Free Potting Bench Plans

Over the years I've had a lot of people ask about building a potting bench, so I have decided to create this page with a set of FREE Potting Bench Plans, complete with photos and all.

This is the potting bench that we are going to build.  The girls in the photo are my lovely wife Pam, and her baby Ally. 

This potting bench is 48" wide and 24" deep.  It has a small shelf above the actual potting area.  This upper shelf is handy for storing empty pots, pruning shears, plants and other essentials.  It also has a lower shelf for keeping a stack of pots or anything else you might need in your potting area.

Click here to visit the freeplants.com 
home page.

Last spring we sold over $25,000. worth of our 
little plants right from our driveway in a
 matter of about six weeks!

Click here to see one of our plant sales, photos 
of our house, and our backyard nursery.

If you'd like a potting bench with a lot of class, you need to check out this potting bench:

Yes, this really is a potting bench,
and this beauty has it's very own
website.  Take a peek, you'll find it 
unique for sure!  http://shedhouse.com

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

Material list.  I used all pressure treated lumber, but that's up to you.

5- 2 by 4's, 8 feet long
2- 1 by 2's 8 feet long.
1 sheet of 3/4" treated plywood
15- 1-1/2" by 5/8" corner braces
4- 3" by 4" shelf brackets

These materials cost me $57.04.

Free Potting Bench Plans, Step #1.

Before you get started draw this out on paper before you cut any of your lumber to make sure I have not made any mistakes entering this information. 

Cut two 2 by 4's, 48" long, and two 2 by 4's, 21" long and make two frames that look like this:

The finished size of these frames should be 48" by 24" on the outside.

Free Potting Bench Plans, Step #2.

Cut 2 pieces of plywood 24" by 48".  On just one of the pieces of plywood mark out each corner 5.75" by 3.25" as shown on the left board in the photo below and cut out the notches.

The board on the left is the bottom shelf
of the potting bench and the board on the
right is the top of the potting bench.

Using screws or nails attach the top of the potting bench to one of the 24" by 48"  frames that you've assembled.  I used 1-5/8" wood screws.

Free Potting Bench Plans, Step #3.

Now cut four 2 by 4's, 34" long.  These are the potting bench legs.

Lay the other 24" by 48" frame that you've assembled on the floor, lay the 24" by 48" piece of plywood with the notched out corners on top of the frame. (do not attach it yet).  Now insert the legs into the openings in the notched out corners so the legs stand upright.  Keeping the legs standing upright is a little tricky, an extra set of hands comes in quite handy here.

Carefully set the top of the potting bench over the legs as shown above.

Making sure the legs are plumb and square with the top of the potting bench begin securing them one by one to the top of the potting bench.  I used 2-1/2" wood screws, and I drilled pilot holes through the 2 by 4's before starting the screws.  

I put two screws down through the top of the bench into each leg, then from the side of the bench I put two more screws through the 2 by 4 frame into each leg.  Once again, make sure the legs are at a 90 degree angle to the top of the bench in each direction.

Free Potting Bench Plans, Step #4.

Now raise the bottom shelf up, and prop it up with boards while you position and secure the 24" by 48" frame that will support the bottom shelf.

I propped the bottom shelf up with 2 by 4's
while I secured the frame that supports it.

The height of the bottom shelf isn't all that critical, so I just found two pieces of scrap wood to prop the frame up that made the bottom shelf about 10-3/4" off the floor.  

Once I had the frame in place I fastened it to the potting bench legs using 2-1/2" screws.  I drilled pilot holes first to make inserting the screws easier.  Once again, make sure the legs are plumb before fastening permanently.

Drop the bottom shelf down onto the support frame and fasten down with 1-5/8" wood screws.

Your potting bench should 
now look like this.

Free Potting Bench Plans, Step #5.

Now cut a piece of plywood 18" by 48".  This is the back of the potting bench.

Also cut a piece of plywood 6" by 46.5".  This is the top shelf.

To make the sides of the potting bench cut a piece of plywood 18" by 24".  Then draw a line diagonally across the piece of wood you just cut.  Then cut this board in half diagonally.  You should end up with two pieces of wood that look like this:

The horizontal dimension should be 24" and
 the vertical dimension should be 18".

Looking at the above photo measure over 18" from the right angle along the bottom edge of the board.  Using a square draw a line upward that is square with the bottom edge of the board.  The line will be approximately where you see the pencil taped to the wall in the above photo.

Now cut along this line.  Basically all you are doing is cutting the point off the triangle.

Complete this process for both of the side pieces.

Your finished side pieces should look 
like this.  Both sides of the right angle
should measure 18".

Free Potting Bench Plans, Step #6.

Now locate the piece of plywood that you cut 18" by 48", which is the back of the potting bench.  Decide which side of this board you would like to be the inside of your potting bench and measure down 5" from the top and drawn a line along the 48" side of this board.  This is where the top shelf is going to be mounted.

Now locate the piece of plywood that you cut 6" by 46.5".  This is the top shelf of the potting bench.  Cut a piece of 1 by 2,  46.5" long.  Mount this piece of 1 by 2 upright along the edge of the top shelf as shown in the photo below.  This will take the bow out of the shelf.  Use 1-5/8" screws to mount the 1 by 2 to the shelf.  Drill pilot holes through the plywood and insert the screws through the plywood into the 1 by 2.

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

On the opposite side of the top shelf install the four 4" by 5" shelf brackets as shown in the above photo.  Just space the four brackets along the length of the shelf.

Along the bottom of the potting bench back install five corner braces as show in the photo below.  Also install 3 corner braces along the bottom of each of the potting bench ends.  Look closely at the below photo and you can see the back of the potting bench with the top shelf installed and the corner braces installed.  You can also see the end pieces with the corner braces installed.

Now mount the top shelf to the back of the potting bench using the line that you have already drawn as a guide.  The wood screws you use in this step should only be 3/4" long, and even then you might have to file off the points so nobody gets cut on them.

Free Potting Bench Plans, Step #7.

Now install the two potting bench side pieces as shown in the photo below.  Make them flush with the sides of the potting bench, but keep them in 3/4" from the back edge of the potting bench.  You have to allow room for the back of the potting bench to rest on the top of the potting bench.

Now slide the back of the potting bench between the two side pieces you just installed, allow it to rest on the top of the potting bench.  Secure in place with 1-5/8" screws.  After securing the back of the potting bench to the top and sides, put one screw through each side into the top shelf, giving the shelf additional support.

Now cut two pieces of 1 by 2, 44.5" long, and two pieces of 
1 by 2, 21" long.

Install the 44.5" pieces across the back of the potting bench 6" above the bottom shelf.  Leave a 6" gap and mount the other 44.5" piece above the first one you installed.

Install one of the 21" pieces one each end of the potting bench 6" above the bottom shelf.  The purpose of these boards is to keep pots and other objects stored on the bottom shelf from rolling off. 

Your potting bench should now look like this:

and this:

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

and this:

Thanks for using my free potting bench plans.  I hope your new potting bench serves you well.  -Mike McGroarty