Patent ID: 7171782
Filing Date: 2007-02-06
Classification: A01G

Abstract:
1. A planter for growing a transplantable plant within dirt or potting soil wherein the transplantable plant has a root system including two opposite ends and the plant further has a stem which extends from one end of the root system, the planter comprising: a container for containing dirt or potting soil and having sidewalls and an interior and wherein the sidewalls of the container define a grow port which provides access to the interior; and a plant insertion sleeve having two side sections which are hingedly connected to one another along a hinge for hinged movement between opened and closed conditions so that when the sleeve is positioned between opened and closed conditions so that when the sleeve is positioned in its opened condition, the root system of a plant to be transplanted can be positioned within one of the side sections and the side sections can be subsequently closed about the root system so that when the container contains dirt or potting soil and the side sections of the plant insertion sleeve are closed about the root system of the plant to be transplanted, the plant insertion sleeve is in condition to be inserted into the grow port of the planter and into any dirt or potting soil contained within the container for continued growth of the plant within the planter; each of the two side sections of the plant insertion sleeve is elongated in share and has a distal end and a proximal end and are hingedly joined to one another so that the two side sections of the sleeve can be hingedly moved between the opened and closed conditions and so that when closed about the root system of the plant, the proximal ends of the side sections collectively encircle the one end of the root system from which the stem of the plant extends and the distal ends of the side sections are disposed adjacent the end of the root system opposite said one end; the side sections of the plant insertion sleeve being shaped so that when the side sections are moved to the closed condition about the root system of the plant, the distal ends form a relatively sharp leading edge which facilitates the insertion of the side sections of the plant insertion sleeve, when in a closed condition, distal-end-first through the grow port of the planter and deeply into the dirt or potting soil contained within the container.