GB2371967A - Transplant liner - Google Patents

Abstract

A liner 10 for plant holders that in use covers substantially the entire interior side wall surface of the holder, but not the base, comprising a flexible sheet 12 adapted to nest within a plant holder, thereby providing a lining between the container and the plant and its associated soil. The sheet 12 has retaining means 20 that allow that part of the sheet positioned near the base of the holder to be drawn inwardly under the soil roots of the plant thereby allowing subsequent removal of the liner soil and plant from the container without substantially disturbing the root structure of the plant or its surrounding soil. The sheet retaining means 20 may be a pull-cord. There may also be a pull-cord 26 along the upper edge of the liner. The liner 10 may aid in the transplanting from one receptacle to another.

Description

Improvements in Gardening Apparatus This invention relates to gardening accessories or apparatus and in particular to a transplant liner for use in commercial greenhouses, outdoor gardens and especially for indoor use.

Young plants normally need transplanting several times during their growth to maturity. It is possible during transplanting to damage the root structure of the plant or to loose soil, especially if the transplanter is an amateur gardener rather than a professional. Home gardeners often transplant indoors and in such cases loss of soil is not only detrimental to the welfare of the plant but also highly inconvenient to the householder. Indoor plant are also particularly vulnerably to dehydration often as a result of rapid water loss by evaporation.

Transplant liners comprising a generally circular central portion and a pair of radially extending portions made from flexible sheet are known. More complex devices providing a pair of rigid shells that interlock to form frustro-conical liner are also known. However both of these type of liner must be removed prior to transplanting to a larger plant pot or container. This provides opportunity for loss of soil. The sheet liner also tends to inhibit desirable drainage.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improvements in certain gardening accessories and in particular an improved transplant liner. Another object of the invention is to provide a liner that minimises loss of soil during transplanting. A further object of the invention is to provide a liner that optionally provides means of reducing evaporative water loss, a factor especially valuable for indoor gardeners.

In one aspect the invention provides a transplant liner comprising a flexible sheet adapted to nest within a plant holder, in use providing a substantially complete lining between side walls of the container and the plant and associated root and soil ball, wherein the sheet has retaining means adapted in use to allow that part of the sheet near the base of the holder to be drawn inwardly under the soil and plant thereby allowing subsequent removal of the liner, root ball and plant from the container without substantially disturbing the root structure of the plant or its surrounding soil. Beneficially, the liner enables easy transportation to a new plant holder. The retaining means may comprise a pull-chord, pull-string or the like threaded through a seam near the bottom edge of the sheet.

Preferably, the sheet is substantially cylindrical or frustro-conical in shape when prepared for use. At least one further seam may be provided to allow the pull-chord or the like to be adjusted in use from above the sheet. A further pull-chord or the like may be provided near

the top edge of the sheet to allow the top edge of the liner to be drawn around the stem of t-I the plant.

In a further embodiment the sheet is planar and is provided with attachment means to allow the formation of a continuous liner for the plant holder wall preferably substantially cylindrical or frustro-conical in shape.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by reference to the following diagrammatic illustrations in which, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention prior to use, Figure 2 is a sectioned side view of a plant container, transplant liner and plant with its roots and soil showing the function of the lower pull chord, Figure 3 corresponds to Figure 2 and also shows the function of the upper pull chord.

Figure 4 is a sectioned side view of a plant container with a new liner during transplanting and a plant still contained within an old liner, Figure 5 generally corresponds to Figure 4 but shows removal of the old liner, and Figure 6 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the invention showing a liner that may be readily adjusted to fit various sized containers.

Referring to Figure 1, a preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a transplant liner 10 in the form of an approximately cylindrical sleeve 12 made from relatively thin flexible material having an upper open end 14 and a lower open end 16. The lower circular edge of the sleeve has a seam 18 formed from flexible sheet material and provided in order to enfold a pull chord 20. A further substantially straight seam 22 extending upwardly along the cylindrical surface of the liner is provided so that the ends 20a and 20b of the pull chord 20 may be extended upwardly of the upper open end 14. Optionally, the liner 10 may have a second seam 24 provided along its upper circular edge enfolding a second pull chord 26 with ends 26a and 26b.

In use, the liner 10 (as illustrated in Figure 1) is placed within a first plant container such that the outer face of the liner rests against the inner wall of the container C (see Figure 2).

