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Published Friday, December 4, 2020
An early Christmas idea
By Victoria Torley
I hope everyone is happily planning to ‘grow’ tequila after last week’s column . . . maybe not.
Thanksgiving is gone and Christmas is right around the corner. So, perhaps you’re wondering what to give your gardening spouse for a gift this year. I have a suggestion: a hypertufa kit!
As the non-gardening spouse, perhaps you’re wondering “What the heck is a hypertufa kit?” Don’t worry, there’s an explanation. And it’s really five gifts in one!
Gift 1 – a sack of Portland cement. Nothing a gardener wants under the tree more than a nicely wrapped sack of Portland cement.
Gift 2 – peat moss. A gardener gets the warm-fuzzies thinking about peat moss. Break it into little particles before using it or your hypertufa will not be uniform.
Gift 3 – a bag of perlite. Lighter-weight than cement, trust me.
Gift 4 – fibers of fiberglass. Also light-weight.
Gift 5 – full instructions on making hypertufa! Perfect.
Okay, so what is hypertufa? Hypertufa is a mixture of four ingredients that can be molded and turned into plant containers.
The first step is to measure the ingredients equally by volume. Don’t do it by weight or you won’t have the right mix. Don’t add water yet, first you have to find the right mold. A mold is a shape somewhat larger than you want with plenty of room for mushing the hypertufa around, like molding a pie crust. A cardboard box lined with waxed paper or aluminum foil (or that other stuff I’m not allowed to mention) will do nicely. Ready?
A wheelbarrow makes a good mixer, so put your ‘by-volume’ ingredients in one and add water slowly. What you want is a mix that is a bit like creamy cottage cheese, no lumps. Mix it thoroughly and I suggest gloves. At this point, you are ready to put blobs of your hypertufa into your mold. Spread it out over the bottom an inch or two thick (that’s 2.5 to 5 cm) and then start up the sides keeping the thickness even (easier said than done). It takes practice and I suggest practicing on a shallow mold. Poke a few holes in the bottom with a finger for future drainage.
You are done! Cover the hypertufa mold with more cardboard and set it in a dry shady spot to let it cure. The mold should set in 24 hours. Once it is set, just peel away the cardboard. The mold should be soft enough that you can use a still brush to apply texture to the exterior. When it is completely set, you can paint it. Hypertufa pots will last a long time, although they are a bit brittle so don’t drop one.
Plant for the Week
Here’s a lovely little flower from my favorite B&B, Posada de Quijote. Sadly, I don’t know its name, perhaps you do, because it is a nice low-growing plant for your ornamental planters. Like the ones you make with hypertufa.
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Editor's note: More information on this article or about gardening, Ms. Victoria Torley, gardener columnist, can be reached at victoriatorley1@gmail.com
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