Ready to use grow bags and methods of making and using the same
OwnerDouglas Daniel Fear, Richard W. Northinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An elongated bag for use as a ready-to-use grow bag. The bag is manufactured as an elongated plastic body with a sealed bottom and a sealable top. The bag includes one or more gussets defined by folds in the bag and a score line for a tear strip in an area sufficiently below the top and above the fill material to allow the bag to lie flat for transportation and deploy into a cylinder for planting. The bag includes drain holes near the bottom of the bag and microperforations along the bag for respiration.
Claims11
A method of distributing an elongated body for use as a ready-to-use grow bag comprising the steps of:
- manufacturing an elongated body having a side wall defining a tubular body with a closed bottom and sealable top end with one or more gussets defined by folds in said side wall and a score line defining a tear strip in an area below said sealable top end;
- adding drain holes to said elongated body during manufacturing of said elongated bag;
- partially filling said elongated body with a predetermined amount of grow material of a volume that allows the elongated body to lie flat in a generally rectangular shape for shipping;
- sealing said sealable top end of said elongated body;
- palletizing said elongated body for shipment to an intended destination;
- and
- introducing said palletized elongated body into the stream of commerce.
A method of planting a plurality of seedlings for a cultivation process comprising:
- ordering a plurality of ready-to-use grow bags, each grow bag having an elongated body having a side wall defining a tubular body with a closed bottom and sealable end, said side wall including at least one gusset that allows a filled grow bag to lie flat for shipping in generally rectangular form, a tear strip defined below said sealable end that allows a filled grow bag to be opened without tools, and a plurality of breathing holes in said side wall formed during manufacturing of said grow bags;
- ordering a fill material to be deposited into each grow bag prior to shipping, said fill material including a loose fill or moist material that does not require rehydration or fluffing prior to use and being of a volume to allow said grow bags to lie flat for shipping in a generally rectangular form;
- wherein said grow bags are filled with said fill material and said bags are sealed for shipping;
- receiving a shipped pallet of filled grow bags in a palletized arrangement;
- arranging said plurality of grow bags in a predetermined area said cultivation process;
- tearing the tear strip off each grow bag and planting a seedling in said fill material;
- allowing each grow bag to operate as a free-standing cylindrical plant container.
A grow bag comprising:
- an elongated body having a side wall defining a tubular body with a closed bottom and sealable end, said side wall including one or more gussets;
- said one or more gussets configured to lay flat for shipping and deploy at planting;
- said gussets allowing the bag to be manufactured and shipped in a rectangular form that is deployable as a cylinder for use when planting;
- said bag configured elongated to allow sealing said top after filling with grow media and allowing said bag to lay relatively flat for palletization;
- said sealable end comprising a heat sealable closure;
- a tear strip defined by a score line below said sealable end;
- a plurality of breathing holes in said side wall;
- a plurality of drainage holes is said side wall;
- a fill material deposited in said tubular body before sealing said heat sealable closure of said sealable end;
- wherein said grow bag lies flat for shipping and expands via activation of said gussets into a self-standing cylinder;
- and wherein said breathing holes and said drainage holes are formed in said side wall prior to filling said body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.