INSTRUCTION: HOW TO MAKE A HYPERTUFA GARDEN TROUGH
---
Anne K Moore, March 6, 2009 ---
Photos by Anne K Moore ---
You will need:
- Peat moss.
- Perlite.
- Portland cement (pre-mixed
concrete or mortar does not work.)
- Large plastic container for
mixing. (Use a wheelbarrow for
large projects.)
- Rubber gloves.
- Dust mask.
- Table in the shade covered
with heavy plastic sheeting.
- Thin plastic, like
dry-cleaner bags.
- A wooden dowel.
- A mold
- Wood or metal must first be
lined with plastic.
- Mix does not stick to
cardboard, plastic, or Styrofoam.
- A wire brush.
Recipe
for making a small trough:
½ gallon of peat
moss
½ gallon of perlite
½ gallon of Portland
cement
Break
up any clumps and remove any sticks from the dry ingredients. Mix all dry ingredients together. Add water, a little at a time. The amount of water depends on how hot the
day is. Mix and add water until
the consistency is like thick oatmeal.
Squeeze the mix in your hand and then open-it should hang together and
not let loose more than a couple drops of water. If it's too wet, sprinkle more cement into the mix until it's
the right consistency.
There
are 2 ways to mold your trough. One way is to line the inside of a mold, like a small
Styrofoam cooler or an old bowl, with thin plastic. Let the plastic scrunch up to give the container
a more rustic look. Then push the
mix onto the bottom and up the sides.
Make it thick enough, at least a couple of inches, so that it will hold
together. Thin it some as you get
near the top, stopping just below the top of the mold.
The
second way is to cover the outside of an upside down container-mold with the
mix. Cover it with plastic first
so that you can pull the trough off the mold easily.
Use
the wooden dowel to push one or two drainage holes through the bottom of the
trough.
Put
the container in the shade and cover it with plastic. Don't move it for two to
three days. Scratch the concrete
to see if it has hardened. If it
scratches, it needs to cure longer.
If it is hard surfaced, then you can carefully remove the mold.
After
the mold is removed, you can rough up the outside with the wire brush. Leave it in a shady place for two weeks
to finish curing. It's OK if it
gets rained on.
Now
it is ready to be completed with your favorite little plants. Use a cactus mix if you are filling it
with succulents or rock garden plants.
Regular potting soil is good to use for most everything else.
