General: DocuPots are made from paper and thus do not work the same as plastic. Water will be drawn to the pot rather than flow through or be retained.
1) We recommend using less water more often. a. DocuPots draw water to the pot, you will get more, smaller roots and probably will get roots growing through the pot. b. DocuPots will dry out between watering, so less water more often is the recommended process.
2) Don’t mix different types of pots in the same tray. a. Plastic pots are taller than DocuPots and will create a “rain shadow” to reduce the amount of water getting to the plants in the Docupots. b. Different pots have different watering needs. For optimal results water the DocuPots more often with less water.
3) DocuPots are paper and will act like paper. a. DocuPots will get soggy when watered, they will however, firm up as they dry. b. Being paper they can get moldy. This is part of the degradation process and is natural. c. DocuPots can maintain in the greenhouse for two to three months and will degrade in the soil typically within three months. d. Watering at the stock will reduce mold on the pot.
Proctor’s Garden on 9 News doen’t have much faith in bio-degradable seedling pots as they don’t seem to work as good as they claim. In this video, Rob Proctor states that he will test it out. It is shown on the last part of the video on 9news.com.
We’ve got exciting news: The USDA BioPreferred® Program is celebrating 20 years as the Federal Government’s official advocate and market accelerator for biobased products.
As a Program Participant, you have been instrumental to our success, and we want to extend our sincere thanks for your involvement and support. We also want to recognize you as a BioPreferred Program Champion and show our appreciation for businesses like yours that have shown faith in our mission.
To mark the 20th Anniversary, we are sending a special “Champion” promotional badge for use in your marketing and communications. This badge signifies your long-term commitment to using renewable materials, reducing our reliance on petroleum, supporting the bioeconomy, and bettering the planet. (Attached are both jpg and png formats for your convenience.)
USDA’s BioPreferred Program was first introduced in the 2002 Farm Bill with the goal of increasing the development, purchase, and use of biobased products. It requires federal agencies and contractors to give purchasing preference to biobased products.
As you know the USDA BioPreferred Program also includes a voluntary certification and labeling initiative for biobased products. You may recall last year we celebrated the 10th Anniversary of our USDA Certified Biobased Product Label.
While we’ve accomplished a lot in 20 years, we’re even more excited by the momentum and growth we see in the bioeconomy and its prospects for the future. Here’s what we’re seeing:
Over 7,000 products in our catalog eligible for federal purchasing preference across 139 product categories
Increased reporting of biobased purchases by federal contractors
Continued increase in applications for certification
Over 6,200 USDA Certified Biobased Products
Participation from businesses in 47 countries and more than 1,500 companies in the U.S.
A 536% increase in certification of upstream materials from 2015 to 2022! This includes binders, chemicals, cleaner components, fibers and fabrics, foams, lubricants, oils, fats and waxes, paint and coating compounds, personal care products components, plastic resins, rubber materials, and textile processing materials.
Over the next several months, we will be sharing more exciting news about the Program as we continue our celebration. Please follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for regular updates.
Again, thanks. We hope you display your BioPreferred Program Champion badge with pride.
Very truly yours, Andrew Jermolowicz Director, Business Development Division Rural Business-Cooperative Service USDA rural Development
“Entrepreneurs are a staple of America. People that have ideas and have the opportunity to explore those ideas in trying and sometimes failing,” said Hosea. “I don’t think you have that opportunity in all countries around the world.”
Docupots Gets Community Spotlight from Leeds School of Business
Meet Roger Hosea, a former Rural Colorado Workshop Series attendee and founder of DocuPots! DocuPots are biodegradable planting pots made entirely out of paper.
Roger was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. He graduated from Colorado State University with a Science and Natural Resources degree in 1982. Roger spent years working various jobs in the health and environmental industries, until eventually returning to Colorado in 2001 to pursue his own paper shredding business, Northeast Colorado Total Document Management (NECTDM).
Gov. Polis gives speech in Docupots’s manufacturing area.
I’m in Sterling this afternoon to sign SB21-229 which puts more funds into the Rural Jump-Start Zone Grant Program that will offer state tax relief to new businesses and their employees that locate in rural areas of Colorado that are facing economic challenges. These measures are on top of statewide sales tax relief for all restaurants and tax relief for everyone including reducing the assessment rate for the property taxes on your home, an even greater reduction in property taxes for land used for agricultural and renewable energy, reducing vehicle registration fees by $11 per vehicle, ensuring seniors don’t have to pay state tax on social security income, and eliminating the need for tens of thousands of small businesses to have to even file no less pay the business personal property tax.
Shredded documents get new life as biodegradable seedling pots
The problem with most biodegradable plant pots is that they don’t actually biodegrade. Usually made of wood or peat fibers, most of the pots also are treated with wax to keep them whole until they’re planted in the ground; trouble is, the wax often works all too well.
