Gardening can be laborious, back-breaking work. Get away from the sun and up out of the dirt with your very own cedar potting bench. This sturdy yet simple workspace puts the ease of professional gardening at your fingertips. Building your own bench allows you to have control over the size and design specifications. In this way, you can build the right bench to fit in your outdoor living space, with your specific needs in mind. Many people prefer to buy a cedar potting bench, because they are not as picky and most benches come with a very affordable price tag. In this case, the following should be considerations, a sort of basic buying guide before hitting the store. Here, for the buyer and the DIY builder are the main features that make up these potting tables.
Cedar can't be beat
Unlike resin potting tables, which can warp in the heat and get scratched, or metal potting benches which are heavy and hot to the touch, wood is the way to go. A cedar potting bench in particular has some unbeatable qualities that even other varieties of timber can't match. Cedar in its many forms, including white cedar and western red cedar, is a durable hardwood whose use in outdoor furniture construction is unsurpassed. The lumber is durable, so there is less chance of splitting, cracking and rotting of the wood. This means there will also be less maintenance, especially long-term. It's also a beautifully colored wood with a naturally fragrant aroma. Finally, the tannins produced by cedar wood act to naturally repel insects, like fleas and moths, so there is less chance of infestation.
Framework
A typical cedar potting bench consists of a main table and lower shelf, connected by a backboard which extends above the tabletop. The purpose of which is to easily complete horticultural tasks and store one's tools.
Workspace
The table of a cedar potting bench is where all of the proverbial magic happens; in other words, this is where the work gets done. These tables sit significantly higher than normal tables because the idea is that you will be working while standing up. Sitting down or having to bend over can be painful on one back. Prolonged activity might even lead to long-term lumbar problems. The surface of the table needs to be flush and even, with either a single piece of wood or closely fitted beams, so that no soil is lost while working. There is usually a lipped edge along all sides of the table that is also designed to catch any loose soil.
Storing Options
After you've finished working, there's the task of storing all of your tools and gadgets. You could put them in the shed or the garage, but then that would defeat the purpose of having a convenient workspace, a veritable one stop gardening shop. The tools of your trade may include, but are certainly not limited to the following: hand shovels, hoes, fertilizers, extra pots, work gloves. All of the different equipment comes in many shapes and sizes, so it's best to mix up your storage options so you can fit everything. As far as shelves go, stick to one lower shelf beneath the tabletop. That way you still have room for your legs and won't worry about kicking anything or banging a shin. Above the table, you can have multiple shelving units, cubbies, or whatever suits your fancy. You can also attach a latticework or pegboard to the back of your potting bench. This is a nice feature that keeps tools at hand's length, but out of the way. Plus, you can hang taller tools and oblong tools that don't otherwise fit on shelves.
Soil
The storing of soil is a separate category altogether when it comes to a cedar potting bench because of its special needs. Obviously, you will want to keep some soil nearby, as that is one of the main considerations that go into potting a plant. A lot of potting tables, in addition to shelving, have slide out or drop down compartments for keeping loose soil. If you have a simpler model or build your own table, you might choose to keep your soil separately from the bench. If that's the case, the main thing to remember either way about storing soil is that it needs to be kept in a cool, dark place with minimal moisture and ventilation.
Tonya Kerniva is an experienced research and free lance writing professional. She writes actively about Cedar Potting Bench and Potting Benches.
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