How to Build an Outdoor Potting Table

This sturdy outdoor potting table has a large working surface, so you can keep everything you need right at your fingertips. The upper shelf is handy for keeping gloves, tools and extra pots ready for use. You can store a plastic tub for mixing materials, your watering can, bags of soil and other large objects on the lower shelf.

Things You'll Need

• One 1 by 4 foot sheet of plywood 1/2-inch thick
• Two 2 by 4 foot sheets of plywood 1/2-inch thick
• Two 4 by 4 inch posts 8 feet long
• Eight 2 by 4 inch studs 8 feet long for making frames
• One 4 by 8 foot section of lattice
• Fourteen 3 1/2 by 5/16 inch hex head lag bolts
• Twenty-four 2 1/2 inch deck screws (plus a few extras )
• Forty-two 1 1/2-inch deck screws (plus a few extras)

Instructions

1. Use 2 by 4 inch studs to assemble a 1 by 4 foot frame for the top shelf and a 2 by 4 foot frame for the working surface. At each corner, use two 2 1/2-inch deck screws.

2. Attach plywood to the top of the frame that is the same size. Use 1 1/2-inch deck screws, spaced evenly.

3. Cut each 4 by 4 inch post into two segments: one 3-foot section and one 5-foot section.

4. Use bolts to attach the 3-foot posts to the bottom inside corners of the working surface of the potting table. These are the front legs of the table. Use one bolt on the front and one on the side.

5. Fit the frame of the upper shelf over the top of the 5-foot posts so that the shelf extends over the working surface. Use bolts to attach the upper shelf to the top of the posts. Use one bolt on the front and one on the side of the frame. This will give you strength in two dimensions.

6. Bolt the back of the working surface frame to the 5-foot posts at a height even with the front legs. This action forms the back of the potting table, including the rear legs.

7. Assemble the bottom shelf, with frame and plywood, to fit the inside dimensions within the 3-foot and 5-foot posts. This shelf will be approximately 18 inches by 4 feet. Bolt the bottom shelf to the front and rear legs.

8. Cut the lattice to fit the area behind the two back posts of the potting table. Attach it to the posts with 1-inch deck screws.

9. Sand all surfaces except the lattice. Finish all surfaces of your potting table with three coats of exterior deck stain/sealing paint.

Tips & Warnings

• To bolt two pieces of the wood together, mark the point where they will be joined. Using a 1/4-inch bit, drill a hole through the narrower piece and approximately 2 inches into the deeper piece of wood. Screw the lag bolt through the first and as deeply as possible into the second.

Resources

• Use plantideas.com for tips on transfer plants to new pots.
• Gardening-articles.com offers plans for another outdoor potting bench..