Love stone pots? Make your own in just a few steps

By Pam Baytos

OSU Extension master gardener

Hypertufa, a material made from perlite, cement and peat moss, allows you to make your own planters that have the look and feel of real stone. They are lightweight, inexpensive and simple to make in almost any size and shape.

First you’ll want to gather your materials. You’ll need to get your shape mold (or molds) selected. It’s good to start out small — an example would be a large, plastic dishpan. You can build your planter on the inside or outside of your mold. I like to build mine on the inside. To make the hypertufa easy to release, line the inside of your container with plastic (such as a shopping or trash bag). Next you’ll want to collect rubber gloves, dust mask, dowels and a mixing container for your hypertufa ingredients.

Now it’s time to mix your hypertufa. There are several recipes for hypertufa. The one I use is equal parts of perlite, cement and peat moss. The “parts” can be any amount — cups, coffee can, etc. I use a coffee can to make sure the volume ratio is correct.

I found that a nice workable amount is three equal parts. This amount is easy to mix in a wheelbarrow, and many times I mix up dry batches and store them in containers that have airtight lids. Make sure you wear a dust mask and gloves as cement can dry your skin and the dust from both perlite and peat moss can irritate your lungs. I start with three coffee cans of perlite, then three coffee cans of peat moss. I mix these with my hoe, then add three coffee cans of cement. Mix ingredients, then start adding water. You want your mixture to have the consistency of thick mud.

Firmly press a 2-inch thick layer of moist hypertufa mixture on the bottom of your mold, continue working up the sides until planter is complete. Place a couple of the dowels into the bottom to create drainage holes. Cover the hypertufa with plastic and let it set at least two or three days. Uncover, remove dowels, then remove planter from your mold. Allow the new pot to continue drying and curing for at least three weeks outdoors in the elements. If weather is dry, hose planter down occasionally to leech out the lye in the cement.

For information on what to plant in your hypertufa pots and for other recipes, go to: http://go.osu.edu/hypertufa.