This invention relates generally to gardening accessories and relates, more particularly, to planters within which plants are transplanted for growth.
The type of planter with which this invention is concerned includes those which are adapted to contain dirt or potting soil and a plant which is transplanted within the potting soil so that the plant continues its growth within the planter.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved planter within which plants can be transplanted for growth.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a planter within which plants are transplanted for growth of the plant upside down or, in other words, root-end-up.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a planter which can be easily suspended in an elevated condition above the ground for tending of the plant.
Still one more object of the present invention is to provide such a planter wherein the plant being grown therein can be fed and watered with relative ease.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a planter which is readily collapsible to facilitate shipping, packaging and storing of the planter.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a planter which is uncomplicated in construction yet effective in operation.
This invention resides in a planter for growing a transplantable plant having a root system and a stem which extends from the root system.
The planter includes a container having an interior, a bottom and a hole defined within the bottom. Furthermore, the planter includes a retainer member which is attachable to the plant desired to be transplanted within the planter and which cooperates with the container for supporting the plant through the hole defined within the container bottom so that the root system is exposed to the interior of the container and so that the plant stem extends downwardly from the bottom of the container.
The planter of this invention presents an interesting, visually-pleasing and enjoyable way to grow garden plants, such as the tomato. Moreover, the planter eliminates the need to dig planting holes, any, dealing with ugly plants (such as the tomato) which would otherwise sprawl across the ground when grown therein, any need to stake the plant, any need to tie up limbs of the plant, any problems with ground insects (such as cutworms and the like), problems with ground fungus and other soil diseases, any problems with nematodes, or any problems due to cyclical watering (and resulting blossom end rot and woody tasting tomatoes.
Moreover, the planter, while suspended in an elevated condition from a support structure at about chest height permits a user to sucker (i.e. remove center growth of the plants from between adjacent stems thereof) while standing adjacent the planter. Thus, the planter provides a means by which plants, such as the tomato, can be pruned with relatively little work and no bending over or working while on the knees.
Further, the planter permits the user to water and fertilize the plant grown within the planter by simply pouring in a mixture of liquid fertilizer and water into a reservoir at the top of the planter on a periodic basis (e.g. about twice a week). Thus, the water which is needed by the plant being grown goes directly to the plant roots, with no dramatic loss due to run-off.
Further still, the planter is versatile in that it is capable of growing flowers, as well as garden plants. Any type of flower, even those which do not cascade, can be grown in the planter upside down. Each flower being grown will curl up and around the planter, searching for light. This allows the user to create a new way to present even an old (e.g. ordinary) variety of flowers in an attractive manner.
Yet still further, the planter can be employed in many additional and special ways, such as growing herbs close to the kitchen in which the herbs will be used. For example, the herbs can be grown in a sunny window in the kitchen or on a nearby deck thus enabling a cook to clip and use the growing herbs as needed. With the large audiences now regularly watching the cooking shows presented on television, a source of fresh herbs is increasing in demand.
Turning now to the drawings in greater detail and considering first
The planter 20 also includes a bottom member 32 which is positionable within the bottom of the container 22 and a retainer member 33 which cooperates (in a manner set forth herein) with the bottom member 32 for supporting the root system of a transplantable plant in an inverted, or root-end-up, orientation within the interior 24 of the container 22. A top assembly 36 including an upper ring member 38 and a funnel insert piece 40 is positionable atop the container 22, and a hanger system 37 is connectable to the upper end of the container 22 for suspending the planter 20 from an elevated support structure (not shown) by way of, for example, a hook 41.
An example of a plant capable of being transplanted into the planter 20 for continued growth of the plant is illustrated in FIG. 2. The depicted plant, indicated generally 23, includes a root system 44 (which commonly is encased in an amount of dirt) and a stem 46 which extends from the root system 44. As will be apparent herein, the retainer member 33 (
With reference again to
The material out of which the bag 48 is constructed is preferably a flexible material, such as plastic or fabric, but other materials can be used. For purposes of supporting the container 22 in a suspended condition, there are provided a plurality of (e.g. three) reinforced openings 58 which are regularly spaced about the top of the bag 48. As will be apparent herein, these openings 58 cooperate with the hanger system 37 for supporting the (remainder of the) planter 20 from an elevated support structure.
The bottom member 32 (best shown in
With reference again to
As mentioned earlier, an upper compartment of the bag 48 provides a cavity within which a soil-less mix can be contained and into which water and/or fertilizer can be poured while the lower compartment is intended to contain dirt or potting soil placed therein, as well as the root system of the plant 23 to be grown within the planter 20. Because of the porous nature of the divider 26, water and/or fertilizer positioned above the lower compartment is permitted to seep downwardly through the divider 26 where it is dispersed through the dirt or potting soil for absorption by the plant 23 through its root system 44. The material out of which each divider 26 is constructed is preferably soft porous foam material, such as a porous polyurethane foam, but other materials can be employed.
