Making a stone planter, anyone tried?

twopenny

I have one and a bird bath. I'd like to make some largish or square pots but I don't know what to use or where to begin.

Searches bring up planters made of stones. Or using concrete which I thought plant roots don't like.

It's what to use is my biggest problem. I could work out moulds from plastic pots I think.

I would splash out on the real deal but I found they were a) over fancy b) frightening price. Now it seems the second hand ones are rare as hens teeth due to the gardening boom and the prices have risen in accordance if you do spot one.

Any thoughts gratefully received.

Martin_the_Unjust

Have you thought about making them out of clay?

twopenny

Well I could, experienced there, but I couldn't move or store a bag of clay big enough, don't have anywhere to work with it. It would need rolling or coiling, kept cool and eventually fired twice in a large kiln. I sold mine some time ago.

Would love to give it a try if I had the facilities, I could decorate it too.

But it's an envigorating idea.

Besides, I need something to match the stone/cement items I have or nad.

Martin_the_Unjust

hmmmmm if you couldn’t move a bag of clay big enough to make your pots how you going to manage enough concrete or whatever.

I was thinking more about air dried clay planters rather than kiln fired and I’m pretty sure that if you added the right colouring you could get a decent match to existing.

twopenny

I can put the concrete into air tight boxes a half bucket at a time which I do with postcrete. Ways and means and I can work with it on a tarpaulin outside. Clay needs to be worked before moulding, rolled. It would need a large solid area to get it the right size and shape.

Air dry clay isn't waterproof and looking out of the window at the moment that would be a problem.

It would also be expensive for the size of pot I'm thinking of. I do know the product and it wouldn't dry like stone. If you added agregate it would fall to pieces.

It's a great way to do modeling and small indoor pots around a plastic one.

With something more liquid you can use 2 pots, one smaller than the other to make a mould. Only have to mix the dry, relatively light and pour or paste. I'd plaster it to a plastic pot but then it cracks.

Love working with clay but this project is bigger than I could do.

cheerfulcat

I’ve made planters from hypertufa https://www.theallotmentgarden.co.uk/hypertufa-stone-trough/. They look the part; after a year or so you wouldn’t think that they were concrete based. The plants seem happy enough.

twopenny

I saw a programme about how that stuff was first used and it's still there. Facinating, always wondered if I'd try it. That might be just the job.I

I got the impression it was something you buy or a magic ingredient but that link is useful. Love playing with mixing and squidgy things. Also the bit about the bricks, makes sense.

Thanks Cheerfulcat. I'll investigate more and explore the ingredients. A project for when the sun comes out, when!

I was thinking about Martins clay idea. There is lots of clay on the beach that we used to make stuff with. Trouble is it's grey. And I guess there's more too it.

Farway

cheerfulcat said:

I’ve made planters from hypertufa https://www.theallotmentgarden.co.uk/hypertufa-stone-trough/. They look the part; after a year or so you wouldn’t think that they were concrete based. The plants seem happy enough.

Back when this was new it was peat & cement mix, no doubt alternatives would work

However to speed up the "aging" they were painted with  plain yoghurt thinned with milk.

twopenny

Farway, I've done that and it works well.

Good to know that on a mix like this that is the same.