Abstract: An item is placed into a relatively close fitting pliant bag by first turning the bag inside out over a horizontal ring mounted over a work surface on at least one upright support leg. Desirably, at least half of the peripheral extent of the ring is unsupported to facilitate pulling the bag over the ring and to facilitate removal of the bagged item. The item is placed within the ring in contact with the interior surface of the bottom of the bag and then moved downward through the ring, pulling the open top of the bag up, over, and through the ring. This turns the bag right side out, with the item inside. The ring has circumferentially spaced openings on its upper surface leading to a hollow interior that communicates via a valve to a source of pressurized air.

Abstract: A support structure for growing plants such as lettuce by hydroponic cultivation includes a buoyant, closed cell, foamed plastic pallet having an array of spaced integral punch-out plugs arranged preferably in staggered rows. Selected patterns of plugs are removed to permit insertion of plants growing in porous seed blocks into the resulting holes, the patterns having different spacings depending on the size of the plants. Blocking members prevent the plants from falling through the holes when the pallets float on liquid nutrient solution in a trough and also space the pallets above the bottom of the trough for access of air to the plant roots when the trough is periodically drained. When plants outgrow one selected spacing pattern, they are readily and precisely transferred to another pallet having a selected pattern of greater spacing. When the plants are ready for harvesting, the pallets with mature plants in them can be carried to a packaging area.