Abstract:
A plant cultivation tool is disclosed which is especially suited to efficient removal of plants from compacted, rocky, or sandy soils; loosening those soils; and insertion of plants into those soils, without becoming bent or broken in the course of daily use. This tool is simple and has no moving parts, thus care and maintenance requirements are minimal.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     The present application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/654,688 filed on Feb. 18, 2005, which is incorporated herein by reference, and which is not admitted to be prior art with respect to the present invention by its mention in the background. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     Not Applicable  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     (1) Field of the Invention  
         [0004]     This invention relates to agricultural implements which are used to work the ground, and more particularly to a single throw lever designed for ejecting plants from the ground with tap roots intact, for cultivating and breaking compacted and rocky soils, and for placing plants in soil.  
         [0005]     (2) Description of Related Art  
         [0006]     Musk thistles are a constant problem in agricultural areas, and are often required by law to be removed from farm property. These plants are often found in hard compacted soils which are hard to penetrate, and which may contain rocks, gravel, and clay deposits. In areas where rocks are present in soils, it may be necessary to drive the blade of the tool into the ground with a hammer or with a maul. The great majority of plant extraction tools in existence can not long survive these conditions, becoming bent or broken after relatively little use. It is essential to remove the entire tap root of the plant at the same time the rest of the plant is removed in order to prevent regrowth, and this is difficult, since the tap root may be easily severed, cut, or broken off from the rest of the plant during the removal operation. Tools with sharp cutting blades are especially liable to leave parts of the tap root in the ground.  
         [0007]     Before filing this application, the applicant was aware of the following patents:  
                                               5,609,325   March 1997   DeArmond   254/132       4,281,866   August 1981   Atcheson   254/132       3,976,282   August 1976   Baker   254/132       3,865,348   February 1975   Close   254/132       3,288,437   November 1966   Pederson   254/132       3,273,929   September 1961   Shurtz   254/132       3,138,365   June 1964   Rundle   254/132       2,843,359   July 1958   Franz   254/132       2,716,538   August 1955   Arrowood   254/132       2,504,746   April 1950   Stecker   254/132       2,378,459   June 1945   Beardsley   254/132       2,373,898   April 1945   Kulesh   254/132       2,247,958   July 1941   Maxcy   254/132       2,166,015   July 1939   Mikkelson   254/132       2,121,265   June 1938   Ruffcorn   254/132       1,908,735   December 1935   Donaldson   254/132       1,864,373   December 1935   Smith   254/132       1,857,500   May 1932   Davison   254/132       1,822,675   September 1931   Shelkofsky   254/132       1,734,026   August 1929   Joseph   254/132       1,494,557   May 1924   Lumry   254/132       1,278,680   October 1918   Klaffert   254/132       1,131,714   March 1915   Kress   254/132       1,107,705   August 1914   Ruddy   254/132         357,907   February 1887   Clarke   254/132                  
 
         [0008]     In addition, the inventor is aware of the following patent applications:  
                                               09/915,389   March 2002   Novotny   254/132       10/717,724   November 2003   Hoover   254/132                  
 
         [0009]     Other patents and patent applications do not appear to the inventor to be pertinent or relevant to his invention. Unless otherwise stated, the terms “Patent Number” and “Patent Application” below refer to United States Patent, either issued or applied for, respectively.  
         [0010]     Atcheson (U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,866) discloses a weed puller made from a single strap of steel, which is designed to be used in moist soils on plants such as dandelions which have thick breakage-resistant tap roots. Atcheson&#39;s tool grabs the tap root and extracts the weed from the ground. Atcheson&#39;s tool is not particularly designed for weed removal from compacted or rocky soil where musk thistles predominate, and would probably break off musk thistle and other similar tap roots which are prone to easy breakage.  
         [0011]     Joseph (U.S. Pat. No. 1,734,026) discloses a similar tool made from sheet metal, whose working edges are rounded so as not to cut the tap root, but grabs the tap root between the upper and middle ends and would probably break off musk thistle and other noxious weed tap roots which are prone to easy breakage.  
