Plant root container and method of air root pruning

Claim 2

A container for enclosing the roots and root tips of a plant intended to be transplanted and growing medium comprising: a sidewall formed from a sheet of material having opposite top and lower edges and side edges that extend generally vertically when said container is in use and said sheet of material having a corrugated shape including undulations extending from one side edge to the opposite side edge, said sidewall having an outer and an inner surface, each said undulation including a trough and an apex extending from said top to said lower edge, the inner surface of a said side edge of said sidewall overlapping the outer surface of the opposite side edge to form a cylinder attached by a connecting means for affixing said side edges, the lower edge of said sidewall being the perimeter of the bottom of said container; a plurality of air root pruning means located in said sidewall for pruning root tips, whereby said container inhibits the tendency of spiral root growth by leading root tips to the said air root pruning means and encouraging additional root branching, said pruning means comprising apertures in said sidewall, said apertures being located at said apexes of the undulations in said sidewall when viewed from the exterior of said container.

Claim 3

The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said apertures are formed from vertical and horizontal slits in said sidewall, said vertical slits defining panels, said panels being displaced outwardly from said sidewall to create an aperture in said sidewall for air root pruning and drainage purposes.

Claim 4

The container as claimed in claim 2, wherein said sidewall shape has a plurality of circumferentially spaced convex apexes and troughs and said apertures are vertically equidistant from each other along each convex apex relative to the outer surface of the corrugated sidewall.

Claim 5

The container as claimed in claim 2, wherein said apertures are vertically equidistant from each other along each convex apex and trough relative to the outer surface of the corrugated sidewall and formed in alternating horizontal rows forming a checkerboard pattern.

Claim 6

The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sidewall is comprised of a light reflective material to reduce heat within the container and encourage root development.

Claim 7

The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein a bottom wall is provided and comprises filter cloth allowing feeder roots of a plant to penetrate the soil underneath and reduce the need for bracing of the plant and the possibility of tipping.

Claim 8

The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connecting means comprises holes spaced along each vertical edge of said sidewall for allowing fastening member to pass through and connect said vertical overlapping edges to form said cylindrical shape.

Claim 9

The container as claimed in claim 7, whereby said apertures are used as said holes for allowing fastening members to pass through and variably adjust the circumference of the cylindrical shape of the container.

Claim 10

The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said apertures include a plurality of first apertures having a shape comprising, in use, a horizontally elongated slot having a selected length and a plurality of second apertures having a shape comprising, in use, a vertically elongated slot having a selected length.

Claim 11

The container as claimed in claim 9 wherein said horizontal length of said first apertures is greater in size than said vertical length of said second apertures.

Claim 12

The container as claimed in claim 9 wherein, about a selected circumference of said sidewall, said first apertures are separated from each other by at least two second apertures.

Claim 13

The container as claimed in claim 11 wherein said undulations have apexes on the exterior surface of said sidewall and said first apertures are located on the apexes of the exterior surface of said sidewall.

Claim 14

A container for enclosing the roots and root tips of a plant intended to be transplanted and growing medium comprising: a sidewall formed from a sheet of material having opposite top and lower edges and side edges and having a corrugated shape including undulations each from one side edge to the opposite side edge, said sidewall having an outer and an inner surface, each said undulation extending from said top to said lower edge and being crenelated in shape with each having three substantially flat surfaces one of which extends approximately perpendicular to the other two surfaces and which connects the other two surfaces to define an inner or an outer apex, the inner surface of a said side edge of said sidewall overlapping the outer surface of the opposite side edge to form a cylinder attached by a connecting means for affixing said side edges, the lower edge of said sidewall being the perimeter of the bottom of said container; a plurality of air root pruning means located in said sidewall for pruning root tips, whereby said container inhibits the tendency of spiral root growth by leading root tips to the said air root pruning means and encouraging additional root branching, said pruning means comprising apertures located at the outer apexes of said undulations in said sidewall.

Claim 15

A container for enclosing the roots and root tips of a plant intended to be transplanted and growing medium comprising: a sidewall formed from a sheet of material having opposite top and lower edges and side edges and having a corrugated shape including undulations each from one side edge to the opposite side edge, said sidewall having an outer and an inner surface, each said undulation extending from said top to said lower edge and being crenelated in shape with each having three substantially flat surfaces one of which extends approximately perpendicular to the other two surfaces and which connects the other two surfaces to define an inner or an outer apex, the inner surface of a said side edge of said sidewall overlapping the outer surface of the opposite side edge to form a cylinder attached by a connecting means for affixing said side edges, the lower edge of said sidewall being the perimeter of the bottom of said container; a plurality of air root pruning means located in said sidewall for pruning root tips, whereby said container inhibits the tendency of spiral root growth by leading root tips to the said air root pruning means and encouraging additional root branching, said pruning means comprising apertures located at the outer apexes of said undulations in said sidewall.

Claim 16

The container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said undulations are crenelated in shape with each having three substantially flat surfaces, one of which extends approximately perpendicular to the other two surfaces and which connects the other two surfaces.

Claim 17

The container as claimed in 7 wherein at least one of said holes along a vertical edge is spaced from said adjacent vertical edge a greater distance than others of said holes to allow a taper to be provided in assembling said sidewall.

Claim 18

The container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sidewall is made of a plastic material.

Claim 19

A container for enclosing the roots and root tips of a plant to be transplanted and growing medium comprising: a peripheral wall having an upper and a lower edge, said peripheral wall being corrugated in shape and defining, in use, a body for receiving material therein, said corrugated shape including undulations including troughs and apexes each trough and apex extending between said upper and said lower edge about said peripheral wall, said lower edge of said peripheral wall being the perimeter of the bottom of said container; a plurality of air root pruning means located in said peripheral wall for pruning root tips, whereby said container inhibits the tendency of spiral root growth by leading root tips to the said air root pruning means and encouraging additional root branching, said pruning means comprising apertures in said sidewall, said apertures being located at said apexes of the undulations in said peripheral wall when viewed from the exterior of said container.

Claim 20

A container for enclosing the roots and root tips of a plant to be transplanted and growing medium comprising: a peripheral wall having an upper and a lower edge, said peripheral wall being corrugated in shape and defining, in use, a body for receiving material therein, said corrugated shape including undulations including troughs and apexes each trough and apex extending between said upper and said lower edge about said peripheral wall, said lower edge of said peripheral wall being the perimeter of the bottom of said container; a plurality of air root pruning means located in said peripheral wall for pruning root tips, whereby said container inhibits the tendency of spiral root growth by leading root tips to the said air root pruning means and encouraging additional root branching, said pruning means comprising apertures in said sidewall, said apertures being located at said apexes of the undulations in said peripheral wall when viewed from the exterior of said container.

Claim 21

The invention as claimed in claim 14 wherein said peripheral wall is constructed from sheet material having a pair of side edges joined together to define a substantially cylindrical shape for said container.

Claim 22

The invention as claimed in claim 15 wherein said side edges are overlapped and attached by connecting means.