Home Environmental Products, Inc.

Agripak, Inc.

Brian J Sroub

John Richard Nottingham

James P Angeles

Dale Anton Panasewicz

Thomas F Dugan

William S Shore

Dale A Panasewicz

Daniel R Rupnow

A plant package for a live plant having a stem, roots and rooting medium surrounding the roots. The package comprises a self-supporting, light transmissive, sealed polymer shell having an internal surface defining a package interior. A shelf is provided on the internal surface, and defines first and second interior compartments for containing the roots and stem, respectively. An inner container is provided for the roots and rooting medium, and an outer container engaged with the internal surface is provided for the inner container. A divider is engaged with the stem and inner container and assists with the maintenance of the roots and rooting medium within the inner container.

Plant package

An apparatus for the efficient treatment of a live plant is provided. In particular, the apparatus can be used to treat a live plant before being packaged in a sealed container in which the plant can live without any of the care or maintenance that live plants normally require. The apparatus comprises a substantially sealed pressure vessel, a vacuum system, and a root treatment system. The substantially sealed pressure vessel receives the container having the rooting medium and the roots of the live plant maintained therein. The container also has a runoff opening therein. The vacuum system, which is connected to the pressure vessel, draws air through the pressure vessel and live plant and thereby removes a predetermined amount of fluid from the rooting medium via the runoff opening. The root treatment system then adds a predetermined amount of a root treatment solution to the rooting medium.

Apparatus for the treatment of live plants

A plant package [12] for a live plant having a stem [S], roots [R] and rooting medium [D] surrounding the roots. The package comprises a self-supporting, light transmissive, sealed polymer shell [14] having an internal surface [22] defining a package interior [24]. A shelf [16] is provided on the internal surface, and defines first and second interior compartments [18, 20] for containing the roots and stem, respectively. The portion of the shell defining the first interior compartment has a greater thickness than the portion of the shell defining the second interior compartment, and the second compartment is substantially more permeable to oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules than the first compartment. An inner container [60] is provided for the roots and rooting medium, and an outer container [62] engaged with the internal surface is provided for the inner container. Together the containers and first interior compartment form a substantial water vapor barrier. A semi-rigid divider [28] is engaged with the stem, shelf and container, and forms a water vapor barrier intermediate the interior compartments. The divider includes a compressible material for form fitting engagement with the containers and live plant stem, and a material engaged with the shelf which is substantially impermeable to the passage of water vapor between the interior compartments.

Growing community of inventors

Shaker Heights, OH, United States of America

Brian J Sroub