         [0012]     Kress (U.S. Pat. No. 1,131,714) discloses a similar tool which suffers from the same problem, being made from a single piece of sheet steel, which is bent to form the tool, and for which no tempering or hardening process is disclosed. The Kress tool could be re-bent by compacted and rocky soils and thus rendered useless in effective removal of musk thistles.  
         [0013]     Arrowood&#39;s tool (U.S. Pat. No. 2,716,538) appears also to be fashioned from a steel strap, with the flat edge which meets the tap root being sharpened. This tool appears to be designed for lawn and garden work, and its object is to either loosen the soil so that the weed might be removed by hand or to engage the root directly with the blade and remove the weed. In removing musk thistles, the use of this tool could either be inefficient, in the former mode of use, or futile, in the latter mode of use, since the tap root could be broken.  
         [0014]     DeArmond (U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,325) discloses a similar tool, with a sharpened V-notch at the end which contacts the tap root, and this tool is first used to loosen the ground in the vicinity of the weed, and then is used to dig up the weed by supporting the tap root from below. DeArmond&#39;s tool does not accomplish its objective in as efficient a manner as the invention disclosed in this application, which simply requires the tool to be inserted in the ground once beside the tap root, then swung in a smooth motion to dislodge the plant with its tap root.  
         [0015]     Davison (U.S. Pat. No. 1,857,500) discloses a tool having three tines. This tool is designed for use in lawns, and the mode of use disclosed indicates that the tines are to be pushed into the root bundle, and the weed is to be levered out using the fulcrum. In musk thistles, this operation would result in the tap root being broken off just below ground level, thus providing the opportunity for more regrowth of the weed. In addition, in compacted and rocky soils, the tines may be subject to bending or breakage.  
         [0016]     Rundle (U.S. Pat. No. 3,138,365) discloses a tool in which tines made out of sheet metal engage the tap root, or alternatively are used to loosen the earth around the tap root, and then engage the root and pull the weed from the ground. In the soils where musk thistles grow, these tines would be easily bent or broken if the tap root were engaged directly, or the tap root would be broken off at or near ground level; if the tool were first used to loosen the soil, the tines would be easily bent or broken on contact with compacted or rocky soil.  
         [0017]     Ruffcom (U.S. Pat. No. 2,121,265) and Stecker (U.S. Pat. No. 2,504,746) both disclose hand tools which are designed for lawn and garden use. Stecker&#39;s tool is designed to cut the tap root off below ground level, and the mode of use disclosed in Ruffcorn&#39;s tool is similar to Davison&#39;s tool, in which the tines are inserted into the root and the root is levered out. In musk thistles and other such noxious weeds, this would result in the tap root being broken off just below ground level, in both cases resulting in regrowth of the weed.  
         [0018]     Kulesh (U.S. Pat. No. 2,373,898) discloses a tool stamped from sheet metal with several bends in it, for use in lawn and garden areas on shallow-rooted weeds. This tool would be easily destroyed in compacted and rocky soils, even if it were modified to support deep tap roots from below. In addition, there is no cross-member by which it may be driven deeply enough into the soil to reach the bottom of a deep tap root, apparently being intended for shallow-rooted weeds only.  
         [0019]     Shelkofsky (U.S. Pat. No. 1,822,675), Shurtz (U.S. Pat. No. 3,273,929) and Clarke (U.S. Pat. No. 357,907) disclose similar tools in which a chopping motion is employed to make contact with the weed at or slightly under ground level. These tools appear to be sturdily designed but they all have the common problem of not getting under the tap root of the weed and forcing it upwards, but with the chopping motion potentially severing the tap root at or under ground level. These tools are also potentially dangerous to the user, since in the course of the chopping motion the sharp tines intended to make contact with the weed are coming towards the legs and lower body of the user. Mikkelson (U.S. Pat. No. 2,166,015) discloses a somewhat similar combination tool which is designed in part to remove dandelions from lawns, and in doing so, the tool will contact the plant at or slightly beneath ground level. This may be a successful method for dandelion eradication, but it will only serve to break the plant off at ground level, especially if the plant is rooted in compacted or rocky soil.  
