Hypertufa Obsession

Tufa Obsession

Since last week I have spent an obsessively long time attempting to perfect my Hypertufa plant pot mix.  I started off by making the sample pots from just peat, cement and pearlite. All seemed well but when the dried out I found they were lightweight but also too fragile for any real use. They would be good for planting into the ground complete with a young plant but that’s not what I am looking for, I want a pot that can stand up to the rigors of everyday use.  

So it was time to roll my sleeves up and play with different types of mixes. I used less peat, more cement and also added some sand. One review I read about making tufa commented that the best way to get a strong plant pot was to not use peat!  To me that defeated the object of producing tufa pots but I did do one or two without it.  The results were strong but did look like miniature concrete council road bollards, again, not what I was looking for.

One to One

The tunnel is now full of pots of various sizes and consistencies. I am having a bit more success with a 1x1x1x1 mix of sand, peat, pearlite and cement but my biggest problem was getting the set pots out of the molds. I started off by filling a larger pot and then pushing a smaller pot into this to make the recess. All seemed well until the mix set – the pots are stuck in!  The only ones I could get out were the plastic pots as they have a bit of flexibility but not the aesthetic values of the terracotta pots I am also using. 

I therefore had to think of a way to keep the shape of the terracotta pots but have the flexibility of the plastic ones. 

My solution is this. I got some very large pots and filled them with expandable foam then placed a terracotta pot inside this and let it dry.  The resulting hard mold is light and flexible. For good measure I have also made some molds out of sections of cut drainpipe with slits in them fastended by cable ties. These can be pulled open when the mix has set.

It’s still early days with the new methods but I am optimistic I will 

have a product that will look good on the dining table as well as in the garden. Again, I’ll keep you posted.

Hypertufa Images

 My first batch of experimental tufa pots are dry. Made from peat,cement, perlite and vermiculite- the seem strong and durable. In time the moss and algae should cover them. For indoor and outdoor use.

Hypertufa

As my terracotta pot collection is dwindling I thought I’d look around for replacements. It seems that vintage pots are quite hard to come by, especially the ones from Carley’s Bridge potteries in County Wexford. So I thought I could take the matter into my own hands and produce some type of container myself.

 I initially thought the best thing to do was set myself up making clay pots as a bit of a sideline in the quieter moments of the day. After looking into the complexities of the pottery industry I realise that this is also not the easiest thing to do. I’d need to get a heater in the garage, buy clay, a wheel and then to top it off I’d need a kiln, which don’t come cheap.

It all seems like a bit too much trouble to go to for a few plant pots so I thought of a simpler and hopefully less expensive way of producing containers. Making them out of something called hypertufa which is a homemade version of a naturally occurring pourus rock called Tufa.

HYPERTUFA

Hypertufa was developed in the 1930s to replicate the stone troughs that were popular among gardeners in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and are still popular to this day. The lightweight stand-ins are a lot easier to transport. Thanks to their porous nature, the pots are ideal for plants needing good drainage such as alpines and cacti.  

If you’ve ever tried to pick up a concrete container you’ll know that they are perfect for keeping the plants upright in a strong wind but not that good for moving around or putting in the post to deliver to customers. 

 

MIXES

I’m using a few different materials and methods to see which one works the best. Initially the pots are formed by using peat, cement and perlite. I am going to use a peat mix and also a peat free mix to see which holds up better seeing as using peat is a bit of a no-no for the environment.  The peat is mixed with either perlite or vermiculite.  Again both of these materials are non renewable volcanic and chemical products so I’ll be looking for more eco friendly alternatives eventually if all goes well. 

METHOD

The peat and perlite are mixed with cement and water is added until it’s like a mud pie. It’s that simple. The difficult bit is getting it to stick into place. I am using a few bowl shaped pots that get a lot wider at the top, a homemade mould of a square and an old milk carton cut in half just for good measure. The other method I’m using is to get a large (ish) terracotta pot, put a bit of the mix in the base and then put in a smaller pot. The sides are then filled by the mix and I’ll leave these to dry for a few days then tip out. I’m using bits of sticks in the bottom to keep a drainage hole and some trusty WD40 sprayed on the inside to hopefully act as a non stick layer so the hypertufa pots slide out.

