Patent ID: 7272911

Claim:
A method of growing commercially valuable trees to improve plant establishment, growth, and input management of water, nutrients and pesticides comprising the steps of: creating a hole in the earth; preparing the hole to influence the downward growth of the root system of a tree planted therein by lining the walls of the hole with a flexible casing which is substantially impervious to water and nutrients for root growth and is self-sealing such that the self-sealing casing will seal tightly to the walls of the hole to inhibit the migration of water from the surface or near the surface to deeper levels, which might otherwise occur at the portion between the walls of the hole and the flexible casing; at least partially filling the hole with a rooting medium; planting a tree in the at least partially filled hole; providing a berm-like structure around the hole which is separate from the flexible casing and does not extend to the bottom of the flexible casing, wherein the berm-like structure is a ring; and establishing and growing the tree by controlling root development and access to water, nutrients, and pesticides so that the root system of such tree grows within the hole, and becomes long and narrow.