Planting system

In combination, a plant container and a planting tool for inserting said plant container in the ground in a planting operation, said plant container comprising a base having a substantially horizontally extending shoulder and a skeletal shank section extending upwardly from said base radially within said shoulder, wherein said container is capable of holding a plant therein with a growing medium and root mass within said skeletal shank section and with a stem and top growth extending upwardly therefrom, said tool comprising an elongated member, one end of said elongated member comprising a tubular section having an internal diameter no less than the outer diameter of said skeletal shank section of said container and an outer diameter no greater than the radially outward end of said shoulder, said tubular section having an internal length substantially greater than the length of said skeletal shank section, one longitudinally extending portion of said tubular section having a slot extending to the extending end of said tubular section, said slot having a width greater than the diameter of the stem of said plant and substantially less than the outer diameter of said skeletal shank section of said container and a length substantially greater than the length of said skeletal shank section of said container, said skeletal shank section of said container extending within said tubular section with the extending end of said tubular section in axial abutment with said shoulder and with the stem of any plant in said container extending through said slot with the top growth exteriorly thereof.

In combination, a plant container and a planting tool for inserting said plant container in the ground in a planting operation, said plant container comprising a base having a substantially horizontally extending shoulder and a shank section extending upwardly from said base radially within said shoulder, wherein said container is capable of growing a plant therein with a growing medium and root mass within said shank section and with a stem and top growth extending upwardly therefrom, a ring formed on the upper end of said shank section, said tool comprising an elongated member, one end of said elongated member comprising a tubular section having an internal diameter no less than the outer diameter of said shank section and said ring of said container and an outer diameter no greater than the radially outward end of said shoulder, said tubular section having an internal length substantially greater than the length of said shank section, one longitudinally extending portion of said tubular section having a slot extending to the extending end of said tubular section, said slot having a width greater than the diameter of the stem of said plant and substantially less than the outer diameter of said shank section of said container and a length substantially greater than the length of said shank section of said container, said shank section and said ring of said container extending within said tubular section with the extending end of said tubular section in axial abutment with said shoulder, and an internal projection formed within said tubular section at substantially the longitudinal position of said ring therein, said projection having a radial extent sufficient to frictionally retain said ring and said shank section within said tubular section.

In combination, a plant container and a planting tool for inserting said plant container in the ground in a planting operation, said plant container comprising a base having a substantially horizontally extending shoulder and a shank section extending upwardly from said base radially within said shoulder, wherein said container is capable of growing a plant therein with a growing medium and root mass within said shank section and with a stem and top growth extending upwardly therefrom, a ring formed on the upper end of said shank section, said tool comprising an elongated member, one end of said elongated member comprising a tubular section having an internal diameter no less than the outer diameter of said shank section and said ring of said container and an outer diameter no greater than the radially outward end of said shoulder, said tubular section having an internal length substantially greater than the length of said shank section, one longitudinally extending portion of said tubular section having a slot extending to the extending end of said tubular section, said slot having a width greater than the diameter of the stem of said plant and a length substantially greater than the length of said shank section of said container, said shank section and said ring of said container extending within said tubular section with the extending end of said tubular section in axial abutment with said shoulder, and an internal projection formed within said tubular section at substantially the longitudinal position of said ring therein, said projection having a radial extent sufficient to frictionally retain said ring and said shank section within said tubular section, said ring being formed to be frangible responsive to a force directed radially inwardly thereof, and said projection extending radially inwardly sufficiently to fracture said ring.

A planting container construction comprising a base having a substantially horizontally extending peripheral shoulder, said base shaped as a closed surface devoid of any openings capable of passing water therethrough, means for containing the growing medium and roots of a plant on said base and radially within said peripheral shoulder with the top growth of the plant extending thereabove, said means comprising a skeletal frame secured to and upstanding from the said base and a sleeve encircling said frame, and said shoulder having a radial width sufficient to receive the lower end of a planting tool in vertical abutment thereon and with a circumferential portion of said shoulder extending radially outwardly of the outer wall surface of said planting tool, whereby said shoulder opens a hole in the ground radially greater than said planting tool upon insertion of the planting tool into the ground with said container construction therein, said closed surface of said base radially within said shoulder being domed upwardly to define a root directing surface extending downwardly and radially outwardly toward said shoulder, said closed surface being pyramidal in shape, said pyramidal surface being four-sided, said skeletal frame comprising four ribs, and each of said ribs being positioned on said base adjacent the radially inward side of said shoulder and circumferentially at a position intersecting a line of intersection of two adjacent sides of said four-sided pyramidal surface.

A container for growing a seedling and for insertion in the ground in a planting operation, said container comprising a bottom nose section and a hollow shank section extending upwardly therefrom, said nose section being formed to present a ground penetrating outer configuration, and said shank section including removable wall means for laterally exposing a substantial area of the growing medium and root area of any seedling growing in said container immediately prior to any insertion of said container in the ground in a planting operation, said shank section further including a plurality of spaced-apart elongated members extending longitudinally of said shank section, said removable wall means comprising a tubular sleeve member encircling said elongated members, said plurality of elongated members comprising four elongated members disposed about and extending upwardly from the upper end of said nose section in a substantially parallel equally spaced-apart relationship with the radially outward sides of said members lying on a circle smaller in diameter than the outer diameter of the upper end of said nose section, the upper surface of said nose section within said circle comprising an upwardly domed closed surface, and said upwardly domed closed surface being substantially pyramidal-shaped with the lines of intersection of the sides of the pyramidal-shaped surface radially intersecting the radially inward surfaces of said elongated members.

A container for growing a seedling and for insertion in the ground in a planting operation, said container comprising a bottom nose section and a hollow shank section extending upwardly therefrom, said nose section being formed to present a ground penetrating outer configuration, and said shank section including removable wall means for laterally exposing a substantial area of the growing medium and root area of any seedling growing in said container immediately prior to any insertion of said container in the ground in a planting operation, said shank section further including a plurality of spaced-apart elongated members extending longitudinally of said shank section, said removable wall means comprising a tubular sleeve member encircling said elongated members, said plurality of elongated members comprising four elongated members disposed about and extending upwardly from the upper end of said nose section in a substantially parallel equally spaced-apart relationship with the radially outward sides of said members lying on a circle smaller in diameter than the outer diameter of the upper end of said nose section, and the upper surface of said nose section within said circle comprising an upwardly domed closed surface, said tubular sleeve member terminating at the lower end thereof a certain distance above the upper end of said nose section to provide drainage openings between the lower end of said tubular sleeve member and the upper end of said nose section and between the lower ends of said four elongated members, a ring on the upper ends of said elongated members, the upper end of said tubular sleeve member extending circumferentially about said ring, and said ring being a split ring.