments and including two flexible elements, each coupled to a respective pair of the segments.

14. Apparatus according to Claim 13 wherein the flexible element is a rope.

15. Apparatus according to Claim 10, 11 or 12 wherein the panels joined by the severable means comprise an inner component of the apparatus, the apparatus further including an outer component comprising a container with an open top for receiving the inner component therein.