HypertufaShade gardening using containers is a fun way to garden especially if you make your own hypertufa pots. Hypertufa is a method using Portland cement, peat moss or pearl lite and sand blended together adding water to make a light weight concrete container. Light weight compared to the conventional way of making concrete.It has a rustic look to it. You can shape it any way you like and any size you like. If you build something really big you may not be able to move it and you'll have to build it where you want it. There are different recipes depending on how strong the pot or vessel needs to be. A stepping stone for example would need to be stronger than a pot. The basic recipe is one part cement, one and a half parts peat moss and one part sand and a little less than one part water. Ideally you should be able to make a ball with your gloved hands with no water running out. However there is plenty leeway, just not soupy. You'll need a mold to put the mixture on or in. The concrete will adhere to most anything, so putting plastic over the mold first will serve you well. Always wear a heavy pair of rubber gloves as the cement will dry your hands out and make them rough. You have all the dry material ready to mix, I use a wheelbarrow. Use a hoe or shovel to mix it all together, then add about half the water in the center, make a hole first and start mixing, adding water to the desired consistency. You can use a trowel or your gloved hands to pack the mixture about one and a half to two inches thick. make a couple drain holes while the mixture is still wet. Here's the hard part, you need to let the vessel cure for a least three or four days maybe longer if was very wet or large. That's it, use the "contact me" form if you need more than I've given you here. I've included some photographs of some I made.Good luck.
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