Patent ID: 8474181

Claim:
A biodegradable plant pot, comprising: a blank comprising a sheet formed predominantly of paperboard having a machine direction and a cross-machine direction, the machine-direction tensile strength (TS MD ) of the paperboard exceeding a cross-machine-direction tensile strength (TS CD ) of the paperboard, the blank being wrapped about an axis and having a first longitudinal edge portion overlapping and adhered to an opposite second longitudinal edge portion of the blank so as to form an overlap seam that extends generally parallel to the axis, the blank thereby forming at least a side wall of the plant pot, the side wall extending from a bottom edge to a top edge, the top edge of the side wall circumscribing a top opening of the plant pot, the overlap seam having a bottom end at the bottom edge of the side wall and a top end at the top edge of the side wall; a bottom wall joined to the side wall proximate the bottom edge thereof; wherein the blank is oriented with the machine direction running substantially parallel to the axis and the cross-machine direction running substantially circumferentially about the side wall, such that the machine direction of the paperboard runs lengthwise along the overlap seam; a tear-starter feature formed in the side wall at one end of the overlap seam, the tear-starter feature comprising cuts formed in the side wall adjacent to and at circumferentially opposite sides of said one end of the overlap seam, one of said cuts being formed in said first longitudinal edge portion of the blank and another of said cuts being formed in said second longitudinal edge portion of the blank, the cuts being confined to a localized region adjacent said one end of the overlap seam, the side wall otherwise being free of tear-propagating cuts or perforations along the overlap seam; said one end of the overlap seam being graspable and pullable in a direction generally toward the opposite end of the overlap seam, the tear-starter feature facilitating the starting of tearing of the blank along the overlap seam such that the overlap seam is torn from the side wall from the bottom edge to the top edge thereof.