Forum home› Tools and techniques
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Hypertufa pot

TheRicksterTheRickster Posts: 85
in Tools and techniques
Has anyone tried to create their own alpine pots, using a Hypertufa recipe? If so, do you have a recipe and method you always turn to, and any tips you’ve learnt?

There’s a lot out there, and I’m leaning towards 1 part cement, 1 part course sand (possibly 50/50 with perlite), 1 part coco coir (avoiding peat moss). I’m still deciding on a mould, possibly just digging a round hole, pouring in the mix, then squishing in a round bowl with a flat bottom!

Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    The late Great Geoff Hamilton did it on GW years ago. Maybe you could find them on You Tube?
    Devon.
  • Valley GardenerValley Gardener Posts: 2,851
    That was the mix I used on an old ceramic kitchen sink,and it worked well,had to rough up the sink first,but it looked nice. I painted on yogurt too for a bit of moss etc.
    Good luck.
    The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    We used to live near Catterick Camp and found an old ammunition crate in our garden. I covered it in hypertufa and it made a lovely 'stone' trough that lasted over 30 years, but it needs re-doing now :)
  • TheRicksterTheRickster Posts: 85
    today was experiment day, first lesson was make extra mix, i had half a dozen pots/boxes to cover/fill... my mix did 2. Second lesson was to use better gloves (or cut finger nails shorter!).
    ive ordered some coco coir rather that peat moss for next time, but found some of those compressed peat/other disks that can be soaked in water which look like they’ll do the job. Recipe used is as follows (measured with a regular trowl):
    5 parts coir/peat disks
    4 parts gritty sand
    2 parts perlite 
    5 parts cement 
    All mixed together with a couple of glugs of water until a firm ball could be formed. Squished into a couple of lightly oiled containers, wrapped in plastic then left in the shed. Now to wait 24 hours, unwrap, remove from containers, sand/smooth the rims, maybe scrape some shapes on the sides, re-wrap and leave again for a couple of weeks. After that leave outside and ‘water’ daily for a couple of weeks to get rid of the lime, then plant up... target first week/weekend in October :)


  • Valley GardenerValley Gardener Posts: 2,851
    Please show us a pic when its all done @TheRickster
    The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
  • TheRicksterTheRickster Posts: 85
    24 ish hours later, pots removed from mould (lesson here is to line the mould with more plastic), scrubbed a bit to give a more Matt finish, now to leave for a couple of weeks to fully cure...

  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Have you put holes in the bottom?
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • TheRicksterTheRickster Posts: 85
    punkdoc said:
    Have you put holes in the bottom?
    Yes, poked through a bamboo cane when forming :)
Sign In or Register to comment.