There are several methods for removing plants from a soil or growing medium. Most of these methods have serious deficiencies if the objective is to remove the plant's roots as well as the above-ground plant parts. One common method of removing plants is to pull them directly from a soil or growing medium. With this method there is a risk that the plant will break when it is being pulled, and a part of the root will remain in the soil or growing medium with subsequent vegetative re-growth. This method can also require using substantial force to remove the plant. Another method of removing plants is to dig around the plant and remove the plant together with the soil or growing medium on and around the plant's roots. This method may not be desired in many situations where the hole made by removing the plant must later be filled. This also leads to other costs associated with repair, as would be the case when undesirable plants are removed from turf using this method. Another method is to kill plants in situ. This can be done by applying a chemical or other treatment. These plant control methods are inappropriate in many situations because of concerns about the use of chemicals and producing possible chemical residues, or about killing plants other than the plant or plants targeted for removal, or about the adverse visual effects of dead plants in a turf.

These problems are overcome by the present invention which provides a movable device facilitating plant removal with roots intact from a soil or growing medium, the device comprising a rigid hollow shaft with one end being connected to a source of liquid under pressure and with the other end of the shaft being shaped to a taper or to a point or with that other end of the shaft being fitted with a plug and which plug is shaped on the outside to a taper or to a point and with the shaped plug if one is fitted to the device being of the same or different material from the shaft of the device, and which shaft of the device has a hole or group of holes of different possible shapes and sizes along the shaft located close to the shaped end of the device and located to emit liquid flows out the hole or holes in specific directions, and with the shaped end of the device being without a hole or having a hole or holes of different possible shapes and sizes located to emit liquid flows out the hole or holes in specific directions, and through which device liquid under pressure is emitted through the hole or holes along the shaft and through the hole or holes in the shaped end of the device if these are included in the shaped end of the device, and which device has an external size and shape so the device causes minimal disturbance to soil or growing medium when it is inserted into a soil or growing medium, and which device can be inserted into and moved around in a soil or growing medium without compromising the integrity of the device, and which device has sufficient length to allow it to be inserted into a soil or growing medium to the full depth of the roots of the plant or plants targeted for removal, and which device has an internal shape and size to allow a sufficient rate of flow of liquid through the device and out through all holes in the device when the device is inserted into a soil or growing medium to ensure adequate saturation and loosening of soil or growing medium on and around a plant's or plants'roots to the full depth of the plant's or plants'respective root systems, and which device when inserted in a soil or growing medium will emit the liquid under pressure from the hole or holes in the shaft of the device at an angle or angles to the line of the hollow part of the shaft so when the device is inserted approximately vertically into a soil or growing medium that the liquid emitted under pressure is directed against the root parts of a plant or plants targeted for removal and with the liquid flowing out the hole or holes in the device at an intensity sufficient to saturate and loosen soil or growing medium on and around the plant's or plants' roots to the full depth of the plant's or plants'root systems, and which device if the device is also fitted with a hole or holes in the shaped end will also emit the liquid under pressure from the device into a soil or growing medium from the hole or holes in the shaped end of the device in the line of or at an angle to the line of the hollow part of the shaft so when the device is inserted approximately vertically into a soil or growing medium that the liquid emitted under pressure from the holes in the shaped end of the device is directed to augment the flow of liquid under pressure out of the hole or holes along the shaft of the device, and which device thereby allows removal by either manual or mechanical means of the plant or plants together with the respective root systems, and which device can be provided with a handle or handles to facilitate insertion of the device into a soil or growing medium, and which device can be fitted with a liquid flow control mechanism, and which device can be operated manually or can be machine-mounted.

The shaft of the device is made of rigid, durable material. The end of the device which is shaped is made of a durable material which may be different from that of which the shaft is made. The device is made of material of sufficient strength for it to be pushed into, lifted out of, and moved around in a soil or growing medium without damage to the device, whether the device is used manually or whether the device is incorporated into a machine made for the same purpose. If the shaped end of the device is made of a different material to that of which the shaft is made, then the shaped end is joined to the shaft using a method which results in a joint between the shaft and the shaped end which is strong enough to withstand damage to the device during use and the external surface of the joint is made so the joint has no adverse effect on the resistance to insertion of the device into a soil or growing medium.