         [0020]     Close (U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,348) discloses a tool in which the end of the tool which contacts the weed does so at ground level, the V-notch grips the weed, and by rocking the tool along the fulcrum, the weed is pulled from the ground. In the case of the musk thistle, the tap root would be broken off at ground level, making regrowth possible. Franz (U.S. Pat. No. 2,843,359) discloses a similar tool, at least in operation, if not in appearance, which would suffer from the same problem of breaking off the tap root at or near ground level.  
         [0021]     Lumry (U.S. Pat. No. 1,494,557), Pederson (U.S. Pat. No. 3,288,437), Novotny (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/915,389) and Baker (U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,282) disclose similar inventions where tines attached to a cylindrical or curved fulcrum contact the weed at the tap root at or slightly below ground level. Baker discloses an invention in which the tap root comes into contact with a sharpened V-notch, which can sever the tap root at or near ground level, and Lumry and Pederson disclose an invention where tines are driven into the tap root and then the tool is rotated about the cylindrical or curved fulcrum lifting the weed out of the ground. For a musk thistle plant, Lumry&#39;s and Pederson&#39;s inventions would break the tap root at the point of insertion of the tines, leading to incomplete removal of the tap root and subsequent regrowth.  
         [0022]     Kiaffert (U.S. Pat. No. 1,278,680) discloses an invention which is styled as a “weed cutter” whose working edge is sharpened and designed to cut the root of the weed at some place at or below the surface of the ground so that the remainder may be easily pulled out, leaving part of the tap root behind. Beardsley (U.S. Pat. No. 2,378,459) discloses an invention which has a V-notch which may be pushed into the ground to engage and cut the tap root below ground level, which would be sufficient to eradicate most weeds, but which would allow for musk thistles and other such noxious weeds to re-grow.  
         [0023]     Donaldson (U.S. Pat. No. 1,908,735) discloses an invention made from stamped or forged sheet metal whose mode of use in removal of deep-rooted weeds is to make two or more cuts on opposite sides of the weed, so that the resulting divot may be levered out, the weed removed by hand, and the divot replaced. This invention is directed towards removal of dandelions from lawns, and owing to its construction and mode of use might not be sturdy enough to remove plants from compacted or rocky soil.  
         [0024]     Smith (U.S. Pat. No. 1,864,373) and Maxcy (U.S. Pat. No. 2,247,958) disclose similar tools. Smith&#39;s tool employs a fork to grip the tap root; if the tap root of a musk thistle is pierced, it is easily broken off. Smith&#39;s invention does not also supply any springing motion to push the weed out of the ground, but uses the fork to grab the tap root and pull the weed. The fork as pictured is also unlikely to stand up under rough usage as might be expected from an agricultural user. Maxcy&#39;s tool uses a sharpened sheet metal trowel, upon which has been welded a thin triangular piece of sheet metal, and is designed to be used in lawns and gardens. Maxcy&#39;s tool is not designed to be used in compacted or rocky soils which would bend or otherwise deform and break the thin metal used in the tool and dull the blades. This tool would support the plant from below but would likely deform when forced through compacted or rocky soils in the course of use.  
         [0025]     Ruddy (U.S. Pat. No. 1,107,705) discloses a tool in which two metallic fingers are pushed down into the ground straddling the tap root of a weed but do not otherwise support it and the tool is rotated around a fulcrum crossbar between the two fingers and perpendicular to them presumably pulling the weed from the ground. On a musk thistle plant, where the tap root is prone to breakage, this tool would break the tap root off at the crown if it had any effect at all. This tool appears to be designed for use with shallow rooted weeds which have a dense root bundle at or near the surface.  
