There is a procedure for correctly combining
your hypertufa recipe's ingredients.

There is no sense in making mistakes during the mixing process. As with most things in life, we certainly can learn from others mishaps. I truly want you to avoid unnecessary guesswork so that your 'tufa garden art project turns out a success.

So, that being said, let me share some important guidelines to follow.

To give you an idea of "how much hypertufa does it take to make a …?"    Alright, here is a loose rule-of-thumb:

• 30 lbs. of Portland cement
• 1 cubic foot compressed peat moss
• and 1.5 cubic feet of perlite

should yield enough mixture to make an 8-inch x 12-inch x 12-inch trough.

If you're mixing up a large quantity of one of these hypertufa recipes, divide the mixture into smaller batches to make it easier to blend.

Measure the dry ingredients into a large container such as a wheelbarrow. Use a shovel, concrete trowel, garden hand trowel or similar for mixing.

Make sure all ingredients are thoroughly blended before adding water. Mix and blend more than you think you need to!

Add The Water Slowly ... You Can Always Add More

How do you know what is enough or not enough water? There is a pretty good test you can do and I'll get to that in a second. I just want to mention this for your benefit:

There are many variables that will affect the amount of water needed for each hypertufa recipe. It might be that the peat moss you're using on a current project is much drier than what you used on a previous project. The humidity may be much lower/higher than the last time you did a project.

The APPROXIMATE amount of water needed MAY or MAY NOT be 1 to 1-1/2 parts water (in relation to the dry ingredients "parts"). Be on the safe side, slowly add your water to your thoroughly blended dry mix. Add water until you have a damp mixture. One that is not crumbly but also not oozing with water.

Next, take a 10 minute break from the whole mixing process. Let the water "soak in" a bit. This is an invaluable suggestion ... so do it!

After your 10 minute break, begin to blend and stir everything again. Make sure your hypertufa recipe is equally moistened.

Test your mixture for the proper consistency by taking a handful of mix. Squeeze it into a ball that will hold together when you open your hand. A little bit of water can slightly ooze between your fingers.Remember that this mixture must be able to cling to your mold and stay put and not start sagging.

<<  Previous Page: Basic Hypertufa Recipes

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