Patent ID: 7669366

Claim:
A planter for growing a transplantable plant having a root system and a stem which extends from the root system, the planter comprising: a container having an interior, an upper end, a lower end, and a sidewall extending between the upper and lower ends, and a bottom, at least one of the sidewall and the bottom defining a grow port opening therein; and a retainer member for retaining a plant desired to be transplanted within the container through the grow port, the retainer member including a piece of resiliently flexible sheet material having an outer circumferential edge and being joined to the at least one of the sidewall and the bottom so as to substantially cover the grow port opening defined therein, and the retainer member further includes finger portions which are directed substantially inwardly of the outer edge of the piece of sheet material and which permit the root system of a plant desired to be transplanted within the planter to be inserted through the grow port opening yet prevent the withdrawal of the root system from the container interior through the grow port opening so that the plant is thereby supported within the container for growth of the plant stem outwardly of the container through the grow port.