An agricultural yield apparatus with a container made of a material that is impermeable to water and inert without leaching impurities to the surrounding natural environment and thereby is effective in segregating contents of the container from the surrounding natural environment and blocking seepage of the contents to the surrounding natural environment. The container encloses nutrients, water and a growth medium such as soil. The top of the container is closed except for at least one water and nutrition port and at least one vegetation growth port (or neck). The trunk of the vegetation passes through the at least one vegetation growth port (or neck). The container may be closed by a root membrane overlay having holes. The trunk of the vegetation passes through the holes in the holed root membrane overlay. Root direction channels may be beneath the overlay.

One embodiment provides a modular green roof tray, house plant growth media and horticulture growth media, and a tree protection mat for weed and moisture control made from recycled disposable diapers. The growth medium and tree protection mat contain superabsorbent materials from diaper that can absorb waters and greatly reduce irrigation so to provide a drought resistant feature. One embodiment also provides a manufacturing process to perform 100% recycling of disposed diapers.

A plant watering system includes an irrigation mat that can be placed around a plant on top of the soil. The irrigation mat includes a water reservoir that holds water, and a slow-pass water permeable membrane that releases the water in the water reservoir in a slow manner so the soil around the plant is watered at a controlled rate. The irrigation mat may optionally include a threaded port where a container of liquid fertilizer can be placed so the liquid fertilizer is mixed with the water in the reservoir, allowing easily fertilizing the plant as it is watered. The plant watering system may also optionally include a dryness sensor that provides an alert indicating the water reservoir in the irrigation mat needs to be refilled.

This disclosure relates to compositions, containers, systems, assemblies, and related methods for cultivation and shipping of live and growing plants. The compositions, containers, systems, assemblies, and related methods disclosed herein provide additional stability for a plant's growing environment and enable prolonged storage and shipping shelf life while also reducing or eliminating the need for refrigeration.

An impermeable sectional apparatus for soil moisture retention has a frustoconical member separable along a medial longitudinal axis into a first section and a second section for connection around a plant to inhibit evaporation from the soil matrix. Securement of the first and second sections together is effective by mating engagement between each of a first male edge with a second female edge and a first female edge with a second male edge. A plurality of rectilinear insert sections is fittable in between each of the first and second sections engaged by edgewise interconnection therebetween, whereby the frustoconical member may be elongated to cover more ground surface. Additionally, a polychromic material is included devised to signal a color change to a user in response to an environmental stimulus.

A composite characterized by an average density of 60 Kg/m.sup.3 to 180 Kg/m.sup.3, with at least two portions having a different density of at least 20 Kg/m.sup.3, made of a binder, and a foamed elastomer or a foamed rigid polymer, is disclosed herein. Uses of the composite and of matrices and articles incorporating same for the improvement of plant growing and/or weed control are further disclosed.

An apparatus for planting a seedling (3) in an arid area comprises a vertical, downwardly tapering shroud (20) and a seedling plug (1) comprising a body of growing medium covered by a moisture resistant cap (14) which preferably is sealingly received in a lower region (22) of the shroud. The lower region of the shroud surrounding the upper portion of the seedling is buried beneath ground level (51) with at least one water reservoir (40, 200) and supplied with water via capillary wicks (43), the reservoir being buried beneath ground level and covered by a moisture resistant cover (60) which sealingly surrounds the shroud. The shroud extends above ground level to protect and shade the seedling and together with the cap (14) and cover (60) serves to retain moisture in the planting region for the first year of growth.

A lockable cultivator for growing crops. The cultivator defining an enclosed growing environment including a cover (aka dome) defining a volume in which the plants can grow, a tray (aka container) for receiving a growing medium in which the seeds can germinate and/or the roots can grow. A downwardly oriented channel is provided on the edge of the tray on which the dome rests when installed together. A clip (attachment device/means) is provided to releasably connect the dome to the tray to prevent accidental disengagement. The clip having a first section which is adapted to be inserted into the channel, and a second section which is adapted to snap into the recess, wherein insertion of the first section into the channel activates a substantially horizontal tension force that pushes the second section to snap into the recess and a vertical tension force that pushes the cover onto the tray.

A planting dish has a dish body with a central hole and two plate members. Each plate member includes inner and outer edges, first and second side portions, a top surface defined by the inner and outer edges and the first and second side portions, and first and second securing members on the respective first and second side portions. The top surfaces cooperatively form a conical top surface that slope downward from the outer edges to the inner edges. The first side portion of one of the plate members is removably juxtaposed with the second side portion of the other plate member, with first securing member on each of the plate members being releaseably engageable with the second securing member on the other plate member.

A drip irrigation unit, comprising: a bottom, generally cup-shaped, member having a bottom member base in which a plant-inserting opening is defined, a peripheral closed-loop wall extending upward from a peripheral edge of the bottom member to a first apex, and an internal closed-loop wall extending upwards from a peripheral edge of the plant-inserting opening to a second apex that is lower than the first apex, the peripheral and internal walls being integral with the bottom member base and defining a water reservoir, and a top member having an aperture and a rim, an annular surface defined between the rim and the aperture being downwardly sloped towards the aperture and defining a generally funnel-shape, the top member being connectable to at least one of the first or second apexes, such that the plant-inserting opening and the aperture become aligned, the internal closed-loop wall having at least one perforation vertically distanced from the bottom member base, the at least one perforation defining a water flow path from the reservoir to the plant-inserting opening.