Types of Planting Tables

Planting tables, also known as potting tables, are essential tools for the home gardener. Whether you want to prepare plants and flowers for your exterior deck, patio or lawn or simply want to prepare plants and flowers for arrangements to bring indoors, a potting table will make all your gardening endeavors easy to achieve. Does this Spark an idea?

Function

The main purpose of the planting table is to allow the home gardener to prepare and pot flowers and plants for installation in the garden, terrace or other areas around the home. Planting tables are also used to prepare plants and flowers for use indoors. These tables are usually made of wood or a combination of wood, stone or metal.

Features

A good planting table will have a moderately long surface upon which to place plants, potting soil, fertilizers, watering cans and other accessories when working. Four legs make for a sturdy table, but that is not a hard and fast rule. Drawers are especially handy in a planting table as they allow the gardener to store and organize items such as string, pruning shears, small shovels and other implements. Some potting table tops are simple slabs of wood, while others can be made of stone or lined with a watertight metal, such as zinc. A table top design which features a deep trough is especially useful when lined with a watertight material such as zinc as it will freely allow the gardener to use a variety of potting soils, fertilizers and water while containing the potentially muddy effects from potting plants and flowers. The main consideration is that the surface of the table should be able to accommodate the weight of heavy plants and garden soil bags along with the ability to withstand water without warping. A good planting table will be relatively heavy for its size so that it does not move when large objects are placed upon it.

Sizes

Planting tables in a commercial nursery operation can be very long, while those meant for home use tend to be smaller. The size of the one you choose will naturally depend on the amount of space available in your home, mudroom, garage, terrace or patio. The successful potting table will be sufficient in height to allow the user to easily lift heavy bags of soils and plants onto the surface without back strain and without having to do excessive bending and reaching over the table. The width of the table can likewise vary but an ideal width is usually no more than 3 feet so that all the plants and other materials can be easily reached.

Metal Linings

In general, the most useful potting tables have tops which are trough-shaped, usually about 12 to 18 inches deep, and lined with a watertight metal, such as zinc. Watertight metal tops are lighter in weight than stone tops and can be more easily moved should the need arise. A deep top design is also practical since it allows the soils and water to be contained within the trough and makes for easy clean-up.

Sources

Garden supply shops, flower shops, nurseries, various on-line resources and even some antiques shops carry potting tables. Be sure to make accurate measurements before purchasing and ensure that you can handle the weight of the table should you have to move it after you have prepared all your plants and flowers for your home or garden.