In this session, learn the essentials of vegetable container gardening, including how to choose the right containers, soil, and plant varieties for a successful vegetable harvest at home. Extension Master Gardener Benton Murphy covers practical tips for maximizing space, managing water and sunlight, and addressing common challenges like pests. By the end of the session, participants will have the knowledge and confidence to start their own thriving container vegetable garden, no matter how limited their outdoor space.
Zoom session, recorded March 14, 2025
Class Video
Chapter Breaks
- 0:00:00 Introduction & Overview
- 0:02:59 Advantages to Container Gardening
- 0:05:02 Pot Selection
- 0:16:54 Questions
- 0:20:18 Growing Medium
- 0:24:10 Watering
- 0:29:05 Fertilizing
- 0:31:42 Placement of Containers
- 0:37:02 Questions
- 0:45:34 Plant Selection – Root Structure
- 0:50:48 Plant Selection – Sunlight Requirements
- 0:53:38 Plant Selection – Hardiness Zones
- 0:56:44 Succession Planting
- 0:58:39 Companion Planting
- 1:03:59 Challenging Plants in Containers
- 1:05:26 Fruit Trees in Containers
- 1:07:32 Questions
- 1:13:10 Direct Sowing vs Transplants
- 1:15:18 Welcoming Pollinators
- 1:17:47 Overwintering Containers
- 1:20:25 Indoor Container Vegetable Gardening
- 1:22:52 Questions
Specific Recommendations
Plant Selection for Container Gardens
Light Requirements
Companion Planting
Direct Sow vs Transplanting
Indoor Container Gardening
Home Made Water Fountain for Pollinators and Birds
Note from Ben: The water fountain is built into a fence rail planter with no drainage hole. I used a 2-liter bottle cut in half which houses the solar power hub. The solar panel sits outside the container. I used landscaping rocks as ballast and filled the whole thing with water. The outlet tube comes out of the top of the soda bottle. I used a drill to cut out a hole for the outlet. I used this YouTube video as a guide:
How To Make an ENDLESS Soda Bottle Solar Water Fountain. 2022. Video. Robbie and Gary Gardening Easy.
https://youtu.be/2-XrQY-IoRs?si=uMlqPsHXUNIvc40_
Additional Resources
Resources for Edibles in Containers
- Best Management Practices – Outdoor Container Gardening. Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia. Based on content from Virginia Cooperative Extension.
https://mgnv.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Best-Management-Practices-Outdoor-Container-Gardening-kedits.pdf. - Growing Vegetables in Containers. 2025. University of Maryland Extension Office.
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/growing-vegetables-containers/ - Relf, Diane, reviewer John Freeborn. 2020. Vegetable Gardening in Containers. Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech & Virginia State University.
https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-336/426-336.html - Stuckey, M. and Nichols, R. 2002. Bountiful Container: Create Container Gardens of Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Edible Flowers. Workman Publishing Company, New York, NY.
- Traunfeld, Jonathan. Container Vegetable Gardening: Healthy Harvests from Small Spaces. 2006. University of Maryland Extension, Home & Garden Information Center.
https://www.calameo.com/read/001612830b490a576c43a - Trulove, R. 2018. Gardener’s Guide to Fruit and Vegetable Root Depth – Virily
https://virily.com/home-gardening/gardeners-guide-to-fruit-and-vegetable-root-depth/
Resources for General Vegetable Gardening Best Practices
- 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. 2023. USDA.
https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/ - Between the Rows. 2025. MGNV.
MGNV’s online monthly guide on WHAT to do WHEN for veggie gardening
https://mgnv.org/veg-herbs/between-rows/ - Githinji, L.J. M. 2015. Companion Planting in Gardening. Virginia State University. Sustainable and Urban Agriculture Series. Virginia State University Bulletin.
https://www.ext.vsu.edu/s/Companion-planting-Revised.pdf - Lee, D. and Wilhelm, S. 2021. Vegetable Gardening Without Fear. Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia.
https://mgnv.org/mg-virtual-classroom/ug-class-video/vegetable-gardeningno-fear-2022/ - Muhammad, Faatimah and Krystyn Moon. 2023. Introduction to Vegetable Gardening Parts I and II. Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia.
https://mgnv.org/mg-virtual-classroom/intro-veg-gardening-videos-2023/ - Plant Maps,
https://www.plantmaps.com/- Hardiness Zone Maps.
