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What’s hypertufa? Potting option shared at Sahara West Library

A crowd of people young and old filled seats at tables covering the multipurpose room at Sahara West Library on May 24 to make lightweight garden pots for their summer plants.

The pots were made of hypertufa — a mix of Portland cement, peat moss and perlite — which is an inexpensive alternative to storebought garden pots, said library programming specialist Anna Allred, who led the event along with her co-workers.

“For someone who’s an avid gardener, buying nice, durable, high-quality pots gets expensive,” Allred said. “One of the main benefits to me is you can buy the ingredients and produce a large quantity of them for the price you’d pay for one pot at the store. They’re durable and last for a long time.”

The hourlong event featured a step-by-step process in which attendees, using gloves, mixed the contents in a bowl and then, using molds of all sizes, formed the infrastructure of their pots.

They were then instructed to let the mold dry for a day or so, away from the sun so the molds wouldn’t crack, then to wash the pots with half-and-half water and vinegar. The mix washes away alkaline that could kill the plant, Allred said.

“I heard about it from the flyer in the lobby,” said attendee Susan Greene, 69. “I do a bit of gardening and so this was helpful in that way. It looked like something that wouldn’t be expensive to get into as a hobby or to put my plants in. The instructors were very good. I just wanted to try something new. It’s nice to get out and be around other people.”

Allred said the classes are part of a series; the next is set for July 26 at 2 p.m. at Sahara West Library.

Contact Mia Sims at msims@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0298. Follow @miasims___ on Twitter.

 

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