I think your pot is great! Do you remember how much material it took? Like, did you have to make two or 3 batches to get enough to make it?

I used a cheapy ice cream bowl from the dollar store to scoop with. I used 5 scoops of everything per batch and it took 2 batches for each layer. All in all it is fairly inexpensive. Especially when you price out the big pots you can buy.

I got 10 little mushrooms, one gigantic mushroom table gone wrong that became an enormous mushroom decoration and 1 & 1/2 pots from my first bag of portland. It took about two bags of perlite for the first pot and at almost $4 a bag that's the most expensive part.

Well, we are going to find out for ourselves if no one can answer this question! After 5 months of thinking about it, I am finally making my first hypertufa pot and its for a citrus tree.

I am using a 20" by 17" plastic pot from Home Depot (15.00) for my mold. I used a plastic pint glass for a scooper and added 9 scoops of each: white portland cement, pine dust, perlite & quickrete playsand plus 2 extra scoops of portland for the first layer. due to too much WD40, I think my pot will be much thicker towards the bottom as the mix kept sliding down.
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I had a problem with my mix slipping on the first pot too. I finally got the water content right and it didn't hasn't happened too much on the 2nd one. I'm hoping to get the 2nd layer on it tonight. It's hard to eek out time during the week with the kids, dog and house all wanting attention though.

I think yours looks great. Do you plan to paint them or leave them "primitive"?

Less water then? How long did you wait between layers? I am already losing patience and its only been 3 hours!

Housework schmouswork - it will still be there tomorrow! ;-)

Thanks for the compliment! If it drys looking like it does now (like brownish granite), I will leave it alone, I had planned to stain it with coffee as I want an earthy beige/brownish color. I am not sure I would want to paint it though as I thought moss is supposed to grow on it and that might interfere?

I'm not sure what happened I made a post and it was there and now it's not. So here I go again.

I'm not an expert. I'm still figuring this out too so please don't hold me responsible... I'll tell you what I did, but that doesn't mean it was necessarily right. :)

I did my first layer on a Saturday and the 2nd on Sunday. Then I kept wetting it down until Weds afternoon when I unpotted it. I love that word "unpotted".

As for moss that's a person preference. You can mix up some buttermilk and moss in the blender and paint it on to give it a headstart.

I'm going to pay homage to The Masters as others on the forum call them and paint mine in a Little & Lewis style. Or as close to it as I can get. I'm putting a link below for you to check out their stuff. I should warn you though. If you aren't hooked yet you will be after your tour their site.

I'm planning on painting mine in colors and style similar to the one that is on the statuary page on top of the pedestal. We'll see how that turns out though... Rembrandt I'm not.

Here is a link that might be useful: A trip to The Masters studio

I went over there and looked. Not ONE BIG tree in a pot. Those boys are artists, not gardeners. HUGE difference!!

I do question whether your citrus will survive in this big pot you made. You are a pioneer!! Nobody has paved the way for you. I look forward to seeing your big tree planted in the pot! You will be the first on the internet!! Woot!!

Me, I'll hang back and watch what happens. I'll probably buy some 30 gallon grow bags and let the good times roll!

Please post your pics when you get that citrus planted!
Suzi

you mean the bluish fading one? That looks cool. Interesting stuff, gives me some ideas of what I can do with the giant cardboard tube forms I have left-over from my pergola post setting adventure...Hmmmm...My husband is going to hate you for hooking me up with this!

I plan to do my next (thinner)layer tomorrow morning after putting drywall tape all over it. Good to know it can be un-potted after only 2 days! I am quite impatient too. I have been misting every 2 hours just cause I want to look at it! It's very warm!

Naw! Your husband is going to THANK me. I'm keeping you busy, out of bars and covered in mud, hypertufa, concrete or a mixture of all of the above so he doesn't have to worry about other men hitting on you.

I'm doing him such a favor! All husbands should be so lucky. :)

Be sure to post a pic of the unveiling. I can't wait to see it! I'm putting the 2nd layer on mine tonight or else. I don't care if they have to eat bread and butter. Mommies got a project to work on dang it!

