Baskets for receiving tree balls and methods for use thereof

A wire basket for receiving tree balls and comprising:

• a plurality of vertically spaced apart, circular closed wire rings arranged substantially horizontally, the diameter of each of said rings being different from the diameter of each other of said wire rings and the diameters and spacings of said wire rings being selected so that said wire tree basket has an angle of taper and each ring including a weld;
• and
• a plurality of vertically extending oblong wire upright loops connected by welds to the spaced apart horizontal rings in the spaced apart relationship, said wire upright loops being comprised of relatively straight parallel side portions, an upper integral bight section above the upper ring, an integral lower bight section below the lower ring, and a weld, and said relatively straight side portions and said wire rings being welded together so that the welds of said wire rings are located within said wire upright loops, and the welds of said wire upright loops are located between two of said wire rings, and said wire upright loops extend substantially below the lowermost of said wire rings, said wire upright loops comprising relatively straight side portions disposed between said upper bight section and said lower bight section, said relatively straight parallel side portions engaging each of said wire rings approximately perpendicularly, said relatively straight parallel side portions being welded to said wire rings, the bight sections cooperating in securing the basket about the tree ball and the wire of the basket being distortable to deform the wire at selected locations for tightening the embracing relationship of the wire basket about the tree ball to thereby cooperate and maintain the integrity of the ball and contained root structure between excavation and transplanting.

A method of balling root structures of trees, bushes, plants, etc. embedded in a ball of earth comprising:

• placing the ball of earth containing the root structure in a wire basket having a network of wire for embracing the outer periphery of the ball of earth with the embedded root structure, the network having an upper end and a lower end, and extension members at the top and bottom ends of the network for cooperating in receiving lacing for securing the basket about the ball of earth, the network of wire including a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal circular wires and a plurality of vertically extending oblong wires with substantially parallel portions welded to the circular wires and which maintain the circular wires in the vertically spaced relationship and which include integral hoops extending respectively beyond the uppermost and lowermost circular wires and said hoops defining said extension members for receiving the lacing, the wire of the network being distortable for tightening the embracing relationship of the wire basket about the ball of earth, the extension members being then bent inwardly;
• lacing the extension members about the ball of earth with contained root structure for maintaining the integrity of the earth ball between excavation and transplanting;
• and
• deforming the wire at selected locations to tighten the wire basket about the ball of the tree to thereby cooperate and maintain the integrity of the ball and contained root structure between excavation and transplanting.