         [0026]     Finally, Hoover (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/717,724) discloses a hoe which grabs the weed at ground level and in the case of plants having deep and strong tap roots, the plant is successfully removed. Musk thistle tap roots would break off at the point of connection, allowing for regrowth of the plant, rendering the tool disclosed in Hoover unsuitable for the task of removing musk thistles and similar noxious weeds with tap roots which tend to break easily.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0000]     (1) New and Different Function  
         [0027]     This invention relates to the extraction of plants from the ground, and more particularly, to a plant cultivation tool having a curved blade made of spring steel which will provide a springingols designed for use in soft and moist soils such as are found in lawns and gardens. This tool is designed for use in areas where the appearance of the ground after the weed is extracted is not important, unlike tools to be used in lawn weeding motion to aid in dislodging a plant from the ground with its taproot intact. This invention also relates to the loosening of rocky, sandy, or compacted soils, and to the placement of plants in soils.  
         [0028]     This tool is especially directed towards the extraction of musk thistle plants and other plants from both cultivated soils and grasslands where the soil may be compacted, and contain rocks and sand. This tool is constructed out of materials such as spring steel, steel pipe, and angle iron, which will survive rough treatment, unlike the great majority of to, where appearance after removal of weeds is of paramount importance.  
         [0029]     Removal of musk thistle plants from farm properties is mandated by law in many states, on grounds that the plant is a noxious weed which spreads with great speed and crowds out crops. There is great vigilance exercised in the enforcement of these laws, with fines being levied and the possibility of jail time for repeat offenders who fail to remove all of the musk thistles from their property. In the recent past, most musk thistle control has been accomplished through the use of herbicides, but with the increased incidence of organic farming, a way of eradicating musk thistles which does not use herbicides is in great demand amongst farmers.  
         [0030]     In order to eradicate an infestation of musk thistles, the plants must be removed with tap roots intact, and this removal must occur before the top part of the thistle turns purple and releases its seeds. If the tap root is severed, or if any part of it is left in the ground, the plant will grow back, often with four or five new stalks replacing the one which has been removed. This plant grows in compacted and sandy soils, which are difficult to penetrate using conventional tools, and the tap root is easily severed or broken off.  
         [0031]     For successful removal, the tap root must be supported from below, and motive force must be applied upward on the tap root, forcing the plant upward and out of the ground. The tap root is supported by the “cloverleaf” fingers at the working end of the tool, and the motive force is generated by swinging the handle of the tool towards the ground in a swift smooth motion, which in hard compacted soil may partially compress the spring steel blade which if correctly inserted alongside the plant moves the “cloverleaf” fingers at the working end of the blade under the tap root. The spring steel blade returns to its former conformation, the rigid curved spring steel blade moves and in so doing the “cloverleaf” fingers force the musk thistle plant out of the ground with its tap root intact, “popping” the plant out of the ground. A similar operation serves to break up and loosen rocky, sandy, or compacted soils.  
         [0000]     (2) Objects of this Invention  
         [0032]     The primary object of the invention is efficiency in removing musk thistle plants and other such plants, with the tap root intact, from compacted soils which may be sandy or rocky as well. The great majority of the related art found is directed towards the removal of lawn and garden weeds, such as dandelions and plantains, from cultivated and well broken up soils such as are found in lawns and gardens. Very few of the inventions encountered are directed towards farm use, and no invention was found which had its object the efficient and complete mechanical removal of musk thistle plants from any types of soil in which this plant is commonly found.  
         [0033]     Further objects of this invention are to provide a sturdy and durable tool which will survive years of rough use, in rocky, sandy, and compacted soils, and which will perform its task in a manner ecologically compatible with organic farming, in which the use of herbicides may be prohibited by law, if not proscribed by common practice, yet is inexpensive to manufacture (and may be manufactured from recycled materials) and is easy and cheap to maintain in proper working order.  
         [0034]     More objects of this invention are to provide a sturdy and durable tool which can be used to prepare compacted, rocky, or sandy soils for planting, from plants such as trees and shrubs, to potted plants, and to assist in the placement of those plants in the soil.  
