Instructions

1

Choose your shape. Bowls, buckets, boxes and even plastic bags can be easily used as molds for your hypertufa. For a larger pot you'll need two molds of about the same size, though if you're using a box with straight sides, your second box will need to be about two inches smaller in overall dimensions.
2

Prepare your mold. Lay a large piece of plastic on the floor, and then set your container on top of it. Coat the inside of the container with oil. If your outside container is made out of a flimsy material, you'll need to be prepared to reinforce it as you add your hypertufa mixture. This can be done with packing tape or by setting bricks or other heavy objects beside it for support.
3

Make the hypertufa mixture. The mixture is made with one to two parts peat, one part sand and one part cement. Add water until you have a good "mud pie" consistency.
4

Add the mud. Place a layer of the hypertufa mixture in the bottom of your container, lay wire netting on top of it to reinforce it and add some more of the mixture. For smaller containers, you want your mud to be about two inches thick and a bit thicker for larger containers.
5

Make drainage holes. Insert several thick wooden dowels through the mud and netting to allow water to drain through the finished pot. Leave them in while the pot dries.
6

Build the walls. Oil the outside of the second container and place it into the first one. Fill the empty space between the two containers with the mixture, tamping it down as you go. To prevent the inside container from bowing inward, you can fill it with sand. Cover the hypertufa with plastic, secure it firmly and leave it alone for a day or so.
7

Remove the inside mold. Without lifting or shifting the pot, carefully remove the container that was on the inside of the pot and also the wooden dowels.
8

Allow the hypertufa to dry. Cover it again with the plastic, and don't move it for about a week. When it's completely dry, you can dismantle the outside container in whatever way you need to.
9

Roughen it up. You want your hypertufa to have a weathered, aged appearance. Use a wire brush to round the corners and edges and add scratches, nicks, and a rougher texture overall.
10

Encourage the moss to grow. You can speed up the process of having moss grow on your hypertufa pot by painting the surface with an organic material, such as liquid manure, milk, or yogurt. Your hypertufa is now ready to be planted.