Hahaha, no amount of sludge could reduce my hotness factor! :-)

But really, he already comments that I dress like a contractor! (I have been working on painting/repairing the siding on my mom's house and single-handedly building a patio and pergola for the past year and now, since I was laid off, I have been painting our rental properties and developing new hobbies of the fun and time consuming but non income generating type. He is so ready for me to go back to work....but I say, I might as well enjoy this time, its not my fault there are no jobs and the economy sucks right now!

I will post after my unpotting...even if it just crumbles out of the pot! I just finished putting my 2nd layer on over deer netting and drywall tape...I am worried because it didn't feel like it was really sticking to the first layer, I kept smooshing it but it felt kind of slippy-slidey. Did you have this happen?

How old are your kids? I started assigning my girls their nights to prepare dinner for the family when they were very young, it cut down on the complaints about what was for dinner as they realized how hard it was to please everyone. Sure, we ate a lot of cereal, baked potatoes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, spaghetti and tomato soup with goldfish crackers at first, but they actually branched out pretty quickly and started making good stuff and taking pride in it (last night my youngest, now 16, made egg drop soup from scratch - yum)!

I emailed you directly. This post is taking a while to load now.

Dear Cement Ladies, This size planter does not need reinforcement but if you must, you put on your first layer then lay the drywall tape or netting into the fresh cement mix, spritz with a little water if necessary and gently embed, then add your second layer. You don't have to make this a 2 day process. As some of you are impatient, do what the rest of us do, just make the pot the right thickness and don't worry about tape and wire and netting.
You can plant anything in these planters. If it's for large trees, you'll need to make the bottom and sidewalls thick, at least 3". Your drain holes need to be large not like the little ones in the pic above. Your post reminded me that I want to look for a brown turkey fig. Had one years ago but got tired of burying it ever Winter so I gave it away. Billie

Billie Ann saves the day again. Thanks. I've been worried about how much pressure that much dirt & plant were going to put on the side walls. I feel much better now.

Well, that makes sense! Are you sure my drain holes are too small - even if I use Als Gritty Mix? If so, is it easy to drill through this stuff with a masonry bit?

granbury, Maybe it's just your pic. How large are those holes? Al's Gritty mix? What is that? If it's the first time you've used it how do you know it's easy to drill through and yes, you use a masonary bit. Ah, did you forget the drain holes? I've done that once or twice. The roots can block the drain holes really quick. Use a gallon bucket to measure rather than a pint jar, less counting and losing track of the count like several that I've done. Billie

Billie ann,

The holes are 3/4", I hadn't thought about the roots clogging the holes...hmmm....

Al's gritty mix is a soil-less planting mix that drains very well and eliminates perched water tables in containers: Turface, Pine bark fines and Gran-i-grit (great stuff - I learned about from the container gardening forum).

I was guessing that it would be very difficult to drill through this stuff, but I don't know, so that was a question.

Good idea to use a gallon bucket, if I decide to make more of these, I will probably upsize my operations. For now, all of my ingredients are in 5 gallon buckets so I can keep them dry and still lift them, a bit awkward to get a 1 gallon bucket scoop out of one of these!

Thanks for the tips!
Nik

Billie ann,

The holes are 3/4", I hadn't thought about the roots clogging the holes...hmmm....

Al's gritty mix is a soil-less planting mix that drains very well and eliminates perched water tables in containers: Turface, Pine bark fines and Gran-i-grit (great stuff - I learned about from the container gardening forum).

I was guessing that it would be very difficult to drill through this stuff, but I don't know, so that was a question.

Good idea to use a gallon bucket, if I decide to make more of these, I will probably upsize my operations. For now, all of my ingredients are in 5 gallon buckets so I can keep them dry and still lift them, a bit awkward to get a 1 gallon bucket scoop out of one of these!

Thanks for the tips!
Nik

Nik, go read al's advice to you in the container forum. He uses his mix, of course, but he states that he has hypertufa pots, and he does NOT put drainage holes because they are so porous, they self drain.