- First/Last Frost Maps.
- Gardening Maps.
- Climate Maps and Horticultural Maps
- Vegetable Gardening Online Resources. MGNV
https://mgnv.org/resources/veg_references/ - Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners. 2025. Cornell Garden-Based Learning. Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
https://gardening.cals.cornell.edu/adult-programs/citizen-science/ - Vegetables. 2025. University of Maryland Cooperative Extension.
https://extension.umd.edu/resources/#!/category/3/subcategory/828
Resources for Attracting Pollinators
- Mills, Elaine. 2020. Small Space Gardening for Pollinators. Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia.
https://mgnv.org/mg-virtual-classroom/sl-class-video/small-space-pollinators-2020/
Start at 1:09:43 to see her recommendations for natives for containers. Suggested plants include perennials, ferns, grasses, sedges, rushes and small shrubs. - Pollinators and Other Wildlife. 2025. Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia.
https://mgnv.org/pollinators-and-more/
Container Selection
- Pennisi, B. 2021. The Container Conundrum. Fine Gardening, 37-41.
- Albert, Steve. Calculating Soil Requirements for Different Container Sizes. Harvest to Table
https://harvesttotable.com/container-and-pot-sizes-how-much-soil-do-i-need/ - Murphy, Benton. 2024. Container Gardening: Big Impact in Small Spaces. Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia.
https://mgnv.org/mg-virtual-classroom/container-gardening-big-impact-in-small-places/
Soil Volume for all types of containers
- Albert, Steve. Calculating Soil Requirements for Different Container Sizes. Harvest to Table.
https://harvesttotable.com/container-and-pot-sizes-how-much-soil-do-i-need/ - Pamuła, Hanna. Potting Soil Calculator. Omni Calculator.
https://www.omnicalculator.com/biology/potting-soil-calculator
Growing Fruit Crops in Containers
- Campion, F. 2021. No Orchard Needed. Fine Gardening. 56-61.
- Crignan, C. 2023. Growing Dwarf Citrus. University of Maryland Extension.
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/growing-dwarf-citrus/ - How to Prune Dwarf Apple Trees. 2009. Video. EHow Garden.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et5WPEe0vXw - Jackson, Larry K. and J. Williamson. 2016. Growing Fruit Crops in Containers. University of Florida Extension – Institute of Food and Agricultural Science.
https://www.lsuagcenter.com/~/media/system/5/5/6/4/55646c0ef9404ad2073c46b006e13b51/growing%20fruit%20crops%20in%20containers%20-%20uflpdf.pdf - Nardozzi, C. Edible Landscaping – How To: Overwinter Containerized Fruit Trees. The National Gardening Association Learning Library.
https://garden.org/learn/articles/view/4097/Edible-Landscaping—How-To-Overwinter-Containerized-Fruit-Trees/
Additional Resources
- Goodspeed, Jerry. 2018. Seven Tips for Container Gardens that Thrill, Fill and Spill. Utah State University Extension.
https://extension.usu.edu/news_sections/gardening/container-gardening - Knox, Gary. 2008. Container Gardens for Outdoor Spaces. University of Florida Extension – Institute of Food and Agricultural Science.
https://journals.flvc.org/edis/article/view/117181 - Opperman, Larry. 2020. The Upcycled Garden. Alaska Master Gardener Blog.
https://alaskamastergardener.community.uaf.edu/2020/12/22/the-upcycled-garden/ - Reed, Anne. 2021. Contained Excitement: Outdoor Container Garden Basics & What’s Trending! Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia.
https://mgnv.org/mg-virtual-classroom/ug-class-video/outdoor-container-basics-2021/ - Walliser, J. (2017) Container Gardening Complete: Creative Projects for Growing Vegetables and Flowers in Small Spaces. Cool Springs Press, Beverly, MA.