A container for propagating or growing plants is configured to receive a substrate for propagating plants and comprises a drain hole, an inclined side wall, and a plurality of ribs positioned on the side wall and extending into the container. At least two ribs are arranged close to and parallel to one another, defining a channel therebetween through which air may flow, in use, when the container contains a substrate. In a plant tray comprising an array of cells, at least one cell comprises a rim, arranged around the drain hole on the underside of the cell, in which a thickness of the rim is greater than a thickness of the side wall. A plant tray comprising an array of cells having octagonal cell openings comprises a plurality of vents arranged between the cells and configured to allow air to flow through the tray top. A plant tray comprising vents in the tray top comprises vent rims arranged around the circumferences of the vents, the vent rims being configured to project downwards from the tray top.

A mixed media farm may include a tray for holding water at a prescribed water level. A cell may be placable on the tray, with the cell defining a cavity and having at least one opening in communication with the cavity. The cell may be sized such that when the cell is placed on the tray, a lower portion of the cell resides below the prescribed water level and an upper portion of the cell resides above the prescribed water level. Soil may be in the cavity, with the soil having a lower portion below the prescribed water level, and an upper portion above the prescribed water level when the cell is placed in the tray. A plurality of seeds may be planted in the upper portion of the soil, with the plurality of seeds defining a seed density of greater than 5 seeds per square inch.

The invention relates to a method for the cultivation of a number of plants (9), comprising providing a carrier with apertures for said plants (3, 13) and providing a water supply (8), wherein said carrier can be provided on said water supply in a floating manner and wherein a growth medium containing the roots of said plant or the precursor thereof are placed in an air-containing intermediate space (10) in the apertures in said carrier at such a distance from said water supply that said roots of said plant or the precursor thereof are situated at a vertical distance (a) from said water supply, wherein at least two horizontally opposing sides of an upper part of the growth medium are sideways supported along a height (h) by corresponding sides of a removable side support structure (18), removably arranged on top of the carrier.

Provided is an expandable, modular tower planter having an internal vertical composting capability, and a method of assembling and using the same. Provided in various example embodiments is a modular composting garden container system comprising a base and a plurality of stackable rings forming a tower upon the base, including an optional base ring specially sized, shaped, and positioned to connect the tower to the base. A plurality of perforated, stackable tube sections are provided that are removably assembled into a compost tube assembly of selectable height and mounted within the interior of the tower and above the base. A plurality of holding struts are sized, shaped, and positioned to removably connect the compost tube assembly with the tower and to securely locate the compost tube assembly relative to the tower. Means are provided for recovering nutrient-rich drainage and selective recovery of compost material for reintroduction into the system.

An automated mechanical loading system for loading seedling carriers into a transporter bin for transport to the field for planting. The system of the present invention includes a transport bin having a plurality of rails mounted on the inside walls of the bin for accepting a plurality of carriers, power driven projections slidably mounted on sleds which are fixedly mounted to the top frame of a lift for urging one or more carriers into a preselected set of opposing rails in the bin. The lift controls the height of the sled so that the carriers are urged into the preselected set of rails in the bin. A mechanically referenced coupler is included for securing the lift to the bin to restrict movement of the lift relative to the bin into which the seedling carriers are to be loaded during the automated loading operation.

A seedling nursery member for grafting according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes at least one seedling nursery unit. At least one seedling nursery unit includes a seed storage section configured to store a seed of a plant and have a space for the plant to germinate, a stem storage section configured to store a stem of the plant that has germinated and elongated, and a stem holder configured to hold the elongated stem of the plant. At least a portion of the seed storage section of at least one seedling nursery unit is configured to be openable to the outside of at least one seedling nursery unit. At least a portion of the stem storage section of at least one seedling nursery unit is configured to be openable to the outside of at least one seedling nursery unit.

Provided is an expandable, modular tower planter having an internal vertical composting capability, and a method of assembling and using the same. Provided in various example embodiments is a modular composting garden container system comprising a base and a plurality of stackable rings forming a tower upon the base, including an optional base ring specially sized, shaped, and positioned to connect the tower to the base. A plurality of perforated, stackable tube sections are provided that are removably assembled into a compost tube assembly of selectable height and mounted within the interior of the tower and above the base. A plurality of holding struts are sized, shaped, and positioned to removably connect the compost tube assembly with the tower and to securely locate the compost tube assembly relative to the tower. Means are provided for recovering nutrient-rich drainage and selective recovery of compost material for reintroduction into the system.

A garden seed planter that displays a color for identifying the type of garden product that will be produced by a plant from a seed contained in a starch capsule of the garden seed planter. In a preferred lollipop form embodiment at least a portion of the garden seed planter starch capsule has a colored coating that is substantially the same color as the garden product produced by the plant to be grown from the seed, and there is a planter stake attached to the seed capsule having a portion that also displays substantially the same color as the garden product.

A plant cultivation device includes a first plate portion formed in a plate shape extending in a transfer direction from the fluid passage member and a second plate portion formed in a plate shape extending in a direction opposite to the transfer direction from the fluid passage member. When the distance between the two neighboring fluid passage members becomes large, the second plate portion provided on the preceding fluid passage member and the first plate portion provided on the following fluid passage member are separated from each other with respect to the transfer direction. The plant cultivation device saves space particularly in an early raising stage of the leaves, keeping protection of the cultivated leaves not to be drooped down.

A plant nursery and storage system for use in the growth and storage of field-ready plants. At least one planting block with tapered planting cells therein and extending openly from the top surface to the bottom surface thereof is placed in a container holding water. Plant material placed in the planting cells, with or without planting media, will grow into field-ready plants. The growing plants will be sub-irrigated by accessing water through the open base of the planting cells contacting the water in the container. The sub-irrigation technique of the invention replaces industry standards of top irrigation and bottom aeration for plant production, and addresses high costs associated with current production methods in the production of field-ready trees, shrubs, forbs, perennials, vegetables and grasses.