Cement pot Question.

Around here, I don't really have access to bonsai pots - small town - can only obtain once I go to a city. There is a technique I want to use to make simple cement pots. If the drainage holes are big enough, do you think I will get years of service out of them? I can only imagine that it will attract damp - perhaps coat it with some waterproof paint first?

You should look out for cement that can be used outside, in fact waterproof cement. This won't be porous and can easily be sealed further with glass fibre resin or koi pond sealer such as G4.





This was made with a metal frame and tile cement.

Wow.. They are beautiful. Exactly the kind I want to make!

Really nice pots!

john blanchard wrote:These were made with a metal frame and tile cement.

Not any kind of fiber and/or sand in the mixture?

No, just a wire framework covered with tile cement!

They will outlive you.  Frost is the concrete killer.  Use as much #3 sand as possible and pea gravel, too.  Cement is the glue that holds the aggregate together and the stone and sand is stronger than the Portland cement so you want as big a percentage as possible.  The best cure can be had by putting it wet in a plastic bag and leaving it in the sun for the first few days.  Never let it dry out during that period.  Most coatings will peel or flake off over time so sealing it may be problematic in the future.  You can buy powdered colorants that will shade it towards brown, dark grey, ~red, ~yellow, etc., blue and green are expensive and weak colors.  There is also a white cement to make brilliant white pots and are more easily colored than the standard gray.  Use 0000 silica (sand) for white cement.