Hypertufas are anthropic rocks that are made up of numerous aggregates that is combined together using Portland cement. It’s appearance is inspired by tufa, a porous rock composed of calcium carbonate. Since they are light and porous, they are very beneficial for plant development; hence hypertufas are frequently made as garden decorations. They are also strong and have the ability to tolerate severe winter temperatures, which makes them more preferrable than concrete.

One of the most common forms of hypertufa is a planter, as you can produce durable pretty pots with these. You also just need simple molds for a hypertufa planter so most beginners are recommended to build them first. For planter molds, you can use buckets, styrofoam ice chests, plastics or metal containers, pots, cardboard or wooden boxes and other things that has a form that can carry plants. Just be sure to add releasing agents to your molds, such as plastics, garbage bags, and oil lubricants, before putting on the hypertufa mixture to them.

To build your own hypertufa planter, first you have to prepare your mixture by mixing up 1 1/2 parts peat moss, 1 1/2 parts perlite, and 1 part Portland cement. Gradually add water while mixing up the ingredients, until you achieve a moldable consistency. Then using a trowel, transfer your mixture to the mold of the planter that you prepared. Pound the mixture in the mold so that it is packed, ensuring its sturdiness. Furthermore, considering that you are going to put plants in what you are constructing, do not forget to put drainage holes at the bottom by sticking dowels or branches. Make sure that the mixture doesn’t trickle back into the opening that you made.

Soon after filling up your mold, cover it up with a trash bag and let it sit for around 1 to 3 days, depending on the size of your planter. Once it is hard enough that you can’t make an indentation using your finger, you may now get rid of the mold off your hypertufa. You can also put extra details to your planter by sculpting using wire brush. Put it back to the trash bag and let it sit again for over three weeks, once in a while misting it. When it already makes a hollow knock when you tap it, your hypertufa planter is already fully cured and dried.

Remember that your hypertufa planter has a great deal of lime in it that is unhealthy for plants. Use water and vinegar to leach the lime off the planter for around 10 days just before planting anything into it.