1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a plug seedling extractor to facilitate the removal or extraction of seedlings from plug seedling trays. After germination, transplantation of the tiny fragile seedlings from the seedling tray to a larger growing environment is necessary. The present invention quickly and efficiently extracts the seedlings from the plug seedling tray with minimal damage to the plug of soil, the seedling, and its root system.
2. Description of Related Art
Traube in British Patent No. 341,819 dated Jan. 22, 1931 discloses a device for molding seedling plugs and extracting the molded seedling plugs from the mold. The device is impractical because the seedlings are grown apart from the device, molded in the device, and then presumably transplanted into another device immediately after molding. The device is too bulky for mass marketing or shipping.
Blackmore, et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,799,078 generally discloses a method of transplanting plug seedlings from a plug seedling tray to larger containers. The method involves extractor pins with concave openings at the tips of the pins. The extractor pins push the plug seedlings downwardly through the plug seedling tray. There is a great likelihood of damage to the foliage of the seedling if it is not extracted from the plug seedling tray relatively soon after germination.
Blackmore, Jr., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,674 discloses a plug seedling tray for use with extractor pins that pass upwardly through the bottom of the seedling tray to extract the plug seedlings, but no particulars of the device used with the plug seedling tray are provided.
Accordingly, no device is disclosed in prior art suitable for use with a plurality of variously-sized plug seedling trays for extracting the seedlings with minimal damage to the seedling itself and to the plug containing the root system.