Patent ID: 7637055

Claim:
A hydroponics plant support system adapted for use in a growing medium and with a plant, comprising: (a) a base assembly that is adapted to be disposed in the growing medium, and wherein said base assembly includes an upper support band and a lower support band that are parallel with respect to each other and disposed in a spaced apart relationship and wherein said upper support band and said lower support band of said base assembly are disposed entirely in an interior of a container, and wherein the growing medium is disposed in said container, and wherein said hydroponics plant support system is not mechanically clamped or fastened to said container, and wherein said hydroponics plant support system is not resting on any portion of an upper perimeter of said container; (b) a plurality of plant support members that are attached to said base assembly, and wherein a lower portion of each of said plurality of plant support members is attached to said upper support band and wherein a still lower portion of each of said plurality of plant support members is attached to said lower support band, and wherein, when said base assembly is disposed in said growing medium at least one of said plant support members includes a first segment that is disposed above said growing medium and which extends said at least one of said plant support members in a substantially horizontal direction radially away from a geometric center of said container, and wherein said at least one of said plant support members includes a lower portion that is attached to said base assembly and which includes a first radius portion that is attached to said lower portion and a second radius portion, and wherein said first segment is disposed between said first radius portion and said second radius portion, and wherein said at least one of said plant support members includes an upper segment that extends upward from said second radius portion, and wherein said at least one of said plant support members includes a top segment, and wherein said top segment includes a longitudinal length and wherein said top segment includes an opening at a bottom thereof that extends substantially along a portion of said longitudinal length, and wherein said opening includes an inside diameter that is generally equal to or slightly greater than an outside diameter of said upper segment, and wherein said upper segment is able to be disposed in said opening of said top segment, and wherein said top segment is telescopically extensible with respect to said upper segment along a distance that is equal to said longitudinal length of said opening of said top segment, and including means for retaining said top segment in a position relative to said upper segment along said longitudinal length of said opening of said top segment; and (c) means for securing said plant to said at least one of said plant support members.