That’s it. I think the peat will neutralise the lime from the cement and keep the pot ph neutral which will suit most plants. When I get the mix right I’ll try and put a pattern on the sides for the pots. There are different things I could use, dried leaves, stones, shells, wood chip or anything else with a bit of texture. For now though I’ll wait until they are nearly dry then give them a rub with a wire brush.

AMMONIA

One thing I have noticed id when I have made the mixture, it seems to give off ammonia gas. I’m not sure why this is and for once I can’t find the answers online

I’m hoping that the porous nature of these pots will allow moss to grow on them. It’ll give them that aged look. I will try putting some natural yogurt on one of them to see if that really does speed up the “aging process” The other thing I’ll do is make a mix of old beer and some moss then rub it onto the surface.

I’m not sure how strong they are going to be yet because it takes a while for them to set properly, I have speedily dried out a few bits on the radiator and they appear to be very crumbly. I think     I might need to add some sand, it’s very much trial and error.

It looks like there are loads of ways to make these pots and lots of ideas about planting and decorating. I’m going to have so much fun!

 I’ll keep you posted.

Time for Reflexion

It’s official; I’m the best gardener ever!

It’s time for a bit of reflection in the garden. I personally have seen big changes over the last twelve months because it was the first time I set about working on our new garden since moving into the house. I can hardly believe its two years since the move. In the first year I just watched things grow, I wanted to see what came up where before I dived in with the spade and dug everything up. I needn’t have bothered waiting as it turned out because the only surprises (if you can call them that) were mountains of wild garlic, rampant crocosmia and broken glass from an old greenhouse. 

Good ideas

The time I took staring apparently aimlessly at the garden paid off though and I had a good idea what I wanted to do by the time I snapped out of my trance.

 I needed to keep a large area for the dogs to run around in. It seemed more logical to fence off an area for the tunnel and veggie patch than to keep the dogs fenced in. It worked well as the top of the garden is dog free and they don’t feel penned in, I do sometimes but that’s the price I pay for keeping the area doggy mess free.  

Clearing

The patch I set aside for the polytunnel and veggies was totally overgrown with rhododendron, self set sycamore trees and the bulbs as well as the glass so I had to sieve the whole lot to be sure to get everything out. It took a few weeks with my hand held sieve in the early months but it was very meditative and enjoyable and well worth it.  It gave me a good start with the crops and especially in preparing the ground for the tunnel. 

Just in Time

It wasn’t long before the tunnel was up and full of seedlings, I just got it set up in time for the start of the growing season.  The tunnel served us well and there wasn’t really a time when the ground wasn’t producing something delicious. I learnt this year that if you are growing brassicas in a polytunnel, put up netting to stop the cabbage whites getting in. I was left with just the stalks of broccoli and kale this year. It was fun to see the butterflies floating around at first but the caterpillars can really put away the greenery!

Highlight

One of my highlights of the year for me was getting the van load of vintage Carley’s Bridge terracotta pots delivered to my door.  I have enjoyed planting the pots up, putting them into the garden as ornaments (the broken ones) and selling them to other people who enjoy beautiful, rustic handmade clay. 

I have sold the pots to gardeners as far afield as California and talked to some serious plant growers who find them just the thing to grow specialist plants in such as auriculas.  I don’t have many intact ones left, just a few for anyone interested, but I have hundreds of cracked and chipped pots and although they would be unsuitable for selling I will get years worth of pleasure out of them as it’s the imperfections that make them interesting, they will still hold a plant and if you turn them the right way you can’t see the chips. I like to think that with these types of pots things live ON them as well as IN them. 

Ringweeder

I also enjoyed the Ringweeder Kickstarter project set up by Vincent Suozzi in New York. Vincent developed a device that fits on the index finger to help weeding and the idea has really taken off and has over 800 backers. Vincent has posted out one of them for me to trial along with a handy pouch and a pair of Ringweeder gloves. If it works well I might take on selling them in place of the terracotta pots.

My ultimate highlight of the end of the year must be the gift I received. At long last I have been recognised and its official I’m the “Best Gardener Ever!” It must be true because they’ve printed it on my mug! It’s definitely gone to me head...well lips.