Abstract: A burner for attachment to and forming a part of a planter which places pre-germinated seeds combined with soil and a gel into a seed bed covered by a plastic film of thermoplastic material with the burner serving to form a hole through the plastic film and form a cavity in the seed bed. The burner is in the form of a hollow burner housing provided with peripheral discharge apertures for exhaust products resulting from combustion of burnable gases interiorly of the burner. The burner is generally cylindrical in configuration with the lower end provided with a tapering rounded nose generally in the shape of a bullet to facilitate penetration of the plastic film when the burner is heated and also facilitate the formation of a cavity in the seed bed.

Abstract: A planter for discharging a quantity of germinated seed and a gel into a seed bed covered by a plastic film which has an opening formed therethrough and a cavity formed in the seed bed thereunder to receive the seed and gel. In addition, the planter discharges a measured quantity of growth media, such as soil with nutrients or the like incorporated therein, onto the gel and germinated seed through the same opening in the plastic film or mulch. The planter includes a squeeze tube pump for discharging a measured quantity of gel and germinated seed which operates in timed unison with a heated, bullet-shaped burner for forming an opening in the thermoplastic film and a cavity in the underlying seed bed with ground-engaging wheels operating the mechanism for forming the openings and discharging the germinated seed and gel at predetermined intervals and thus at predetermined spatial relationships.