With reference to
With reference again to
With reference to
In the depicted planter 20, the cable members 84 of the hanger system 37 are intended to pass through preformed holes 96 (
With reference to
Of the several components of the aforedescribed planter 20, each of the funnel insert piece 40, upper ring member 38, and bottom member 32 are preferably constructed (e.g. molded) out of a hard plastic.
Exemplary dimensions of the planter 20 and its components are as follows: The upper ring member 38 is about ten inches in diameter and the central opening, or mouth, of the upper ring member 38 is about 8.5 inches. Each divider 26 is about 9 inches in diameter and about 0.25 inches thick. The funnel insert piece 40 is about nine inches in diameter, and the central opening 98 thereof is about two inches in diameter. The bottom member 32 is about nine inches in diameter, the central opening 64 of the circular recess section 60 is about 2.5 inches in diameter, and the foam body 34 has a diameter of about 3.5 inches and a thickness of about one inch. The bag 48 is slightly larger than nine inches in diameter, it is about seventeen inches high, and its (bottom) center hole 54 is about 3.625 inches in diameter. Each of the cable members 84 of the hanger assembly 37 is about twenty-one inches long.
Assuming the planter 20 is fully assembled (with the dividers 26 and foam body 34 positioned within the container interior 24), the planter 20 can be used in the following manner to transplant a plant 23 therein. First, the planter 20 should be suspended from an overhead support structure by way of the hanger system 37 so that the planter 20 is suspended at a convenient height for working within the container interior 24. Next, the funnel insert piece 40 is removed from the upper ring member 38, and then the dividers 26 and foam body 34 are removed from the container interior 24 through the upper ring member 38. The plant 23 is then inserted root-end-first up through the center hole of the 64 of the recess section 60 of the bottom member 32 until the root system 44 is disposed within the container interior 24 and above the bottom member 32. At that point and as illustrated in
It is the case with some plants, such as tomatoes, that more than one plant can be positioned within the slit 70 of the foam body 34 for simultaneous growth of the plants. In any event, the foam body 34 holds the plant (or plants) trapped within the slit 70 within the bottom member 32 and provides a plug through which material, such as that used for plant growth, downwardly through the center hole 64.
An amount of materials, such as styrofoam peanuts or gravel, is then placed atop the bottom member 32 to form a shallow layer therein (of about 1.5 inches in depth), and then a soil-less (and preferably well-moistened) mix of, for example, Canadian peat, vermiculite and perlite is carefully placed by hand inside the bag 48 and around the root system 44 of the plant 23. All of the lower open areas within the bottom of the bag 48 should be firmly filled with the soil-less mix. Upon filling the soil-less mix to about one-third up from the bottom of the bag 48, one of the dividers 26 is then be placed on top of the soil-less mix. When placed within the bag 46, Each divider 26 help to keep water and fertilizer properly distributed throughout the compartment disposed beneath the divider 26, and when soil occasionally gets too dry, prevents water from flowing through the divider 26 too rapidly.
Next, well-moistened soil-less mix continues to be added within the bag 48 until the bag 48 is about two-thirds full. The other divider 26 is then placed upon the later-added amount of soil-less mix. Finish filling the bag 48 with the bag 48 with the wet soil-less mix, leaving about a two-inch air gap at the very top of the bag 48. The funnel insert piece 40 is then replaced upon the upper ring member 38, and the planter 20 can be re-hung (if desired) to place or height more desirable than the place or height at which a plant 23 was transplanted into the planter 20.
It will be understood that numerous modifications and substitutions can be had to the aforedescribed embodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, although the aforedescribed foam body 34 has been illustrated and described as being insertable downwardly into the recess section 60 of the bottom member 32 through the bag 46, a comparable (foam) retainer member can be slightly compressed by hand and then inserted upwardly into the recess section 60 from the underside thereof. Upon release of the (foam) retainer member, the retainer member expands to substantially fill the recess section 60 and rest upon the inwardly-directed flange 66 thereof. Accordingly, the aforedescribed embodiment is intended for the purpose of illustration and not as limitation.
The benefit of Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/423,695, filed Nov. 4, 2002 and entitled PLANTER FOR GROWING PLANTS UPSIDE DOWN, is hereby claimed. The disclosure of this referenced provisional application is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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226922 | Moses | Apr 1880 | A |
5333409 | Mendes | Aug 1994 | A |
6058651 | Perez | May 2000 | A |
6094861 | Sandman et al. | Aug 2000 | A |
6298600 | Feldman | Oct 2001 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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9334065 | Sep 1993 | AU |
2147484 | May 1985 | GB |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20040123522 A1 | Jul 2004 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60423695 | Nov 2002 | US |