The plant is then planted in a container so prepared. Pull chord 20 is tightened by drawing ends 20a and 20b of the chord upwardly so that the circular seam 18 is drawn inwardly towards the axis of the cylindrical sleeve in order partly fold under the roots of the plant and its surrounding soil. If the plant is being grown indoors it may be desirable to draw the second (upper) pull chord 26 in order to draw the top of the liner close to the central stem of the plant P and thus reduce evaporative water loss (see Figure 3). When it becomes necessary to transplant the plant this may be readily achieved by lifting the plant with its root, soil and liner free of the container C and placing it within a second prepared container C with a larger liner 30 (see Figure 4). More soil is added to the new larger container and then the original liner 10 is removed simply by loosening pull chord 20 and drawing it upwardly free of the container and plant (see Figure 5). Thus, the liner is removed after the plant has been transplanted and hence loss of soil and disturbance of the root structure of the plant is minimal.

Figure 6 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention that is particularly suited to lining a range of size of plant containers. Transplant liner 40 comprises a planar rectangular sheet of flexible material 42 having fixing means 42a, 42b, for example"VELCRO"TM, that allows the sheet to be formed into a cylindrical or frustro-conical shaped liner, the diameter of the liner being adjustable depending upon the positioning of strip 44a on strip 44b. Other fixing means are suitable including adhesive strips and the like. Thus, a liner can readily be adapted to fit a variety of plant pot sizes. A"T-shaped"seam 46,48 is provided together with two pull chords 50,52, one end of each chord 50a, 52a being secured to a bottom comer of sheet 42 and the other free ends 50b, 52b protruding upwardly from the upper extremity of seam 48. Alternatively a single pull chord may be used by combining chords 50 and 52, or may be formed by joining ends 50a and 52a of pull chords 50 and 52. Thus, in use by pulling chords 50,52 seam 46 may be drawn inwardly towards the axis of the sleeve as described earlier for the first embodiment. A second seam and pull chord (not shown) may also be provided along the upper edge of sheet 42 in order to draw the top of the liner around the central stem of a potted plant. The arrangement of seams is not critical and configurations other than a"T-shape"may be used. Indeed while it is much preferred to be able to pull the lower edge of sheet 42 inwardly from above by chords or the like, other means such as clips or springs may be used.

The flexible sheet material is preferably made from plastics material and may in addition be transparent and/or decorated with patterns or the like.

When a seam and pull chord is provided along the upper edge of the sheet and it is used to draw the upper edge of the sheet around the stem of the plant, the exposed portion of the sleeve (28. see Figure 3) may be covered with stone chippings or the like. This may improve the appearance of the potted plant. The upper portion 28 of the lining 12 also makes it easy to remove such chippings without disturbing soil during transplanting etc.

Claims (10)

1. Claims 1. A transplant liner comprising a flexible sheet adapted to nest within a plant holder, in use providing a substantially complete lining between side walls of the container and the plant plus its associated soil, wherein the sheet has retaining means adapted in use to allow that part of the sheet near the base of the holder to be drawn inwardly under the soil and plant thereby allowing subsequent removal of the liner soil and plant from the container without substantially disturbing the root structure of the plant or its surrounding soil.
2. 2. A liner according to Claim 1 wherein the sheet is substantially cylindrical or frustro-conical in shape.
3. 3. A liner according to Claim 1 wherein the sheet is planar and is provided with attachment means to allow the formation of a continuous liner for the holder wall.
4. 4. A liner according to Claim 3 wherein the continuous liner is substantially cylindrical or frustro-conical in shape.
5. 5. A liner according to any preceding claim wherein the retaining means comprises a pull-chord or the like threaded through a seam near the bottom edge of the sheet.
6. 6. A liner according to Claim 5 wherein at least one further seam is provided to allow the pull-chord or the like to be adjusted in use from above the sheet.
7. 7. A liner according to any preceding claim wherein a pull-chord or the like is provided near the top edge of the sheet to allow the top edge of the liner to be drawn around the stem of the plant.
8. 8. A liner according to any of Claims 5 to 7 wherein a tab is located at the end of a pull-chord to assist grip during use and also to identify which seam the chord traverses.
9. 9. A gardening accessory comprising a flexible sheet adapted to nest within a plant holder, in use providing a substantially complete lining between side walls of the container and the plant plus its associated soil, wherein the sheet has retaining means adapted in use to allow that part of the sheet near the base of the holder to be drawn inwardly under the soil and plant thereby allowing subsequent removal of the liner soil and plant from the container without substantially disturbing the root structure of the plant or its surrounding soil.
10. 10. A transplant liner substantially as described above and illustrated in Figures 1-6.