Building Hypertufa Planters

Hypertufas are  synthetic rocks that consist of several aggregates that is put together together using Portland cement. It’s look is inspired by tufa, a porous rock made up of calcium carbonate. Considering they are light and porous, they are very good for plant development; hence hypertufas are usually crafted as garden ornaments. They're also strong and have the ability to endure intense winter temperatures, which makes them more preferrable than concrete.

One of the most frequent kinds of hypertufa is a planter, as you can make sturdy pretty pots with these. You also only need basic molds for a hypertufa planter so most beginners are encouraged to make them first. For planter molds, you can use buckets, styrofoam ice chests, plastics or metal containers, pots, cardboard or wooden boxes and other objects that has a form that can hold plants. Just make sure to add releasing agents to your molds, such as plastics, garbage bags, and oil lubricants, before putting on the hypertufa mixture to them.

To produce your own hypertufa planter, first you should prepare your mixture by mixing up 1 1/2 parts peat moss, 1 1/2 parts perlite, and 1 part Portland cement. Gradually add water while mixing up the ingredients, until you achieve a moldable consistency. Then using a trowel, transfer your mixture to the mold of the planter that you prepared. Pound the mixture in the mold so that it is packed, ensuring its toughness. Furthermore, since you are going to place plants in what you are making, bear in mind to put drainage holes at the bottom by sticking dowels or branches. Ensure that the mixture doesn't trickle back into the hole that you made.

Soon after filling your mold, cover it up with a garbage bag and allow it to sit for around one to three days, based on the size of your planter. Once it is hard enough that you cannot make an indentation using your finger, you may now take away the mold off your hypertufa. You can also add additional touches to your planter by sculpting using wire brush. Put it back to the trash bag and let it sit once again for more than 3 weeks, once in a while misting it. When it already makes a hollow knock when you tap it, your hypertufa planter is already completely cured and dried.

Keep in mind that your hypertufa planter has a great deal of lime in it that is bad for plants. Use water and vinegar to leach the lime off the planter for about 10 days just before planting anything into it.