How to Make Hypertufa Look Old

Give Your Rustic Creation an Aged Look

The weathering process of rock, stone and hypertufa all create a similar patina – darkening, moss encroachment, or if you’re lucky the growth of lichen all combine to give the look of age to items made with these materials.

You can hasten the look of weathering on your rustic garden art by applying some simple sprays to encourage the moss and lichen to grow.

Here’s How to Make Hypertufa or Rock Look Old:

• Boil rice in water, and strain off the water. Once it's cooled, you can spray this on the rock or hypertufa, and the glutinous mixture will allow the spores of moss to stick to it and give it a start to grow on. After it's established, the moss will continue growing on the hypertufa.

• Make manure tea using sheep manure or other ruminant; this will do the same thing, and is a little more unpleasant to use.

• Buttermilk, either as powder form or liquid mixed with water and sprayed will give nutrients to already established moss and lichen, boosting its growth.

• Mix yogurt (the live strain) with water to dilute it and spray your hypertufa creation.

• If you have some moss around, break up a few pieces in water and let it sit for a day or two (if you have an old blender that you don’t mind donating to the cause, use that to make a slurry). Paint the mixture on wherever you want moss to grow.

Keep the item in shade if possible, and spray with plain water in really dry times, and you’ll quickly see the sheen of green which is tiny little moss plants colonizing it.

Try these simple ways to get the weathering process started with your hypertufa projects and rustic garden art, rock benches or stone lanterns, making them look old, even if they’re not.