How to Make Peat Moss Flower Pots
Making your own peat moss flower pots can save money, and gives you the opportunity to customize the shape and size of your flower pots. The nutrients in peat moss and other ingredients needed to make these pots will slowly seep into the soil and get your plants thriving until you transplant them. Once the pots have cured, they can be surprisingly durable and should last you for years to come. Save money on commercial flower pots and make your own right at home.
Decide on the type of flower pot you want to make. The standard recipe uses equal parts of sand, peat moss, and Portland cement. For a smoother finish, use 1 part Portland cement, 1.5 parts sand, and 1.5 parts peat moss. For a lighter flower pot, use equal parts Portland cement, peat moss, perlite, and Fibermesh. To make a flower pot with a sparkly finish, use equal parts Portland cement, peat moss, and vermiculite.
- Making your own peat moss flower pots can save money, and gives you the opportunity to customize the shape and size of your flower pots.
- For a lighter flower pot, use equal parts Portland cement, peat moss, perlite, and Fibermesh.
Mix the ingredients for the flower pot in a bucket or wheelbarrow. Gradually add water while mixing with a shovel until the ingredients reach a soft clay consistency and are well-incorporated. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes after you first add water, then mix to let the peat moss absorb the water. Stir again, and, if necessary, add more water to reach a soft clay consistency again.
Wrap the outside of your molds with garbage bags. You can use any bowl-shaped object or flower pot to shape your flower pots, but you can be creative and use any shape you'd like. Scoop out a small amount of the mixture, and press it onto your mold, starting at the bottom and working your way up. Take your time, because the mixture, no matter which recipe you use, takes a very long time to dry and set. For small pots, spread a 3/4-inch layer of the mixture on the mold. For large pots, spread up to a 2-inch layer on the mold.
- Mix the ingredients for the flower pot in a bucket or wheelbarrow.
- For small pots, spread a 3/4-inch layer of the mixture on the mold.
Use a trowel to smooth the mixture and blend any seams into each other. Make the bottom of the pot as flat as you can using the trowel. You can also use lumber to flatten the bottom and smooth the sides. Let the pot set for 24 hours.
Lift the flower pot off your mold, and pull the garbage bag out of the pot. If desired, add texture to the outside of the pot using a wire brush, or leave it as is. If you need to, reshape the bottom so the pot is evenly balanced. Let the pot sit another four to six weeks until fully dry and set.
- Use a trowel to smooth the mixture and blend any seams into each other.
- If you need to, reshape the bottom so the pot is evenly balanced.
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Writer Bio
Jarrett Melendez is a journalist, playwright and novelist who has been writing for more than seven years. His first published work was a play titled, "Oh, Grow Up!" which he wrote and performed with a group of his classmates in 2002.
