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Old stone troughs look great in a garden, but they're heavy, rare and expensive. Hypertufa gets you the same look for a fraction of the weight, with a few bags from the yard and a bit of patience.
Hypertufa is a mix of cement, perlite and peat (or coir) that sets into a light, porous, stone-look pot. Gardeners came up with it in the 1930s, when the old stone troughs used for alpine plants got hard to find. It's cheap to make, easy to shape, and drains well, so it suits plants that hate sitting wet.
Good for: succulents, alpines, herbs and small hardy plants.
You'll need
- 1 part Portland cement
- 1 part perlite
- 1 part peat or coir (coir is the more sustainable choice)
- Water
- Two containers that nest inside each other, for the mould
- Cooking spray or plastic wrap, so the mix doesn't stick
- A tub or wheelbarrow to mix in
- Gloves and a dust mask
Measure by volume: a bucket or an old ice cream container works well as your "part".
How to make it
1. Set up your mould
Find two containers that nest with a gap of 2–4 cm between them: a smaller gap for small pots, a bigger one for large pots. Coat the inside of the big one and the outside of the small one with cooking spray, or line them with plastic wrap.
2. Mix it
Put on your gloves and mask. Cement is caustic, and the dry mix is dusty. Combine the dry ingredients first, then add water a little at a time. You're after the texture of cottage cheese: it should hold together when you squeeze it, with only a drip or two of water.
3. Fill the mould
Press a 2–5 cm layer of mix into the base of the outer container. Poke a drainage hole through it with your finger or a dowel. Sit the inner container on top, then pack the mix into the gap, pressing out air pockets as you go.
4. Let it set
Cover it with plastic and leave it somewhere shady for 24–36 hours.
5. Unmould it and rough it up
Ease the pot out of the mould. While it's still a little soft, scratch the surface with a wire brush to give it an old-stone texture.
6. Cure it
Keep it covered, damp and out of the sun for at least two to three weeks. The longer it cures, the stronger it gets.
7. Rinse it before you plant
Fresh cement is alkaline, which most plants don't like. Give the pot a good rinse and leave it out in the weather for a few weeks before planting.
8. Plant it up
Fill it with a free-draining mix. For succulents and alpines, open it up with extra perlite or pumice so water runs straight through.
What we'd tell you at the counter
- Moulds with texture on the inside show it on the outside of your pot.
- A little concrete dye in the mix gives it a more natural stone colour.
- Handle it gently. It's lighter than stone but less tough, so it lasts longest when it isn't knocked about.
Not sure what to plant in it?
Tell us how much sun the spot gets and we'll point you at plants and a mix that will do well in it.
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Learn how to make your own Hypertufa Pots here