Hypertufa - First Attempt

10 years ago

I'm brand new to the world of Hypetufa and after extensive reading / watching I decided to give it a shot.

I used 1:1:1 of Peat moss, vermiculite and Portland cement. Thoroughly mixed the dry ingredients then added water until it I could squeeze the mixture and get a few drops of water to fall from it. Then put a plastic bag in an oiled nursery pot as a form to test my first small batch.

Here's a photo of it right before I closed the bag up to let it cure:

Any advice or tips are certainly welcome. If this one turns out well I'm going to move on to some larger planters and maybe play with different forms.

This probably isn't anything new or exciting to anyone but I'm really excited! :)

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Comments (4)

Nicholas C.
Original Author
10 years ago
Removed from the pot and taken out of the bag for a photo before returning to the bag to continue to cure. Not sure how long it should stay in the bag as some sources say to let it cure a few days and some say up to a month before leaching the lime and using as a planter.
billie_ann
10 years ago
Nicholas, A pot that small can be unmolded in 24 hours. If you want to get rid of the imprint from the plastic bag now's the time to do it with a wire brush. After wire brushing, wash it off then place it in a bucket of water for a couple of days to rinse out the lime. You can plant it up after a couple of days in the water bath.

Did you get a chance to make anything else? You can use reinforced (couple of bands of duct tape) cardboard boxes lined with plastic bags for a form/mold. If you want a uniform top edge on your planter: You need a rigid form/mold for the flat one. To get a flat top use a 2 X 4 that's wider than the mold. Fill the mold with hypertufa slightly over the top of the mold, Place the 2 X 4 on top of the mold and shimmy it back and forth to flatten the top edge. To get a rounded top, when you get to the top of the form, shape the hypertufa into hotdog shapes and blend them into the rest of the mix. Curl your fingers over the top of the hotdogs to help keep the rounded shape.
Nicholas C. thanked billie_ann
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Nicholas C.
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Thank you so much billie_ann I have made a few more pots like the picture below shows. That first one was used mainly to test my mix and procedure, but I'm still going to utilize it as a planter.

I'll have to keep the wire brush and rolled top in mind. I think those tips will be really helpful in creating new designs.

Below is the picture I was talking about in more of what I'd call a bonsai style planter. The forms I used are the tupperware containers behind them.

A new dollar store is about to open around the corner so I plan to look for new forms there as well.
billie_ann
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
bonsai planter I found a "turkey platter", actually it's a large shallow bowl, at our local dollar store and it makes a beautiful flared bonsai planter. I wish I could figure why I can't post photos. I have a great shot of the finished and planted "bonsai" planter. Can you see the image? I've had no luck just posting the one image. I keep posting my whole album