BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of the subject matter described herein will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary container and a young plant, to which the container is to be applied;
FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a container application device used in methods described herein;
FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a container application device taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 illustrates an end view of the first end of the container application device illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 illustrates an end view of the second end of the container application device of FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the container application device of FIG. 2; and
FIG. 7 is a top view of the container application device of FIG. 2.
FIG. 8 illustrates one stage of a method for placing a container on a young plant described herein;
FIG. 9 illustrates a second stage of a method for placing a container on a young plant;
FIG. 10 illustrates a third stage of a method for placing a container on a young plant; and
FIG. 11 illustrates an alternative step useful in a method for placing a container on a young plant.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1, a young plant 10 such as young tree seedlings, vines, shrubbery or other foliage that are to be placed in a container 16 having at least one sidewall 18 and an open first end 20 and a second open end 22 opposite the first open end 20 is illustrated. Container 18 can have a cross-section perpendicular to its length that is generally circular or the cross-sectional shape can be non-circular, e.g., oval, square, or elliptical. The illustrated young plant 10 includes a root end 12 and a shoot 14. Root end 12 refers to the portion of the young plant commonly referred to as the root ball. Shoot 14 protrudes from root end 12. As illustrated in FIG. 1a, a sidewall 18 extends over substantially all of root end 12 and shoot 14 of young plant 10. It should be understood that the length of sidewall 18 may be such that it extends substantially beyond the shoot 14 while also extending over substantially all of root end 12 or the length of sidewall 18 may be such that it extends over only a portion of root end 12 and/or only a portion of shoot 14. The perimeter dimension of the cross-section of container 16 perpendicular to its length should be large enough to allow the container to receive the root end and shoot of the young plant within the container. When the container is made of a flexible, elastic material, this perimeter dimension may be achieved by stretching the container.
Container 16 may be formed from a variety of materials. In one embodiment, container 16 is made from materials flexible enough to allow the container and plant 10 to be grasped and planted as a unit while at the same time being rigid enough so that the container remains substantially upright around the plant 10 when planted in soil 13. The material may be biodegradable in the field over a period of a few years. The material should allow light, carbon dioxide, and other nutrients, to pass through and be received by root end 12 and shoot 14. Suitable materials for container 1.6 include biodegradable or photodegradable netting or mesh, such as Vexar® plastic netting produced by the E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company of Wilmington, Del. or Vexar® polymer molded into tubing by Quadel Industries in Coos Bay, Oreg.
Plant 10 may be a containerized plant, plug seedling, bare root seedling or a plant grown in a container. The plant growing container used to grow the plant may be shaped to provide a root end 12 of a plant 10 that can be received by container 16. The plant may alternatively be grown in a planting tray. The planting tray may have individual planting compartments shaped for producing a young plant with a root end 12 sized and shaped to be received by container 16. Alternatively, container 16 can be sized and shaped to receive root ends of different shape.
Referring to FIGS. 2-7, a method for placing a container on a young plant uses a container application device 24. An exemplary container application device 24 includes an elongated tubular body that includes a first end 32 and a second end 34. Intermediate first end 32 and second end 34 is mouth 30. The body of container application device 24 between first end 32 and mouth 30 comprises a cylinder having a circular cross-section. The portion of the body of container application device 24 extending between mouth 30 and second end 34 includes a cylinder having a circular cross-section with a portion of the top of the cylinder removed to provide a trough that forms shoot section 28. The portion of the body of container application 24 that extends from first end 32 to mouth 30 forms root section 26. Root section 26, shoot section 28, and mouth 30 are used in a method for placing a container on a young plant as described below in more detail.
FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of container application device 24 in FIG. 1 and provides a different perspective of the portion of the container application device body cut away to form the trough of shoot section 28.
Container application device 24 illustrated in FIGS. 2-7 has a round cross-section perpendicular to its length; however it is understood that container application device 24 can have a cross-section perpendicular to its length that is noncircular in shape, e.g. square, elliptical, or rectangular. In addition, in the illustrated container application device, one half of the cylinder making up shoot section is removed; however, it should be understood that more than one half or less than one half could be removed. Also, the relative lengths of root section 24 and shoot section 28 can vary from those illustrated in FIGS. 2-7. Suitable materials for container application device 24 include plastic and metal, for example, polyvinylchloride or copper tubing.
The diameter or cross-sectional perimeter dimension of container application device 24 may vary. Suitable diameters or perimeter dimensions include those that allow for root end 12 and shoot end 14 of a young plant to be received in the trough of shoot section 28. The diameter or perimeter dimension of the cross-section of root section 26 should be chosen so that root end 12 of the young plant can be received within root section 26 though mouth 30. The diameter of root section 26 and shoot section 28 in container application device 24 illustrated in FIGS. 2-7 is the same; however it should be understood that the diameter or perimeter dimension of root section 26 and the diameter or perimeter dimension of shoot section 28 could be different.
Referring to FIGS. 8-10, container application device 24 is employed to apply a container 16 to a young plant 10 as described below. In the method for applying a container to a young plant described herein referring to FIG. 8, a container 16 is placed around root section 26 of container application device 24. Container 16 is placed on root section 26 and positioned so that first end 20 of container 16 is adjacent mouth 30. First end 20 can either he around a portion of shoot section 28 or around a portion of root section 26. Preferably, first end 20 is around a portion of root section 26 so that first end 20 is held open by root section 26. Referring to FIG. 9, after container 16 is placed around root section 26 of container application device 24, young plant 10, including root end 12 and shoot 14 is placed within the trough of shoot section 28. As illustrated in FIG. 9, it is preferred that a gap 40 be provided between the mouth 30 and a distal end of root end 12. Gap 40 provides a space where a user can place his/her fingers or a device that can be used to slide young plant 10 and container 16 off of container application device 24. After young plant 10 is positioned within container application device 24, container 16 is moved from root section 26 to shoot section 28, effectively placing container 16 around a portion of root end 12 and shoot 14 of young plant 10 as depicted in FIG. 11. Depending upon the length of the container 16 and the length of young plant 10, first end 20 of container 1.6 may be located beyond shoot 14 of the young plant 10, and second end 22 of container 16 may be located beyond the end of root end 12. After container 16 has been applied to young plant 10, the combination is removed from container application device 24 and may be further processed for storage, transportation, and transplanting.
As an alternative step in the methods described herein, referring to FIG. 11, after young plant 10 has been placed in shoot section 28, a portion of root end 12 can be moved into root section 26 of container application device 24. Placing root end 12 within root section 26 isolates root end 12 from container 16. In certain situations, such isolation may be desirable in order to prevent container 16 from becoming tangled with portions of root end 12. After root end 12 is placed within root section 26, container 16 is moved from root section 26 to shoot section 28, effectively positioning container 16 around shoot 14 and root end 12. Thereafter, root end 12 can be removed from root section 26 and the entire combination removed from container application device 24 by sliding it off of shoot section 28.
After the plant 10 is placed into the container 16, the combination may be frozen to store the combination until it is planted. The combination may be frozen at a temperature below 1° C., such as below 2° C., or such as below 3° C. A typical temperature range used to freeze the combination is between minus 1° C. and minus 5° C. The combination may be stored at a temperature at which the plant remains frozen, typically between minus 1° C. and minus 5° C. The frozen combination may typically be stored for a period of from one month to six months, although the combination may be stored for longer than six months if desired (e.g., for a period in the range of from six months to two years, or for a period in the range of from six months to three years, or for a period in the range of from six months to four years).
While different embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will he appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein.
Patent Application
20080078117
