Container Gardening Complete

Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

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Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
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Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

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700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 41 5/24/17 10:57 AM

HOW TO MAKE A HYPERTUFA PLANTER

STEP 1 Start by gathering your ingredients and

selecting a mold or form to make your planter. The

most popular mold for hypertufa planters is probably a

box-in-box system, in which a smaller cardboard box is

nestled inside of a larger one and the wet hypertufa is

packed in between the two boxes to form the walls of

the planter. While this is a great way to make a square,

trough-like planter, using a single object and molding

the hypertufa over it is an easier project for beginners

and creates a more attractive planter. For this project,

we used a half-sphere exercise ball to make a very

large hypertufa planter. But if you want to make a

smaller version, use an inverted salad bowl, shallow

garden pot, or other hemispherical object.

STEP 2 Cover your work surface with the plastic

sheeting and lay another piece of plastic over your

mold. If you’re working with cardboard or another mold

you don’t mind ruining, you can skip this step. Spray

the plastic with a heavy layer of non-stick cooking

spray, which will make separating the planter from the

mold much easier.

STEP 3 Use the 1-gallon bucket as a “measuring cup”

to combine two parts Portland cement with three parts

perlite and three parts peat moss in a large cement bin

or wheelbarrow.

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STEP 4 Sift the larger chunks and twigs out of the

peat moss as you mix the dry ingredients together

with your gloved hands. The amount of dry mix you’ll

need depends on the size of the project. For this large

hypertufa bowl, we used 4 gallons of Portland cement,

6 gallons of perlite, and 6 gallons of peat moss.

STEP 5 Once the dry ingredients are well-blended,

slowly add water in small increments, mixing it as

you go. You’ll need approximately two parts water for

each batch of the ingredients listed in Step 3. The

real amount of water needed, though, could be more

or less, depending on how dry the peat moss is and

the humidity level of the air. Add just a little water at

a time, and use your gloved hands to work the water

through the mixture after each addition of water. The

final mix should form a ball when it’s squeezed, and

only a few drops of water should come out of it.

STEP 6 When your mix is the right consistency, let

it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Then, handful by handful,

pack the wet mix around the outside of your mold.

Start at the ground, and slowly work your way up to

the top of the mold, packing the hypertufa mix in a

layer 1 to 2 in. thick over the entire surface. We formed

a wide lip around the edge of our pot by extending the

layer of hypertufa out over the ground around the half-

sphere exercise ball, but this isn’t necessary if you want

a planter without the lip.

Continued

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Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

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