Right now a wooden potting table which I bought for a fair amount of money a number of years ago (I honestly can't remember when, I would say prob. at least 7 years ago) is a pile of rotting wood by the trash..... Are there any potting or other yard tables that members have found to be durable and good value for money?

Hetty I use a sheet of half inch plywood on a fiber glass table frame as my potting table and it has been serving me well for the last 12 years. I didn't put any preservative on it or paint it. What I do though, is never let anything sit directly on it when I'm not using it and after I do use it I always brush off any soil that may be on it. On the occasion I do have to leave something on it I always sit it on a wire rack so there is air circulation underneath. I even brush off leaves and pine needles regularly. There is not one speck of rot on it anywhere. As long as it can dry out completely it should last a long time. The underside actually looks brand new so I might flip it in a year or so.

You could use wood and paint it with marine varnish.

Hetty, did you see this article? Maybe it will be useful for you.

http://garden.org/ideas/view/E...

Thank you both for the input. Things do sit on the table so a sheet of plywood is not really an option.

I think I may need to replace it with a metal table and I have seen cook's prep tables on Craigslist from time to time, they are stainless steel so should hold up in the elements.

Good idea, Hetty--easy to clean and no rust.

Hetty - When I got rid of the granite from the kitchen I thought it would be ideal for the top of my potting table. Wrong! It looks great and it's nice when the temperature is moderate or it would be good in shade...but the sun heats up the granite (as it would the stainless steel) that it makes it unusable for hours at a time.








An umbrella is useful and does help but it manages to be in the wrong spot all the time and has to be moved to avoid the sun.

Does it have to be rectangular or square? I use one of those round metal mesh outdoor tables that I got at Walmart.

Good to know and yes, here in Florida I could probably fry eggs on a stainless steel top in the sun!
OK back to the drawing board again.

woofie we posted at the same time. A metal mesh top would be fine and I prefer rectangular but I bet there are rectangular mesh tables available too. I'll be on the lookout.

Here's one:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ham...

They are great, probably the best. I have an oval one for surplus plants, also in the area with the potting bench, and I love it. No worries about it being or getting too hot, perfect drainage for watering plants, and the hole in the middle for an those times when we go through hot spells.

The height is ideal for working with plants.

I'll be keeping an eye out at yard sales....

Ours was bought in 1998 as part of a dining set but was too small. It's ideal for pots.

I have a large oval patio table that once belonged to my former boss. The tempered glass top doesn't get too terribly hot, but I think something like that mesh top would work better.

I really like the mesh top idea. I too will be watching yard sales, Goodwill, and such for one.
Thank you for the idea.

Check Wal-mart, too. They sometimes have them for a reasonable price.