         [0035]     Other objects of this invention are to achieve the goal of removing musk thistle plants and other such noxious weeds with a method that is versatile, ecologically compatible, energy conserving, rapid, efficient and inexpensive and which does not require skilled labor to operate; and to provide a versatile tool which may be used for many other tasks encountered in the course of operating a farm. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0036]     It is believed that the embodiment of the invention will be better understood from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0037]      FIG. 1  is a side elevation of a plant cultivation tool which can be used to eject plants from the ground;  
         [0038]      FIG. 2  is a front elevation of the tool illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0039]      FIG. 3  is a back elevation of the tool illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0040]      FIG. 4  is a transverse view of the tool illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0041]      FIG. 5  is a front elevation showing the “cloverleaf” blade edge of the tool in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0042]      FIG. 6  is a transverse view of the “cloverleaf” blade edge illustrated in  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0043]      FIG. 7  is an illustration of a person inserting the blade of the tool illustrated in  FIG. 1  into the ground using the step member of the plant cultivation tool; and  
         [0044]      FIG. 8  is an illustration of a person ejecting the plant from the ground with tap root intact after moving the handle of the tool illustrated in  FIG. 1  downward in a smooth quick manner. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0000]     Overview  
         [0045]     The invention described herein provides an apparatus for the ejection of plants from the ground with tap root intact, and the subsequent removal thereof, for loosening and breaking up rocky, sandy, or compacted soils, and for assistance in placing plants in the soil.  
         [0000]     Detailed Description of the Elements of the Invention  
         [0046]     Referring to  FIGS. 1-6 , a plant cultivation tool  100  includes a handle  200  having a first end  220  and a second end  240  and a tip  260 . The first end  220  of the handle  200  may be grasped by a person for manipulation of the plant cultivation tool  100 . The handle  200  may be constructed of steel or other metal which is resistant to bending or deformation on the application of force to the handle  200  for providing a sturdy and durable hand grip component of the plant cultivation tool  100 . The handle  200  is sized such that a person may utilize the plant cultivation tool  100  in a standing position.  
         [0047]     A curved blade member  300  having a first end  320  and a front side  330  and a second end  340  and a back side  350  is attached to the second end  240  of the handle  200 . The curved blade member  300  is curved so that the back side  350  is convex and the front side  330  is concave. The curved blade member  300  may be formed from SAE 5160 spring steel or material having similar metallurgical properties or composition or some other durable material. The curved blade member  300  has a thickness which may be between 0.250 inch and 0.500 inch on the first end  320  and tapering on the back side  350  to a thickness which may be between 0.063 inch to 0.250 inch on the second end  340 . The curved blade member  300  may be 2.5 inches in width and may be 18 to 24 inches in length. The curved blade member  300  may also have an indentation of 0.125 inch depth on the back side  350  of the curved blade member  300  which may extend lengthwise from the first end  320  to the second end  340  of the curved blade member  300  between 18 inches to 24 inches and may extend between 0.300 inches to 0.400 inches on each side of the midpoint of the width of the curved blade member  300 . The second end  240  of the handle  200  is bent in a fashion which will accommodate and conform to the curvature of the curved blade member  300  so that the second end  240  of the handle  200  may be continuously welded or otherwise attached to the front side  330  of the first end  320  of the curved blade member  300 . The portion of the second end  240  of the handle  200  which is bent in this fashion may extend for 6 to 8 inches from the tip  260  of the second end  240  of the handle  200 . The second end  320  of the curved blade member  300  contains a tapered blade working edge  360  at the midpoint of which is located a keyhole notch  370  which may be located 2 inches to 4 inches from the tapered blade working edge  360  at the second end  320  of the curved blade member  300 . The tapered blade working edge  360  and the keyhole notch  370  together comprise a “cloverleaf” member  390 . The spring steel of which the curved blade member  300  may be composed imparts a springing action to effectuate removal of the plant, or to break through rocky, sandy, or comapcted soils, and the cloverleaf member  390  supports but does not grab or otherwise cut or sever or penetrate the tap root of the plant when total removal of a plant is desired.  
