Large Biodegradable Pots
Big and Biodegradable
It’s not one size fits all. We manufacture a range of sizes from 3″ to 17″.
15 styles of CowPots to match your growing needs
Large Biodegradable Pots
Benefits of growing in large biodegradable pots
Any plants that are especially prone to transplant shock benefit from growing in a CowPot. The standout advantage with CowPots is that the roots grow right through the pot walls so that when it’s time to transplant, the entire pot goes in the ground. No ripping. No tearing. No crushing. This pot eliminates the concern of transplant shock, whether you’re growing dahlias or milkweed. Our larger CowPots are thicker than our popular, smaller seed starting styles and can accommodate longer periods in a greenhouse, up to 16 weeks. Shelf life can be extended with controlled watering.
Our preferred uses:
The #5 square is a great step up for tomato plants, the #6 square is popular for dahlia tubers and the #6 round has been a favorite for growing cannabis. The #7 square is our closest to a gallon size container and works well for layered bulbs, canna lilies and a variety of shrubs. The #12 Square and #17 Round make great biodegradable container options for combination planters.
Growing in Large Biodegradable Pots
Growing suggestions for success
- Fill the pot with moistened potting soil so that it is level with the top of the pot.
- Follow seed packet instructions if sowing seeds directly into the large biodegradable pot.
- For transplanting established seedlings or plants that have outgrown their pot and need more room to grow, you can place the entire small CowPot (intact) into the larger biodegradable pot with out tearing off the pot.
- Water as needed. If the pot feels damp to the touch or is a dark brown there is no need to water again. Wait until the pot walls are dry and hardened. Overwatering will cause the pot to prematurely break down.
Growing Tip:
When it’s time to transplant into the ground or a larger patio container, make sure the entire pot is covered with soil and no part of the top rim is above the soil line. Any exposed pot will not break down as quickly and can wick away water.
Decomposition of Large Biodegradable Pots
The pots you plant – even the large biodegradable pots.
Regardless of size, the porous pot walls of CowPots permit unrestricted root penetration through the bottom and side walls. You can plant any of the CowPots styles, even the #12 Square into the ground and it will degrade in the same growing season. The bioactivity of your soil and the moisture levels will impact the rate of decomposition over the growing season. Arid climates with sandy soils will see a slower break down of pots.
An especially unique growing benefit of the CowPot is that the nutrients in the manure attract a variety of microorganisms to the planting site and in addition to assisting with healthy plant growth they also support the degradation of the pot over the growing season.
Don’t want to dig a hole? Compost it!
The larger biodegradable pots require digging much larger holes to transplant. If you are growing annuals in these large containers and the plant won’t survive the winter anyway, you can throw the plant, pot and soil contents directly into a compost pile and it will quickly biodegrade.
“I’ve been using cow pots for 5 years now. They are the best biodegradable pot that I have found.”
Available CowPot Container Choices
#5 Square and #5 Round
#5 Square: Great for use by landscapers using larger plant material. Especially applicable for planting woody herbs like rosemary, thyme or sage.
This is the most compact CowPot of the larger plant pots (depth to width ratio), intended for direct planting to ground.
#5 Round: Great for transplanting of ornamental peppers, small mums and perennial herbs. Round shape makes these plant pots easy to incorporate into indoor/decorative planting containers as well. Also a good size for setting up bulbs mid-winter.
#6 Square and #6 Round
#6 Square: Great for planting woody and/or bushy herbs like rosemary, sage and thyme.
A preferred style for dahlia tubers as the wide base accommodates range of tuber sizes.
# 6 Round: A good fit for plants requiring 3+ months in the greenhouse. This has been a popular pot choice for stepping up cannabis plants. This biodegradable pot permits good air ventilation, allowing planting container walls to dry and harden in between watering.
#7 Square
#7 Square: Great for planting woody and/or bushy herbs, vegetables that need more time before transplanting. Large flowers like Cannas are also a good fit in this biodegradable planting container.
The larger pot size maintains ability to rapidly decompose once planted.
Used in our family’s farm market and garden center for canna lilies.
#11 Square Tall
#11 Square Tall: Designed specifically for growing perennials (seasonally). This large biodegradable pot is a deeper planting container, improving soil volume for healthy root growth for longer term plants using biodegradable plant pots.
#12 Square
#12 Square: Used in our own greenhouse for planting bulbs, large chrysanthemums and biodegradable combination planters. Growers have used this planting container size for grape vines and tomatoes as well.
#17 Round
#17 Round: Originally designed for live Christmas tree sales, this is also a great pot for combination planters. Exciting new way to display and market mixed flowering annuals or mini vegetable gardens. This biodegradable planting container can be easily transferred to a large step up pot with no mess.
Ready to buy biodegradable wholesale pots online?
#6 CowPots
#7 Square CowPots
#11, #12, #17 CowPots
Large Biodegradable Pots FAQ
How long will the large biodegradable pots last?
We recommend up to 16 weeks in standard greenhouse growing conditions for the #5, #6, #7 and #11 sized CowPots. The shelf life can be extended when there’s controlled watering and the pot can dry between waterings.
The #12 and #17 are thicker pots and can easily last the growing season with a controlled watering routine.
How long do biodegradable pots take to decompose?
Regardless of size, whether you’re growing in a #3 CowPot or a #7 CowPot, you can still plant the whole pot in the ground without ripping or tearing the pot. All CowPots styles have porous walls and allow for unrestricted root penetration. When you are transplanting, plant the whole pot. The rate of decomposition once planted in the ground is similar for small and large CowPots, with substantial decomposition within 3 months of planting.
What size CowPots are recommended?
From our experience, the #6 Square CowPots is very popular for dahlia tubers. The #7 Square CowPot is a good fit for Cannas and other high value annuals. The #11 Square CowPot was designed for growing roses and other perennials that thrive with growing deep roots. The #12 Square CowPot is popular for combination planters of herbs and flowering annuals. And the #17 Round CowPot was designed for a Christmas tree grower interested in selling live trees.
Will roots grow through biodegradable pots?
You bet they will! Root penetration is variable based on plant variety and growing conditions. But the porous pot walls of even the larger style CowPots promote and encourage unrestricted root penetration.
Are biodegradable pots good for plants?
Yes, especially if you intend to step up or transplant your plants. The biodegradable pots are designed to be planted intact in the ground which means you never have to disturb the fragile roots.
Can you plant biodegradable pots in the ground?
Yes, definitely plant biodegradable pots in the ground! There is no need to crush or tear the CowPot when it’s time to transplant as the pot will degrade and the roots will grow, unrestricted, through the pot walls.