Abstract:
Methods for placing a container on young plants uses a container application device to quickly and effectively position a container around the young plants. The container application device includes a root section, a shoot section and mouth intermediate the root section and the shoot section. The containers placed on the young plants protects the young plants from wildlife browsing.

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to methods for preparing a young plant by placing it in containers for protecting the young plants after they are transplanted. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Wildlife, such as deer, elk, rabbits, are inclined to nibble and eat young plants. This can reduce the seasonal plant growth. Depending upon the extent of damage, the plants&#39; ability to produce food may be lessened. This may result in less ability of the plant to survive later stresses, such as sudden and severe changes in the weather. 
         [0003]    Wildlife can also uproot young plants. If these plants are tree seedlings, the uprooting may result in the need for replanting to achieve reforestation. If these plants are crops, such as berry or grape vines, the uprooting may result in the need for new planting to achieve the anticipated crop production. 
         [0004]    A current technique for attempting to protect transplanted young plants from being damaged or uprooted by wildlife places the young plants in a protective container that discourages and hinders wildlife efforts to eat or uproot transplanted young plants. One type of protective container is made from an elastic mesh material shaped in the form of a tube. Such type of protective container protects the young plant from damage by wildlife without denying the young plant of the air, moisture and sunlight needed to sustain vigorous growth. 
         [0005]    A grower&#39;s decision to protect young plants using protective containers depends in part on achieving a favorable balance between the cost of placing young plants in protective containers and the improvement in yield achieved by placing the young plants in the containers. Improvements in the speed and effectiveness of placing young plants in protective containers can lead to desirable reductions in costs. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    A method for preparing placing young plants, such as vines or tree seedlings, in containers is described below. Exemplary containers include sidewalls which define an opening in at least one end of the container. One specific example of a suitable container comprises a flexible and biodegradable or photodegradable material, such as Vexar® tubing. Such containers can protect the young plants from damage resulting from consumption or uprooting by wildlife. The young plant and container can be planted as a unit, with a portion of the container extending over the shoot end of a young plant to protect it from wildlife. A method for placing a container on a young plant described in more detail below includes steps of placing a container including a first open end, a second end, and a sidewall intermediate the first open end and the second end on a container application device that includes a body having a root section, a shoot section, and a mouth intermediate the root section and the shoot section. A container is positioned on the container application device such that at least a portion of the sidewall of the container is positioned around the root section of the device. A young plant including a root end and a shoot are placed on the container application device, with the root end and shoot positioned at least partially within the shoot section of the container application device. A portion of the container sidewall is moved from the root section to the shoot section of the container application device. Movement of the portion of the sidewall from the root section to the shoot section of the container application device results in a portion of the container being positioned around portions of the young plant. Optionally, the plant in the container may be frozen prior to planting. 
         [0007]    In another method for placing a container on a young plant, a container having a first open end, second end, and a sidewall intermediate the first open end and the second end is placed on an application container device. The application container device includes a body having a root section, a shoot section, and a mouth intermediate the root section and the shoot section. At least a portion of the sidewall of the container is positioned around the root section of the container application device. A young plant having a root end and a shoot is placed in the shoot section of the container application device. At least a portion of the sidewall is moved from the root section to the shoot section of the container application device while the young plant is positioned within the shoot section of the container application device. This movement results in the sidewall of the container being positioned around at least a portion of the young plant. 
         [0008]    In another method for placing a container on a young plant, a container having a first open end, a second end, and a sidewall intermediate the first open end and the second end is employed. The first open end of the container is held open with a container application device and a young plant having a root end and a shoot is placed on the container application device. The sidewall of the container is then positioned around at least a portion of the young plant. The container application device used in this method includes a body having a root section, a shoot section, and a mouth intermediate the root section and the shoot section. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of the subject matter described herein will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary container and a young plant, to which the container is to be applied; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of a container application device used in methods described herein; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a container application device taken along line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  illustrates an end view of the first end of the container application device illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  illustrates an end view of the second end of the container application device of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a bottom view of the container application device of  FIG. 2 ; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a top view of the container application device of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  illustrates one stage of a method for placing a container on a young plant described herein; 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  illustrates a second stage of a method for placing a container on a young plant; 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  illustrates a third stage of a method for placing a container on a young plant; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  illustrates an alternative step useful in a method for placing a container on a young plant. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a young plant  10  such as young tree seedlings, vines, shrubbery or other foliage that are to be placed in a container  16  having at least one sidewall  18  and an open first end  20  and a second open end  22  opposite the first open end  20  is illustrated. Container  18  can have a cross-section perpendicular to its length that is generally circular or the cross-sectional shape can be non-circular, e.g., oval, square, or elliptical. The illustrated young plant  10  includes a root end  12  and a shoot  14 . Root end  12  refers to the portion of the young plant commonly referred to as the root ball. Shoot  14  protrudes from root end  12 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1   a , a sidewall  18  extends over substantially all of root end  12  and shoot  14  of young plant  10 . It should be understood that the length of sidewall  18  may be such that it extends substantially beyond the shoot  14  while also extending over substantially all of root end  12  or the length of sidewall  18  may be such that it extends over only a portion of root end  12  and/or only a portion of shoot  14 . The perimeter dimension of the cross-section of container  16  perpendicular to its length should be large enough to allow the container to receive the root end and shoot of the young plant within the container. When the container is made of a flexible, elastic material, this perimeter dimension may be achieved by stretching the container. 
