This recipe was shared with the Marietta Gardeners Club by our speaker on Hypertufa.
Hypertufa Essentials and Recipe
Requirements Recipe
Container for measuring 1 part Portland cement
Peat moss 1 ½ parts peat moss
Perlite 1 ½ parts perlite
Portland cement water
Dusk mask
Rubber gloves
Hoe or trowel
Mixing tub or wheelbarrow
Plastic drop cloth or tarp
Pam, Vaseline or mineral oil
Plastic wrap
Molds
Plastic trash bags
A working surface is helpful if you do not like to sit or kneel on the ground. I use a folding craft table for small projects, but plywood on sawhorses works well for large projects.
Process:
1. Measure and mix dry ingredients. Wear your face mask and use your rubber gloves.
2. Add water carefully. Mix, when squeezed, should hold together with little dripping.
3. Mold should be sprayed or rubbed with release agent or covered with plastic wrap and taped.
4. Pack mix around or into mold firmly. Tamp down to create a bond and avoid crumbling. Check thickness with a nail or knife.
5. Create a drainage hole with a dowel or other method.
6. Wrap finished product in a plastic trash bag and put in a shady place for a day or two.
7. Remove plastic after a couple of days (temperature dependent). Should be firm enough to remove from mold. Do so carefully! Add texture if desired.
8. Rewrap and leave for a few more days. After that, wet with a hose several times over the next month to leach out residual lime. Product will be ready to use in 4 to 6 weeks.
References:
Martha Steward Living, March 2010 Issue, Article on page 56 “Pots with a Personal Touch”.
Creating with Concrete by Sherri Warner Hunter, Lark Books.