Icon - Arrow LeftAn icon we use to indicate a rightwards action. Icon - Arrow RightAn icon we use to indicate a leftwards action. Icon - External LinkAn icon we use to indicate a button link is external. Icon - MessageThe icon we use to represent an email action. Icon - Down ChevronUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - CloseUsed to indicate a close action. Icon - Dropdown ArrowUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - Location PinUsed to showcase a location on a map. Icon - Zoom OutUsed to indicate a zoom out action on a map. Icon - Zoom InUsed to indicate a zoom in action on a map. Icon - SearchUsed to indicate a search action. Icon - EmailUsed to indicate an emai action. Icon - FacebookFacebooks brand mark for use in social sharing icons. flipboard Icon - InstagramInstagrams brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - PinterestPinterests brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - TwitterTwitters brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - Check MarkA check mark for checkbox buttons.
You are reading

Letter of Recommendation: CowPots, My Seed-Starting Secret Weapon

Search

Start typing to search...

Search
Eco-Friendly

Letter of Recommendation: CowPots, My Seed-Starting Secret Weapon

February 1, 2023

After I order my wish list of seeds, the fun begins: coaxing them to grow. Every year, I set up a makeshift “seed lab” in a corner of my New York City apartment. I clip a grow light to a bookshelf, pack a large bin with rows of CowPots filled with seed starting mix, and pop in the seeds (tomatoes, beans, peppers, etc). I keep them watered and I wait—not always so patiently—for the green sprouts to poke through the soil. It’s certainly not a romantic greenhouse, but it gets the job done.

One of the keys to success is the CowPots. I’ve been using these ingenious seed starting vessels for years. Unlike peat (a threatened, non-renewable resource) and plastic (usually unrecyclable and a material I’m doing my best to avoid), CowPots are made from composted cow manure—a very renewable resource. Plus, they’re produced in a zero-waste factory powered by solar panels and biogas. After the danger of frost has gone, I plant the odor-free pots directly into the ground, where the pots will decompose in a few months. No need to disturb the roots or worry about transplant shock. Now, I just need to wait for spring.

Photography courtesy of CowPots.

CowPots come in \14 sizes and shapes, ranging from small three-inch, six-pack cells to larger \16.5 inch diameter pots, which were originally designed for live Christmas trees.
Above: CowPots come in 14 sizes and shapes, ranging from small three-inch, six-pack cells to larger 16.5 inch diameter pots, which were originally designed for live Christmas trees.
Basil seedlings growing in a six-cell pack. Keep the pots hydrated and ventilated. “Ventilation helps to dry the CowPots walls between watering,” the company advises. “This will also encourage better plant growth by allowing plant roots to breathe and improves air pruning.” You’ll know it’s time to water when CowPots change color from dark to light brown.
Above: Basil seedlings growing in a six-cell pack. Keep the pots hydrated and ventilated. “Ventilation helps to dry the CowPots walls between watering,” the company advises. “This will also encourage better plant growth by allowing plant roots to breathe and improves air pruning.” You’ll know it’s time to water when CowPots change color from dark to light brown.
As the seedlings grow, their roots work their way through the walls of the CowPots. After a few weeks in the ground, the pots will begin to break down. They decompose faster than other biodegradable containers, according to a trial by Mississippi State University.
Above: As the seedlings grow, their roots work their way through the walls of the CowPots. After a few weeks in the ground, the pots will begin to break down. They decompose faster than other biodegradable containers, according to a trial by Mississippi State University.
The Freund family, who invented CowPots and run the company, are second and third generation dairy farmers in northwestern Connecticut. They process the tons of cow manure produced by their milking cows, separating the liquid from the solid. They then turn the composted solid material into CowPots, and convert the liquid into biogas by way of a methane digester, which they use to heat the farm.
Above: The Freund family, who invented CowPots and run the company, are second and third generation dairy farmers in northwestern Connecticut. They process the tons of cow manure produced by their milking cows, separating the liquid from the solid. They then turn the composted solid material into CowPots, and convert the liquid into biogas by way of a methane digester, which they use to heat the farm.
Solar panels on the farm generate power to help fuel the CowPots production facility and farm.
Above: Solar panels on the farm generate power to help fuel the CowPots production facility and farm.

For more on sustainable gardening, see:

(Visited 1,441 times, 2 visits today)
You need to login or register to view and manage your bookmarks.
Add to Collection
New Collection

Explore Deeper Into These Areas

Previous Post

Gardening 101: Ruby Grass

January 31, 2023
Next Post

Steal This Look: An Inviting Porch in Bellport, NY (the Anti-Hamptons)

February 2, 2023

Have a Question or Comment About This Post?

Join the conversation

Related Stories

Read all recent posts

join us on Instagram Logo

gardenista_sourcebook

Sourcebook for Cultivated Living, sister site to @remodelista
Tag us using #gardenista 🌿🌱

Gardens & Outdoor Living

v5.0

×
Join the Remodelista Family of Websites

Become a Member at no charge

When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.

Member benefits include:

  • Access to all posts published in the past year
  • Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
  • Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
  • Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
  • Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
  • Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites

Or Subscribe for Maximum Value!

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Sorry! As a registered member you get 10 free posts from our archive (posts more than a year old) every 30 days. You have reached your limit for this 30-day period. If you would like to access unlimited posts from the archive (ad free, too), become a subscriber today, and keep reading as many articles as you want.

Full Access Individual Subscription

Benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home sites
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay just 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99


×
Sorry! You have reached your limit of three (3) free posts from our archive every 30 days. You can increase this to 10 posts by joining as a free Member, or read unlimited posts with no ads by becoming a paid Subscriber.

Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99

Become a Member at no charge

When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.

Member benefits include:

  • Access to all posts published in the past year
  • Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
  • Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
  • Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
  • Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
  • Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites

My Account

Your member profile is powered by memberstack