         [0022]    Container  16  may be formed from a variety of materials. In one embodiment, container  16  is made from materials flexible enough to allow the container and plant  10  to be grasped and planted as a unit while at the same time being rigid enough so that the container remains substantially upright around the plant  10  when planted in soil  13 . The material may be biodegradable in the field over a period of a few years. The material should allow light, carbon dioxide, and other nutrients, to pass through and be received by root end  12  and shoot  14 . Suitable materials for container  1 . 6  include biodegradable or photodegradable netting or mesh, such as Vexar® plastic netting produced by the E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company of Wilmington, Del. or Vexar® polymer molded into tubing by Quadel Industries in Coos Bay, Oreg. 
         [0023]    Plant  10  may be a containerized plant, plug seedling, bare root seedling or a plant grown in a container. The plant growing container used to grow the plant may be shaped to provide a root end  12  of a plant  10  that can be received by container  16 . The plant may alternatively be grown in a planting tray. The planting tray may have individual planting compartments shaped for producing a young plant with a root end  12  sized and shaped to be received by container  16 . Alternatively, container  16  can be sized and shaped to receive root ends of different shape. 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIGS. 2-7 , a method for placing a container on a young plant uses a container application device  24 . An exemplary container application device  24  includes an elongated tubular body that includes a first end  32  and a second end  34 . Intermediate first end  32  and second end  34  is mouth  30 . The body of container application device  24  between first end  32  and mouth  30  comprises a cylinder having a circular cross-section. The portion of the body of container application device  24  extending between mouth  30  and second end  34  includes a cylinder having a circular cross-section with a portion of the top of the cylinder removed to provide a trough that forms shoot section  28 . The portion of the body of container application  24  that extends from first end  32  to mouth  30  forms root section  26 . Root section  26 , shoot section  28 , and mouth  30  are used in a method for placing a container on a young plant as described below in more detail. 
         [0025]      FIG. 3  illustrates a cross-sectional view of container application device  24  in  FIG. 1  and provides a different perspective of the portion of the container application device body cut away to form the trough of shoot section  28 . 
         [0026]    Container application device  24  illustrated in  FIGS. 2-7  has a round cross-section perpendicular to its length; however it is understood that container application device  24  can have a cross-section perpendicular to its length that is noncircular in shape, e.g. square, elliptical, or rectangular. In addition, in the illustrated container application device, one half of the cylinder making up shoot section is removed; however, it should be understood that more than one half or less than one half could be removed. Also, the relative lengths of root section  24  and shoot section  28  can vary from those illustrated in  FIGS. 2-7 . Suitable materials for container application device  24  include plastic and metal, for example, polyvinylchloride or copper tubing. 
         [0027]    The diameter or cross-sectional perimeter dimension of container application device  24  may vary. Suitable diameters or perimeter dimensions include those that allow for root end  12  and shoot end  14  of a young plant to be received in the trough of shoot section  28 . The diameter or perimeter dimension of the cross-section of root section  26  should be chosen so that root end  12  of the young plant can be received within root section  26  though mouth  30 . The diameter of root section  26  and shoot section  28  in container application device  24  illustrated in  FIGS. 2-7  is the same; however it should be understood that the diameter or perimeter dimension of root section  26  and the diameter or perimeter dimension of shoot section  28  could be different. 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIGS. 8-10 , container application device  24  is employed to apply a container  16  to a young plant  10  as described below. In the method for applying a container to a young plant described herein referring to  FIG. 8 , a container  16  is placed around root section  26  of container application device  24 . Container  16  is placed on root section  26  and positioned so that first end  20  of container  16  is adjacent mouth  30 . First end  20  can either he around a portion of shoot section  28  or around a portion of root section  26 . Preferably, first end  20  is around a portion of root section  26  so that first end  20  is held open by root section  26 . Referring to  FIG. 9 , after container  16  is placed around root section  26  of container application device  24 , young plant  10 , including root end  12  and shoot  14  is placed within the trough of shoot section  28 . As illustrated in  FIG. 9 , it is preferred that a gap  40  be provided between the mouth  30  and a distal end of root end  12 . Gap  40  provides a space where a user can place his/her fingers or a device that can be used to slide young plant  10  and container  16  off of container application device  24 . After young plant  10  is positioned within container application device  24 , container  16  is moved from root section  26  to shoot section  28 , effectively placing container  16  around a portion of root end  12  and shoot  14  of young plant  10  as depicted in  FIG. 11 . Depending upon the length of the container  16  and the length of young plant  10 , first end  20  of container  1 . 6  may be located beyond shoot  14  of the young plant  10 , and second end  22  of container  16  may be located beyond the end of root end  12 . After container  16  has been applied to young plant  10 , the combination is removed from container application device  24  and may be further processed for storage, transportation, and transplanting. 
         [0029]    As an alternative step in the methods described herein, referring to  FIG. 11 , after young plant  10  has been placed in shoot section  28 , a portion of root end  12  can be moved into root section  26  of container application device  24 . Placing root end  12  within root section  26  isolates root end  12  from container  16 . In certain situations, such isolation may be desirable in order to prevent container  16  from becoming tangled with portions of root end  12 . After root end  12  is placed within root section  26 , container  16  is moved from root section  26  to shoot section  28 , effectively positioning container  16  around shoot  14  and root end  12 . Thereafter, root end  12  can be removed from root section  26  and the entire combination removed from container application device  24  by sliding it off of shoot section  28 . 
         [0030]    After the plant  10  is placed into the container  16 , the combination may be frozen to store the combination until it is planted. The combination may be frozen at a temperature below 1° C., such as below 2° C., or such as below 3° C. A typical temperature range used to freeze the combination is between minus 1° C. and minus 5° C. The combination may be stored at a temperature at which the plant remains frozen, typically between minus 1° C. and minus 5° C. The frozen combination may typically be stored for a period of from one month to six months, although the combination may be stored for longer than six months if desired (e.g., for a period in the range of from six months to two years, or for a period in the range of from six months to three years, or for a period in the range of from six months to four years). 
         [0031]    While different embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will he appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein.