Perhaps the roasting takes care of well, you know, the stuff we worry about in poop. No, I'm not interested in trying it. I suggest we send some to Washington DC though. Just don't tell them where it came from...

@Connie

If I'd been drinking coffee it would be all over my keyboard right now.
Way to go, Connie!!

I just couldn't help it!

pardalinum said:Perhaps the roasting takes care of well, you know, the stuff we worry about in poop. No, I'm not interested in trying it. I suggest we send some to Washington DC though. Just don't tell them where it came from...

Oh I would tell them where it came from .......and that's what I think of them !!!

Hello! My name is ReBecca. You all have me captivated. I have read ALL 18 pages and my eyes are bugged out. The only thing I have not bought is the Denver concrete stuff. Everything else I have sitting in my garage and I even have a table set up and a square bicycle basket to try my first two pots. Getting nervously excited. I think Friday is my starting date. I am fervently working on my front yard landscape and I want a few of these pots right outside my front door so I will be painting them...probably not as pretty as David's but one can dream!

On another note, can I ask a question since you all have so much flower experience? Is it a stupid idea to plant spring/summer bulbs under the fall lettuces? How about beside garlic/shallots? I am starting the soil prep for when I get my hypertufa pots completed so I can put these items in. Thanks!

Hi aslrebecca, and a great big to ATP. Glad you found your way here.

These containers are amazing. I have not made one yet, and don't know that I will get around to doing one, but I have sure enjoyed seeing what the others here have done.
Now I look forward to seeing yours when they are finished.
I can see no reason that planting spring/summer bulbs in your veggie containers. In fact I think that is a great idea.
Be sure to take beginning to end photos to share with us.

ReBecca

Hi aslrebecca Welcome to the fun. I cannot wait to see your creation. I have not done one yet but will before winter. I have been busy planting and working on so many other projects I not had time to get to this yet.

I do not think there would be any problem planting bulbs in your veggie garden. The only problem would be Tulips because they like to be dry after they bloom unless they are species.

From someone who had done these I suggest starting with a small project/small pieces of cloth to get the hang of it.
And one of the worst mistakes you can make is to have a mixture that is too runny - better to be a bit thick & have to add a bit of water than to make it too thin.

Good luck!!!!

Tulips? Crud. I just bought some of those. Oh well. I did buy others too, so will check it out when the morning comes.
On a good note, I went to Home Depot to buy the Portland cement tonight and the guy thought it funny I was trying to lift the only size bag they had (90 lb). The first bag busted, he was talking (I didn't hear him-hello!) so he came over and tapped me on the shoulder to offer help whilst I was on the second bag. Second bag had a torn corner so he grabbed a third bag and wrote FREE on the second bag for me. So now I have TWO bags of this cement.

Qwilter, can you give me the recipe and amounts please? So many websites, so many differing opinions. I have the cement, peat moss and vermiculite. 2:1:1 ratio or?

Thanks! I have to cook for the community tomorrow and that will be an all day job so I most likely will not get to experiment until Friday, but I am getting SO excited!

Okay, so once I get done with my first few, I am going to TRY and come up with something creative with this tufa and crabs (you know, crab cakes, etc). I have a project having to do with a crab shack down the road from our home and I can just feel it in my bones there must be SOMETHING I can do with this stuff. If YOU have an idea, throw it out here for me to mull over! Thanks!

NO peat..................this is not hypertuffa,

I use 3:1 portland:vermiculite - note a friend tried it with perlite & it was disaster.

The mix I use gives me 2 5-gal planters or 4 med size pots - 30c portland:10c vermiculite:~4qt water. I store my portland in the HD buckets with lids. 94lb bag fills 2 1/2 buckets.

Pre-wet the material you are using or you will constantly be adding more water to the mix. And you can't be in a hurry. The fabric needs to be massaged well & let to sit in the mix for a couple min then massage again. You really need to work the mix in.

I have a big shallow plastic tub I mix it in. I keep a hose nearby & when I'm done I hose me & my tub down, And you need the long, heavy rubber gloves.

Okay, this is dangerously messily addictive! I did not get to it yesterday as too much schoolwork had compiled into utter frustration. HOWEVER, this morn, I pushed EVERYTHING aside. Photos soon to come. I am starting small, I just can't start with one! Oh I am in trouble if this turns out well!

Okay, I started small, but then there was just so much cement left that it had to be put to use. It yelled at me to use it, so I made one big as well. I will most likely need to do a second coat/layer for this one, but tell me...does it look like I've done okay so far? They are all wrapped up in trash bags right now in the garage. I should mist them for a few days, right? GETTING SO EXCITED!

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Virginia those are going to be amazing. I will let those that have done this before answer your question about misting, and when to add another layer of cement.
I look forward to seeing the finished project.

Is that first one on the stacked spools as big as it looks ? How tall is that ?

My father passed away last month. My daughter has had his beach towel from years ago. It was ratty and so old. I had just enough cement to soak this beach towel in it. It is 26 inches tall....fingers crossed it will work.

If the mix is the consistency of cake batter, and you soaked & massaged well, you shouldn't need a 2nd coat.
VA should be humid enough that you don't need to mist. The folks in dry climates need to add the extra humidity.

Thanks Jean...but I do keep it in the trash bags for up to four days, right?