polystyrene hypertufa troughs

You need

PVA glue, sand, cement, peat in some form, water, pointing trowel and a breeze block

Mix
3 parts sand - I use any type
3 parts multipurpose compost or similar. The one I use has composted shredded wood which will reinforce the mix
2 parts cement

Cover the fish boxes with PVA glue before mixing the hypertufa - 4 sides, base and partly down the inside. For some extra grip try sprinkling some grit on the outside of the boxes

Mix the hypertufa mix. Add some PVA to the water and mix it in. The final mix has to slightly wet so when you squeeze a hand full water comes out. Too dry and you can build with it.

Lay down a plastic sheet and mark around the base of the fish box. Within this rectangle put down about 2cm of the mix and flatten it with the poiting trowel. Set down the fish box and place a breeze block inside. This will hold the box down while you build the sides. start building the sides from the bottom up. Only do about 3 inches 8cm up at a time. Use the pointing trowel to push the mix against the box. Keep going until you reach the top. Fingers crossed a side wont collapse as you work your way up. The top edge needs a couple of cm of the hypertufa placed on top. The tricky part now is to start going down the iside of the box. You need to go down at least 3 inches 8 cm. By doing this any settling of you planting mix will not show the white polystyrene. Use as much as possible around the top edge so in bulges inward. You dont want the angled sides of the box to be obvious. Using two hands side by side work your way around the top edge. This will help hide any joins

Good luck!

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• gardening
• troughs
• hypertufa

[sandersii]

if you add more cement they would be stronger

[VeeFromSpicy]

I would like to know if I turned these "square pots" upside down, and used them as plant stands, would they / it support the weight of a 20" flower pot/container, probably weighing 20 Lbs +???

[rachaeljanenz]

lol whaaaaaaaat hahahhaha cooool man