Not sure how accurate that is, but Al's mix is much different than the dirt the majority of folks use, and if you do have drainage holes, maybe you might need a heavier soil? I'd still put holes, but not big ones!

The thing that attracted me to hypertufa in the first place was how lightweight it is, and the fact that it allows air to get to the roots. I BELIEVE in air pruning roots so that they don't circle and get root bound, like in a regular plastic pot.

I'm not sure if hypertufa pots prevent roots from going root-bound, so I'd be tempted to stick a thousand bamboo skewers in the sides and bottom of mine for light and air holes. When a root meets light and air, it stops, prunes it's self, and forms many root branches. It then can take advantage of all the nutrients in the soil, and any branches that meet your air/light holes, will do the same and branch more.

I'm not sure on a big 3" thick pot if the thing would be porous enough without dozens of tiny holes.

If you have not heard of that concept, google "air pruning," or "root pruning," and you will understand.

A farmer's view (orchard growers) of a container, is different than a gardener's view for sure!

Good luck with this project! I'm watching every step! Also, feet on the bottom will lift the container and the roots will prune themselves and not stick out of the drain holes.
Suzi

Suzi, Don't know what's in Al's mix or what soil he uses in his containers but my pots can hold water if there's no drain hole. I've made mini bog gardens and they hold water. Guess it depends on what hypertufa recipe that you use.
If left in the pots long enough and not root pruned you'll have to saw the plants out of the pots. The roots attach to the sidewalls. I removed a 4 foot chaemacyperis from a pot last year and it was quite a battle.
Good Grief, what's "turface"? Billie

Okay, the post on the container forum has been updated, Al clarified that he does actually drill hole once he is ready to plant in them.

Billie ann, turface is a high fired clay product that looks like cat litter but doesnt break down like it. They use it in sports fields to prevent compaction and hold moisture. check out the link below

Thanks for the info Suzi, now air root pruning...the learning never ends on this forum!!! Quite addictive.

Thanks for the feet on the bottom tip too, I guess those would be pretty easy to make just 3 or 4 balls of 'tufa mix.

Well, I "unpotted" today: TADAAAAAAA:

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Here is a link that might be useful: Als Gritty Mix

Your pot looks gorgeous! I can't wait to see how much it actually weighs once it dries out, and then the picture of it planted with your citrus tree!

If you are interested, I just saw pot dolly's at Big Lots for $6.00. That might help you roll your pot around if you need mobility.

I'm jealous of all that land you have there. I'd have trellis's and a vineyard out there faster than you could blink!

Heading over to containers to see what you posted there!
Suzi

Thanks again! This is hard to keep up with 3 posts, I refer to stuff mentioned elsewhere and confuse myself!

That land is a pecan orchard and I am sure all the deer would just be thrilled if I attempted to plant a vineyard, not so good for the plants though! Sigh...my trellis, mini "cattle panel arch vineyard", fruit trees, veggie garden and all of my other plants are at my mom's house in town where the deer cant get to them!

Nice job on the pot! Billie

So, lets work something out. You send me green or ripe pecans, and I'll send you cuttings of grapes, figs, or the dreaded bougainvillea!!

What will I do with green pecans? I'll make a liquor that is only made in well, you know.........

Did you want a lot of jalapenos? I have a plethera of those!!

Suz

Thanks Billie! I had a heck of a time getting it out of the mold though.

Suzi, I'll send you pecans if you send me the recipe! I'm pretty burned out on pecan waffles, pecan brownies and pecan crusted everything else!

How about some of these:

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I love the pictures of the little deer! Wow!!

You are my new best friend! If you send me some green pecans, You will be "sister!"

Here is a recipe for Vin de Noix which is the French word for Green Walnut Wine. Wine, it is NOT! I see no reason why we couldn't substitute Green Pecans for the walnuts!!

I will email you some recipes from our little vineyard.. I make toasted pecan wine, so that and all the above will be in a word document.

It will come to you from somebody named Dances4Wine! LOL

Here is a link that might be useful: Walnut Liquour