How About Hypertufa For HousePlants? It Works Inside!
Am I really getting this much into houseplants? It sure seems like I am. And I am getting more and more each year. If you watch any of the YouTube videos on my channel, you see that I have been shopping lately for the indoor houseplants.
So with my obsession with hypertufa, it would follow that I would involve my hypertufa too, right? So I am using hypertufa for houseplants!
Here this early in spring, I have not had as much of a chance to make hypertufa pots as I had in earlier years. The outdoor setup for the faucet is fine during the warm summer days, but not here at the new house in winter. For whatever reason, the outdoor faucet in off the deck but not accessible via a stairway or steps.
It would be so much trouble to make my way across the deck and down the steps, walk around to the faucet, hook up a hose, then back on the deck to do the cleaning of my cement-covered equipment. Can’t leave the hose out in freezing temps. So it involves trucking back out and unhooking the hose again.
Too much work, too icy and dangerous on icy steps, ain’t doing it!
Yes, I did get the Garden Hose Quick Connect and it is so nice to use. I just don’t have the agility that I used to have to screw on those connections anymore and this makes it so much easier.
Here during the warm season, I have a short 15′ hose to drag in and out until we get consistent above-freezing temperatures. But until then, I need to disconnect and bring it inside. So not easy. ( Still doing it though, I have new ones to show in a video soon.)
Cleaning Up Old Hypertufa For Houseplants
In order to have some planters for my houseplants, I have gone outside and chosen a few smaller hypertufa pots to bring inside. I chose a few that were sparsely planted and just eased the remains of the succulents growing off into the beds.
I wanted to clean these well so I wouldn’t carry any critters, eggs, etc into the house. So far so good. A few still have minor moss growth, but I don’t mind that.
I soaked them in a tub of water to rinse all soil off and clean out the holes. Most of these pots are 5+ years old, and they are not any of those that have had a “crumbly sand” problem. So I am moving forward to get these planted up with houseplants.
I have already planted the smaller yogurt size planter and that long one made from a Velveeta cheese box will be next. Just wait and see that one!
This hypertufa for houseplants should work because, since I work mostly with succulent-type plants, the porosity of the hypertufa will keep me from over-watering and therefore rotting the roots. It seems to me that I am a “Hovering Plant Mommy” who wants to water all the time and indoors the plants could easily get over-watered. Hypertufa may help in that situation. I can already notice that those small hypertufa pots dry out quickly.
I’ve chosen the Blue Chalksticks for this planting. It won’t be my first houseplant in hypertufa since I have already planted a few tiny ones, but it will be my first larger plant. This pot of Blue Chalksticks was one I got for $5 in a recent Plant Shopping trip with my daughter. It was a great deal so I snagged that one quickly.
New Starts in Hypertufa Too
I have some matting plants that I am planting up shortly since they seem to be lost in the tray they are currently rooting inside. It appears they look too much like the soil itself so I can fix that. Hopefully it will grow quickly.
These plants in the long hypertufa pot ( I used a Velveeta box for the mold) are some Pilea glauca and some Sedum makinoi Ogon. Not very bright gold at the moment, is it? But hopefully since these plants are mat/cascade plants, I can get a great look really quickly.
I will show you my newest hypertufa pots shortly. One of them I made especially for my new Aloe plant. I can’t wait for you to see it. Here’s the link below!
Hypertufa Pot Designs for my Houseplants https://www.thehypertufagardener.com/hypertufa-pot-designs/
I have been a long time subscriber, and I was wondering if you could show how you set up your indoor pants with your lights and the type of lights for winter. I think you live in Ohio too. I live in the southern part of Ohio. I have tried and tried to bring alot of my plants into the house (the basement) but Have not had great luck. They haven’t done real bad just not great….. also tried starting plants there, but they get scraggy and leggy then most wilt or die. You may have some of this in your old post and if that is so please direct me and thank you for your time! I also have some plants wish list and the golden pothos ? was one and I did recently get one too? Thank you again for all your help and info…really really appreciate it, just shows you old dogs can learn new tricks. Ha Ha! I am a seasoned gardener and flower person and have been since I was younger than my teens. Used to transplant all of mother’s house plants when l live at home. Something we shared and I treasure!! Thank you again !!!
Hi Frances, Thanks for visiting. I really don’t have anything special in the basement. Right now my grow lights are LED lights with 6000 lumens. I haven’t bought any special “plant lights” since these less expensive ones seem to work. ($25 set). I just bought 3 more lights since I brought in a new set of shelves. LED lights are cool, not hot, and can hang from a small link chain to let them above plants that need more or less intense light. You know, this needs a whole new blog post. I will need to work on that. Thanks for the idea. Here is some info on my set up. https://www.thehypertufagardener.com/overwintering-houseplants-in-my-basement/