The shaft of the device can be of different external and internal shapes along its length. The internal shape and size of the device allow the shaft to convey through all holes along the shaft, and through the hole or holes in the shaped end of the device if the shaped end of the device is made with a hole or holes, sufficient liquid at an intensity adequate to cause the liquid emitted under pressure to saturate and loosen soil or growing medium on and around the roots of the plants targeted for removal.

Liquid under pressure enters the shaft of the device at the end of the device opposite to the end of the device which is shaped to facilitate entry of the device into a soil or growing medium. For any example of the device, the sizes, shapes, positions and number of holes along the length of the shaft of the device, and in the shaped end of the device if there is a hole or are holes in the shaped end of the device, are variable and are made so the quantity of liquid able to flow through them and the intensity at which the liquid is emitted from the device and the direction of the emitted liquid are all suitable for saturating and loosening a soil or growing medium around plants targeted for removal with the aid of the device.

Liquid is not emitted omnidirectionally from the device so disturbance caused to soil or growing medium not on the plant targeted for removal is kept to a minimum when the device is used.

The total length of the device and the location of the hole or holes along the length of the shaft of the device are such as to allow the device to be inserted into a soil or growing medium and to emit the liquid under pressure through the hole or holes along the shaft of the device to the full depth of the roots of the plants targeted for removal. The total length of the device can be longer than is needed to saturate and loosen a soil or growing medium to the full depth of the roots.

The device is held manually or by an apparatus attached to the shaft where the liquid enters the end of the shaft, leaving the full length of that part of the device which is inserted into a soil or growing medium smooth and clear of external features which would impede insertion of the device into a soil or growing medium. The rate at which the liquid flows through the device is controlled by a separate mechanism or mechanisms located between the liquid source and the device. The liquid flow control mechanism can be incorporated into a handle for the device. Another handle, or handles, can be fitted to the device if required for the convenience of the user.

For a configuration of the device where a hole or holes are present in the shaped end of the device, the device can be constructed so the flow of liquid out through the hole or holes along the length of the shaft is separated from the flow of liquid out through the hole or holes in the shaped end of the device.

In such a configuration of the device, the separate flows of liquid through the device are controlled by separate liquid flow control mechanisms.

To assist with understanding of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which show one example of the invention. The drawings labeled Figures 1 and 2 show one example of the device for aiding removal of individual plants with roots intact from a soil or growing medium according to this invention. Figures 1 and 2 show the same configuration of the device from different perspectives. The drawings are not to scale. The labels in both figures refer to the same parts of the example of the device which is illustrated.

The example of the invention in Figures 1 and 2 illustrates the application of the invention to make a hand-held implement to aid removal of weeds from a lawn or garden area.

In this example of the invention, the shaft of the device (A of Figures 1 and 2) is straight, circular, rigid, made of non-corrodible material such as stainless steel tubing, and is of uniform internal and external diameters along the length of the shaft. In this example, there is a single round hole in the shaped end (B of Figures 1 and 2) of the device, with the hole in the shaped end positioned to emit the liquid under pressure in the same line as the length of the shaft of the device. In this example of the invention, the shaped end is connected to the shaft by making a pressed and welded fit of it into the end into the shaft. The external diameter of the shaped end where it joins the shaft of the device is the same as the external diameter of the shaft of the device, so the external part of the joint between the shaped end and the shaft of the device is flush and insertion of the device into a soil or growing medium is facilitated. The shaped end of the device is approximately conical to facilitate insertion of the device into a soil or growing medium. The shaped end is made of durable material.