         [0048]     A step member  400  is attached to the tip  260  of the second end  240  of the handle  200  and to the first end  320  of the curved blade member  300 . The step member  400  is a cross-bar or angle iron attached horizontally to the handle  200  at approximately its midpoint for providing a first step portion  420  and a second step portion  440  extending from opposite sides of the handle  200 . This step member  400  is attached by continuous welding or other suitable means to the tip  260  of the second end  240  of the handle  200  and to the front side  330  of the curved blade member  300 . A person may step on or otherwise apply pressure or force to the step member  400  for forcing the tapered blade working edge  360  and the curved blade member  300  of the plant cultivation tool  100  into the ground.  
         [0000]     Mode of Use of the Invention  
         [0049]     Referring to  FIGS. 7-8 , in operation, a person positions the plant cultivation tool  100  adjacent to a plant, in  FIGS. 7-8  a musk thistle plant, and steps on the step member  400  for insertion of the tapered blade working edge  360  and its associated “cloverleaf” member  390  and the second end  340  of the curved blade member  300  of the plant cultivation tool  100  into the ground adjacent to the plant. By moving the handle  200  in a smooth continuous arcuate motion towards the ground, the “cloverleaf” member  390  is forced under the taproot of the plant, and motive force upward on the tap root is supplied by the upward motion of the curved blade member  300  created by the downward motion of the handle  200  using the step member  400  as a fulcrum, thereby forcing the plant with tap root intact out of the ground. The back side  350  of the curved blade member  300  of the plant cultivation tool  100  is then kicked by the user which completely removes the plant from the tool.  
         [0050]     In the operation of loosening and breaking up rocky, sandy, or compacted soil, the series of operations above are carried out, except there is no plant or taproot present. The tapered blade working edges  360  of the plant cultivation tool  100  are driven into the soil using the step member  400 , and motive force upward on the soil above the curved blade member  300  is supplied by the upward motion of the curved blade member  300  created by the downward motion of the handle  200  using the step member  400  as a fulcrum, thus breaking the soil. These operations are repeated until the desired degree of soil loosening is achieved.  
         [0051]     In the operation of assisting placement of plants into the soil, the taproot of the plant is inserted into the keyhole notch  370  adjacent to the tapered blade working edges  360  on the second end  340  of the curved blade member  300  of the plant cultivation tool  100 . The taproot is supported by the keyhole notch  370  and the curved blade member  300  and the stem is supported by the user with one hand, who inserts the tool into a previously dug hole with the other hand. The tapered blade working edges  360  are used to seat the taproot into the soil, and the tool is removed from the soil while the user continues to support the stem of the plant. The user then fills and tamps the hole with dirt sufficient to support the plant in a proper orientation.  
         [0000]     Advantages of the Invention  
         [0052]     The aforementioned embodiments of this invention have many advantages over related art, including, but not limited to, the following:  
         [0053]      
         [0054]      1 . A tool is provided for the complete removal of a plant, especially a musk thistle plant, and its tap root, without the risk of breaking the tap root and thus leaving portions in the ground which could result in regrowth of the weed.  
         [0055]     2. The tool is sturdily built, so that it may be used in rocky or compacted dry soils without risk of breaking or deforming, and so that the working edge may be driven into the ground with human or mechanical means.  
         [0056]     3. Once the tool has been driven into the ground beside the taproot of the plant, it is easily and efficiently operated, by means of an easy throw of the tool handle, to eject the plant with taproot intact from the ground. This occurs because the handle is made of heavy steel, which serves to concentrate force at the working edge of the tool below the fulcrum provided by the cross-member which also serves as a step for driving the tool into the ground beside the taproot of the plant  
         [0057]     4. The tool can also serve to break up rocky, sandy, or compacted soils to sufficient degree to permit cultivation of those soils, and it can serve to create holes for placing plants in the prepared soils. Finally, the tool can be used to firmly seat the taproot in the soil using the tapered blade working edges adjacent to the keyhole notch to drive the tool and plant deeper into the soil, when it is desired to place plants in soil.  
