Abstract:
An apparatus is disclosed for easy removal of potted and trained plants from a plant container. The apparatus includes an elongated support member configured to assist plant training, and an elliptical-shaped support base connected to the elongated support member and configured to removably support a plant. Embodiments of the apparatus include support arms asymmetrically disposed on the elongated support member to upwardly support a plant.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure is related to plant cultivation and more particularly to plant training and repotting. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art. 
     For particular plant varieties, plant propagation and cultivation preferentially requires shaping of a plant and plant canopies. Training is a method of growth control that allows one to shape their canopy to facilitate photosynthesis, and control growth and plant yield. Tying, bending, crimping and topping are all conventional training methods. For particular plant varieties, it is desirable to train branches, vines and/or stems upward. In many plant varieties, plants outgrow pots or other housing container. Repotting plants that are trained around and/or intertwined to a training apparatus can be difficult as moving rot systems with the trained apparatus can result in plant damage, particularly in sensitive plant varieties. 
     Therefore, it would be advantageous to produce an apparatus whereby the training apparatus and rot system are concurrently moveable. 
     SUMMARY 
     A plant training and removal apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus may be used for easy removal of potted and trained plants from a plant container and to assist in plant training. The apparatus includes an elongated support member configured to assist plant training, and an elliptical-shaped support base connected to the elongated support member and configured to removably support a plant. Certain embodiments of the invention include a feature of support arms asymmetrically disposed on the elongated support member to upwardly support a plant. 
     This summary is provided merely to introduce certain concepts and not to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       One or more embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  schematically shows a perspective view of the apparatus, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  shows a cross-sectional view of the apparatus inserted into a pot, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the apparatus, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  shows a top view of the apparatus including a first embodiment of a grate, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 5  shows a top view of the apparatus including a second embodiment of the grate, in accordance with the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 6  shows a top view of the apparatus including a third embodiment of the grate, in accordance with the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, wherein the depictions are for the purpose of illustrating certain exemplary embodiments only and not for the purpose of limiting the same,  FIG. 1  illustrates a plant training and removal apparatus  10 . The apparatus  10  includes an elongated support member  20  configured to assist plant training and a support base  30 . In one embodiment, the support member  20  is a hollow, cylindrical-shaped body. The support member  20  may be configured with a plurality of symmetrically or asymmetrically disposed receiving apertures  22  configured to receive a support arm  24 . The support arm may be included to further support plant training by providing a structure to support portions of a plant. The support member  20  includes an annulus-shaped top cap  21  integrally formed or contiguously formed to a bottom end. The top cap  21  is configured to press against the support base when connected. The support member  20  can be formed to various sizes or shapes adapted for a particular plant variety or plant containers, hence the disclosure herein is not intended to be limited to any particular shape or size. 
     The support base  30  is preferably elliptical-shaped, configured to fit within a conventional plant pot flush on top of a base or bottom portion. The support base  30  is configured to receive the support member  20 . In one embodiment, the support base  30  is configured to slidably connect with the support member  20 . The support base is depicted in  FIG. 1  as having a grid-shaped support base  30 . One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the size and arrangement of a support structure of the support base  30  may vary as adapted for particular plant containers. To this end, the present disclosure is not to be construed as limited to the size proportions and arrangement of members of the support structure depicted in exemplary illustration in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a cross-sectional view of the apparatus  10  inserted into a plant container  40 . As  FIG. 2  shows, the support member  20  is preferably connected to the support base  30  at substantially a 90-degree angle. In use, soil  42  or other plant-nurturing material is positioned over the support base  30 . The plant  2  is free to grow within the soil  42  and upwards around the support member  20 . The support base  30  is preferably adapted to fit within a plant container  40 . It is contemplated by this disclosure that the support base  30  may be adapted for conventional frustoconical-shaped plant pots having conical-shaped walls configured to direct water and nutrients downwardly. Plant containers generally have a drain opening configured to permit water escape from the plant container. The support base  30  is configured to permit water to permeate from a top position of the support base  30  to a bottom position of the support base  30 . The disclosure herein can be applied to various plant containers and is therefore not intended to be limited thereby. 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded side view of the apparatus  10  showing an embodiment of a mechanical fastener system that may be used to slidably connect the support member  20  to the support base  30 . As  FIG. 3  shows, the support member  20  includes a fastening component  22  configured to thread into a receiving aperture having correspondingly internal threads. The fastening component  22  is preferably circularly-shaped and includes threads  23  spirally grooved on a surface. The fastening component  22  may be adapted as a simple machine of the inclined plane type, e.g., tapered, to generate compression forces when secured to a receiving aperture  24 . 
     The receiving aperture  24  preferably includes spiral grooves configured to receive the fastening component  22 . The aperture  24  may be circular-shaped and have tapered i.e., a conical-shaped decline, configured to generate compression forces when receiving the fastening component  22 . The receiving aperture  24  is formed or connected to a cap  26 . The cap  26  is configured to hold the support member  20  to the support base  30  when the fastening component  22  is secured within the receiving aperture  24 . The fastening component  22  and aperture  24  may be any size adapted to secure the support member  20  to the cap  26 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a top view of the apparatus  10 . As  FIG. 4  shows, the support member  20  may be slidably moved along any one of the plurality of slot(s)  34  or opening within the support base  30 . The support base  30  preferably includes one or more cross members  36  and a plurality of channel members  38 . The slots  34  formed from the space between the cross members  36  and the channel members  38 . 
     In the exemplary illustration, the support member  20  may be slid from position ‘A’ to position ‘B’ and may be positioned anywhere therebetween. In some situations, sliding the support member  20  within a plant container is preferable to aid in plant training. Further, some plant varieties are preferably positioned in a center of a plant container and benefit from the support member  20  positioned in ‘A’ or ‘B’ position, while other plant varieties are preferably positioned toward a container edge, benefiting from the support member  20  positioned in a central position e.g., between position ‘A’ and ‘B.’ Further, the support member  20  may be repositioned position in any one of the plurality of slots  34  such as in exemplary position ‘C.’ 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  show top views of the apparatus  10  depicting additional exemplary embodiments of the support base  30 . As  FIG. 5  shows, the support base  30  may include a support structure formed of a plurality of 4-sided cells around the slots  34 . As  FIG. 6  shows, the support base  30  may include a support structure formed of a plurality of hexagonal-shaped cells  35  around the slots  34 . The slots  34  are configured to permit the support member  20  to slidably move within the support base  30  as described herein above. The support structure formed of a plurality of 4-sided cells  32  and the support structure formed of a plurality of hexagonal-shaped cells  35  may be connected to the gird-shaped structure described hereinabove. In this way, the cells  32  and  35  add additional support for soil and other plant nurturing material. The disclosure herein can be applied to various support structure arrangements configured to receive the support member  20  and allow water to permeate from a top position of the support base  30  to a bottom position of the support base  30  and is therefore not intended to be limited thereby. 
     The disclosure has described certain preferred embodiments and modifications thereto. Further modifications and alterations may occur to others upon reading and understanding the specification. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this disclosure, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.