What is hypertufa? I must admit that I had no idea what hypertufa was until last summer. I really wanted to learn to make leaf castings and watched a few YouTube videos. I tried my hand at it with limited success. So, I started looking into concrete mixes. Hypertufa was added to my vocabulary then.
Hypertufa is basically a mix of portland cement, sphagnum moss, and vermiculite or perlite. It was developed for pseudo-rock troughs in Europe when the rock (tufa) became less available. Obviously, it is going to be lighter that the same thickness of cement. It takes several weeks or months to fully cure. It has the look of stone. It will take a freeze once fully cured.
I started playing more seriously with hypertufa in the fall. Right now, I have several pots of various sizes available at Creative Corner in Montrose, CO. I will be making some smaller 4-6 inch pots this spring with plans to put them on Etsy.
These are super fun to make and have a lot of the same benefits as terracotta, like breathability. They look stunning when they are planted with succulents but you can find a size for your houseplants, too. I am hoping to use them for some of my daylilies next year.
It’s not just the pots, either. I made these cactus sculptures to draw attention to my pots. I snowpeople for Christmas. I am planning on bird baths and houses this spring/summer. The possibilities are endless.
Please drop by Creative Corner at 344 E Main in Montrose, CO to look at the selection. There will be more as we get closer to planting season.
Art from the Hartt 