Building Your Own Hypertufa Troughs

A hypertufa is a man-made rock that consists of numerous aggregates that is mixed together using Portland cement. It is based from a naturally-occurring rock called tufa which can be ordinarily spotted from springs abundant in lime. Most hypertufas are manufactured as garden ornaments. One of the most typical types of hypertufa are gardening troughs, as they are certainly long-lasting and have the ability to bear intense winter temperatures, in contrast to concrete pots. Hypertufa troughs are also easy to create and can be done using household items. Here's the guidelines on how to build one by yourself.

The ingredients required for a hypertufa trough is 1 part Portland cement, 1 1/2 parts peat moss, and 1 1/2 parts perlite. Additionally, you will need a mold for your trough. Pick an item that has a shape that can hold plants such as boxes, pots, metal containers, styrofoam ice chests, buckets etc. Also, protect your mold with a plastic or garbage bag so that it will not cling on your hypertufa mixture. Also, you may also utilize oil lubricants if your mold is made of plastic.

The initial step in creating your hypertufa trough is combining the ingredients with water. Mix it until you achieve a firm moldable consistency. Then transfer the mixture to the mold that you've chosen. Fill up the mold to achieve the desired shape and make certain you leave no spots behind by compressing the mixture. If you are planning to put plants in that trough, it may be beneficial to add drainage openings at the bottom with sticks or dowels.

After padding the mixture in your mold, you should cover it up with a plastic bag and set it in an spot where it won’t be disturbed. In about 24 to 36 hours, your trough will harden enough so that you can already get rid of the mold. If you want, you can smoothen the top and edges utilizing a wire brush. Then, rewrap the trough with the plastic and let it sit once again for more than three weeks, occasionally moisturizing it with water from time to time. You’ll know that your trough is already completely cured the moment it creates a hollow knock when you tap it.

As a ultimate note, before putting a plant in your trough, it is important to leach it first using water for more than the following ten days or so. The freshly built trough contains a lot of lime that are bad for plants and therefore it is not recommended to make use of it immediately after curing it.

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