Starter tray and planting and method using a tray

Abstract

A plurality of plants of at least one species are planted in starter soil contained in a starter tray. The tray can have a perforated floor with a plurality of reinforcing ribs and one or more walls rising from the floor peripherally. The plants are nurtured in the starter tray long enough to develop entangled roots with an interplant root entanglement that at least partially consolidates the starter soil.

1 . A method employing a starter tray with a floor and one or more side walls extending from said floor in an outward direction, the method comprising the steps of:
 placing starter soil in said starter tray upon said floor and encompassed by said one or more side walls;   planting a plurality of plants of different species in the starter soil, said planting being performed by centering a first one of said plurality of plants in said starter tray and planting around said first one a group from said plurality of plants whose species differ from said first one;   nurturing said plants in said starter tray long enough for said plants to develop entangled roots with an interplant root entanglement that at least partially consolidates the starter soil;   dislodging as a unit in the outward direction relative to said floor and said side walls of said starter tray said starter soil with said entangled roots, said dislodging being performed before said plurality of plants have fully matured but after said entangled roots have reached the floor of the starter tray and have consolidated the starter soil to allow dislodging by a single person without crumbling of said starter soil and said entangled roots; and   transplanting said starter soil with said entangled roots by lowering as a unit down into a transplant site without the starter tray.   
     
     
         2 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A planting comprising:
 a starter tray having a floor with at least one drainage hole;   starter soil placed in said starter tray; and   a plurality of less than fully matured plants of at least one species grown in the starter soil long enough for said plants to develop entangled roots reaching to the floor of said tray with interplant root entanglement in said starter soil that at least partially consolidates the starter soil, said tray being open on top to allow immediate dislodging of said soil and entangled roots outwardly from the floor of said tray through said open top without breaking apart, consolidation caused by said root entanglement holding said starter soil together to enable the starter soil to be dislodged from said starter tray and depart through said open top without breaking apart.   
     
     
         19 . A planting according to  claim 18  wherein the starter soil has a depth that creates biological pressure among said plurality of plants that causes interplant root entanglement before all of the plurality of plants can fully mature. 
     
     
         20 . A planting according to  claim 19  wherein the starter soil has a depth that creates biological pressure among said plurality of plants to cause interplant root entanglement before all of the plurality of plants can fully blossom. 
     
     
         21 . A planting according to  claim 18  wherein the plurality of plants have an interplant spacing that causes interplant root entanglement before all of the plurality of plants can fully mature. 
     
     
         22 . A planting according to  claim 18  wherein the plurality of plants comprise different species. 
     
     
         23 . A planting according to  claim 22  wherein a first one of said plurality of plants is centered in said starter tray and planted around said first one is a group from said plurality of plants whose species differ from said first one. 
     
     
         24 . A planting according to  claim 18  wherein the starter tray has a split annular cavity for holding said soil as a split annulus. 
     
     
         25 . A plant starter tray for growing a plurality of plants, comprising:
 a perforated floor with a plurality of reinforcing ribs; and   one or more walls rising from said floor peripherally to a predetermined height and enclosing a multi-plant floor space large enough to support multiple plants without barriers to impede interplant root entanglement.   
     
     
         26 . A plant starter tray according to  claim 25  wherein the predetermined height is sized to create biological pressure among the plurality of plants that causes interplant root entanglement before all of the plurality of plants can fully blossom and mature. 
     
     
         27 . A plant starter tray according to  claim 25  wherein the starter tray has a central boss and a divider extending from said boss to said one or more walls to form a split annular cavity for holding said plurality of plants. 
     
     
         28 . A plant starter tray according to  claim 25  wherein said ribs have an inverted U-shaped cross-section. 
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A plant starter tray according to  claim 25  wherein the starter tray has a central boss to form an annular cavity for holding said plurality of plants. 
     
     
         31 . A planting according to  claim 18  wherein the starter tray has a plurality of recesses in a planar surface, said plurality of plants being iterated to occupy separately each of the plurality of recesses and to develop in each of the recesses entangled roots with interplant root entanglement that at least partially consolidates there the starter soil. 
     
     
         32 . A planting according to  claim 31  wherein the plurality of plants in each of the recesses comprise different species. 
     
     
         33 . A planting according to  claim 18  wherein said plurality of plants has an interplant spacing of 1.3 cm to 7.6 cm.