NARGS Emerald Chapter

Basic Trough Mix for Hypertufa:

• 1.5 parts fine peat (may substitute coconut fiber)
• 1.5 parts perlite (may substitute sand or cinder)
• 1 part Portland cement, regular (don’t use concrete)

Directions:
To prepare peat, sift it through a screen or mesh. For coconut fiber soak in water until the bale falls apart. Put 1.5 buckets of peat or coconut fiber into a wheelbarrow or other large container. Make sure all lumps are separated. Add perlite, sand or cinder and mix thoroughly. Add 1 bucket of Portland cement. It’s a good idea to have a dust mask on for this and gloves so you don’t get the cement on your bare hands. Add water slowly and mix until it is stiff and holds together, and has a consistency about like cookie dough or cottage cheese. You should be able to squeeze a handful and just barely get a drop of water out.

part of Siskiyou chapter member Kathy Allen's amazing collection of troughs

Mold into a plastic-lined box or other container, making walls and bottom 1-1/2 to 2 inches thick. Punch drain holes in the bottom with your finger or a tool. When firm, one or two days later, remove from box and plastic, carve to your satisfaction, and, if desired, moisten and then coat outside with dry Portland Cement to create a smooth appearance. Trough may be planted as early as one week.

For a more freeform shape, make a mold by digging a bowl shape in hard-packed wet sand or by making a mound of wet sand using bricks or hard objects underneath if necessary to build it up. Put your hypertufa directly in or on your sand mold, taking care to make sure your wall thickness is adequate.

Basic Trough Soil Mix:

• 2 parts Sand
• 1 part Peat
• 2 parts Pumice

Mix. Add granite grit or red pumice rock for a courser mix, leaf mold or more peat for a softer, more acid mix. Cover planted trough with a mulch of granite grit, small gravel, or cinder