         [0000]     A Prospective Specific Embodiment of the Invention  
         [0058]     As one example, the overall length of the plant cultivation tool  100  may be approximately 60 inches to reduce the amount of bending that a person may need to do during operation of the plant cultivation tool  100  and to increase the upward motive force applied to the plant taproot by the “cloverleaf” member  390  when the handle  200  is moved in a smooth continuous arcuate motion towards the ground using step member  400  as a fulcrum. The handle  200  may be approximately 48 inches long and approximately 1 inch in diameter. The curved blade member  300  may be formed from SAE 5160 spring steel. The curved blade member  300  may be approximately 18.5 inches long and approximately 2.5 inches wide and having approximately 6.75 inches of its length welded to the handle  200  and having approximately 1.25 inches of its length welded to the step member  400 , and having approximately 10.5 inches of its length extending below the step member  400 . The curved blade member  300  may be approximately 0.250 inches thick for approximately 15.75 inches of its length measuring from the first end  320  of the curved blade member  300  and extending toward the second end  340  of the curved blade member  300 , and the curved blade member  300  may taper from approximately 0.250 inches thick at approximately 15.75 inches of its length to approximately 0.125 inches thick at approximately 17.75 inches of its length, measuring from the first end  320  of the curved blade member  300  and extending toward the second end  340  of the curved blade member  300 , and then the curved blade member  300  may taper from 0.125 inches thick at approximately 17.75 inches of its length to approximately 0.05 inches thick at approximately 18.5 inches of its length, measuring from the first end  320  of the curved blade member  300  and extending toward the second end  340  of the curved blade member  300 . The width of the tapered blade working edges  360  forming the “cloverleaf” member  390  may be approximately 0.833 inches each, and the width of the mouth of the keyhole notch  370  may be approximately 0.833 inches, and the width of the throat of the keyhole notch  370  may be approximately 0.375 inches, and the diameter of the circular opening connected to the throat of the keyhole notch  370  may be approximately 0.500 inches and the depth of the keyhole notch  370  may be approximately 1.25 inches measuring from the tapered blade working edge  360  of the second end  340  of the curved blade member  300  towards the first end  320  of the curved blade member  300  of the plant cultivation tool  100 . The ends of the tapered blade working edges  360  which are components of the “cloverleaf” member  390  may be semicircular in profile. The step member  400  may be a strip of angle iron 1.25 inches in width on each side where the two sides are joined to each other lengthwise at a 90 degree angle and the total length of said step member  400  may be approximately 9 inches, approximately 4.5 inches extending on either side of the midpoint of the curved blade member 300 to which the step member  400  is attached.  
         [0059]     Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, other embodiments are possible. For example, the step member  400  may be composed of a cross-member other than an angle iron and instead have a circular, oval, square, or rectangular cross-section. Also, the curved blade member  300  may have a different length, width, or degree of curvature, and may be fabricated from different kinds of metal or other material, and the step member  400  may be attached to the curved blade member  300  at different distances from the tapered blade working edges  360 . The first end  220  of the handle  200  may have indentations, engraved marks, or other mechanical alterations so that the tool  100  may be more easily grasped by the user. Alternatively, a handgrip made from metal, plastic, textile, or some other material could be attached to the first end  220  of the handle  200  so that the plant cultivation tool  100  may be more easily grasped by the user. Also, the keyhole notch  370  and the tapered blade working edges  360  which comprise the “cloverleaf” member  390  may have differing configurations: the keyhole notch  370  may be triangular, rectangular, square, oval, or have some other shape, and the tapered blade working edges  360  may vary from semicircular to flat to elongated ellipsoidal configurations. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the descriptions of the preferred embodiments contained herein.