In this example of the invention, there are three circular holes (C, D and E of Figures 1 and 2) of the same diameter located along the length of the shaft to emit the liquid under pressure radially from the shaft. These three holes are located on the circumference of the shaft so they emit the liquid under pressure in the same plane. The three holes along the length of the shaft of the device are grouped close to the shaped end of the shaft so the liquid is emitted at a depth in a soil or growing medium sufficient to saturate and loosen a soil or growing medium at the full depth of the roots of the plants targeted for removal using the device. More or fewer than three holes could be located along the shaft of the device, with the number, size, shape, and position of the holes being determined by the use to be made of the device. A minimum of one hole on the shaft is needed for the invention to achieve its purpose of saturating and loosening a soil or growing medium from around the roots of plants targeted for removal using the device. The holes along the shaft and in the shaped end of the device can all be of different sizes and shapes if required for a particular use of the device.

In this example of the invention, two short rigid rods (F and G of Figures 1 and 2) are attached to the device at the end of the shaft opposite to the end of the device which is shaped. These two rods are for use as handles to facilitate insertion of the device into a soil or growing medium. These two rods are attached perpendicularly to the line of the shaft of the device and on opposite sides of the shaft of the device and so in terms of the line of the shaft they are both at 90 degrees to the direction in which the liquid is emitted from the device through the three holes (C, D and E of Figures 1 and 2 referred to previously) located along the length of the shaft. The two rods which can be used a handles can be shaped so they are comfortable to grasp and use.

In this example of the invention, a main handle (H of Figures 1 and 2) is attached to the device and this main handle incorporates the liquid flow control mechanism (J of Figures 1 and 2) for the device. The main handle is connected to the device so in terms of the line of the shaft of the device it is at 180 degrees to the direction in which the liquid under pressure is emitted from the three holes (C, D and E of Figures 1 and 2 referred to previously) located along the shaft of the device.

In this example of the invention, a flexible hose (K of Figures 1 and 2) of standard type conveying the liquid to the device is connected directly to the main handle (H of Figures 1 and 2 referred to previously). The liquid under pressure flows through the main handle to the device. The main handle incorporating the liquid flow control mechanism is connected to the flexible hose by a standard hose connection fitting (L of Figures 1 and 2) to allow the device together with the main handle to be connected and disconnected easily from a hosc and so to allow the device and the main handle incorporating the liquid flow control mechanism to bc used from different liquid supply outlets.

In this example of the invention, the device is attached to the main handle by the connection indicated as M in Figures 1 and 2. This connection of the device to the main handle is donc in this example of the invention so the device can bc easily removed from the main handle. Many alternative methods can bc used to make this type of connection between the device and the main handle. For this example of the invention which is for use in a garden or lawn arca, the connection could bc made using matching standard-sizcd (c. g. 3/4 inch BSP thrcad) malc-typc and fcmalc-typc thrcads, with the malte-type and fcmale-typc threads being on the main handle and device respectively, or vice versa.

In the example of the invention depicted in Figures 1 and 2, the connection between the main handle and the device is made so the main handle can bc held comfortably by the user when the shaft of the device is being inserted approximately vertically into a soil or growing medium.

In this example of the invention, there is one mechanism to control the flow of liquid through the device.

Therefore, in this example of the invention, the liquid under pressure flows out through the one hole in the shaped end of the device and through the three holes located in the shaft of the device when the liquid under pressure is permitted to flow through the device.

Alternative configurations of the invention which are different from that described in the example depicted in Figures 1 and 2 are possible, including but not restricted to: <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> the material type and intemal and external shape, size and length of shaft of the desice<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> the number, shapes, sizes and positions of holes along the shaft of the device. but with a minimum of one hole along the shaft of the device ; the shape and size of the shaped end of the device and the number of holes in the shaped end of the device, including the possibility of there being no hole in the shaped end; the method used and configuration of the connection between the device and the liquid flow control mechanism; the size, shape, position and number of handles fitted permanently to the device to assist insertion of the device into a soil or growing medium; the method used to connect the shaped end of the device to the shaft of the device if the shaped end is made separately from the shaft and is fitted to the shaft of the device; the number and layout of the liquid flow control mechanisms and related parts within the device which can be used to direct the liquid flows through the device. the device can be configured as a part of an implement which is machine controlled.

The invention is to facilitate the removal intact of plants with roots intact from a soil or growing medium, and can also be used for sub-surface irrigation of plants in a soil or growing medium or, more generally, sub-surface irrigation of soils or growing media.