Nick
You are correct. So about 1 day after you make your planter, carefully unmold. Using a good wire brush, rough up the sides . It will expose the perlite ( and what ever else) you mixed in with the portland cement, giving a stone look. Another good tool to have is a small hand trowel. It can be used to perform some heavy duty modifications on the damp hypertufa. Smoothing the rough edges will also give a stone look. Once you rough up, hose off the dust and place back in a garbage bag, then seal tight for about 7-10 days. Keeping damp ( cure) will help the hypertufa gain strength.

Hvae fun Nick

Here is a link that might be useful: Some Photos

Thanks, plantman56! I appreciate the advice and will try that on my next batch.

I love the dwarf conifer gardens you made in the planters...how did you get the two different colors of hypertufa in that one planter?

Also, how can I grow moss on the sides? Would I just blend a patch of moss with water and spray it on the pot?"

Thanks.
-Nick

It's funny. I love the smooth sided look. I was wondering about the 2different colors as well. Very cool how they aren't perfectly welded together.