Why Would You Want To Make A Hypertufa Planter?

Hypertufa pots vs Cement pots

Which is the best outdoor garden planter for your needs? I certainly would vote to make a hypertufa planter or pots, but then, I am not exactly an unbiased person to ask that question. But I cannot resist the look of ancient stone!

I love hypertufa pots. I really do. But I have a lot of reasons why I think they are the best outdoor planter of choice.

Unique or Custom

Each hypertufa pot made is different. Even if you make one from the same mold used previously, it will have just a little difference because of your mixture and how your hands mold it.

The thickness may vary by an amount that makes your new pot entirely unique. It is custom made for you.

Weight

The weight and thus its portability factor is one of the prime reasons to make a hypertufa planter. They are lighter than cement pots in comparison. Hypertufa can be heavy, especially the very large ones, but compared to one made of cement, the weight is less. This helps when placing the garden planters around and among your flowers and shrubs, or even when you use it as a landscape planter.

I have used a large round hypertufa planter in my front landscape just because I can place it there, and move it again when I want to showcase another area. Don’t get me wrong, though. The large hypertufa is heavy and you will need a couple of guys to help move it. But if it were made from straight cement, it would probably take a Fork Lift.

Texture

The texture on the surface of your hypertufa pots can be whatever you may desire. I like to scrape some of mine with metal tools and brushes to make horizontal lines resembling the layers in the earth’s crust. This mimics the look of ancient stone and age that I really like. But I also use the same tool to scratch the surface in the vague outline of trees, or an outline of stacked stone.

I have even used a dremel to carve a design on the outside, so the sky is the limit on how you can personalize yours. 

Using a basket as a mold will give your garden planter a great basket-weave imprint on its exterior which looks great in your assortment of planters. I have a basket-weave design on my largest hypertufa planter made so far.

Expense

Have you seen the price on a cement container lately? They are really amazingly expensive. You may decide that it would be perfect to have a 3 foot diameter round dish for a certain area in your garden, but when you look at prices which can be from anywhere from $250 – $500 and up, it really would put a big dent in your gardening budget for the year.

Solution: Make your own!

I am completely serious when I say you can easily make the same pot for one tenth the price!  And probably a lot less. I am all about saving money.

Extreme Temperatures

Hypertufa pots and troughs made with a thick bottom and sides are perfectly suited to withstand freezing temperatures. I have several that I have made as far back as eight to ten years old, and they are as nice as they were when they came out of the mold.

Except in most cases, those old ones have moss and lichens growing on them too!  Lovin’ it!

Don’t be afraid of the hypertufa planters lasting through winter weather. I have some cement urns that crumbled years ago from the frost/freeze cycle, and the hypertufa pots made at the same time are…………perfection!

So try hypertufa when you want a custom-made garden planter to fit a certain spot in your garden, or when you need a personalized trough perhaps with someones initials, and some back porch hypertufa pots labeled: “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme.”

What do you think about the advantages of hypertufa? Please let me know in the comments or join our Facebook group and show me your creations too!