Join Extension Master Gardener Anne Reed to learn the basics of growing flowers and vegetables in containers, including bio-containers, growing medium, moisture, fertilizer, plant selection and care, and overwintering your potted garden. Trending topics include container gardening with roses, citrus, and other fruits, shade plantings, porch pots, and more!
Zoom session, recorded April 23, 2021
Video of Presentation
Chapter Breaks
- 0:00:00 Intro
- 0:03:57 Why Container Garden?
- 0:07:59 Pot Selection
- 0:12:17 Placement and Pot Materials Considerations
- 0:32:54 Growing Medium Basics
- 0:39:02 Watering
- 0:41:47 Fertilizing
- 0:45:11 Right Plant, Right Place
- 0:47:30 Plant Selection
- 0:51:53 Pollination
- 0:54:18 Potting Plants
- 1:00:04 Caring for Your Pots
- 1:02:54 Overwintering
- 1:04:45 Trends in Container Gardening
- 1:24:33 Questions
Additional Resources
- Container Gardening Resources Handout
- Addendum: Answers to questions during the presentation and from the chat
Container Gardening Design
- ENH1095/EP326: Container Gardens for Outdoor Spaces (ufl.edu)
- Stuckey, M. and Nichols, R. (2002) Bountiful Container: Create Container Gardens of Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Edible Flowers. Workman Publishing Company, New York, NY.
- Walliser, J. (2017) Container Gardening Complete: Creative Projects for Growing Vegetables and Flowers in Small Spaces. Cool Springs Press, Beverly, MA.
- Mills, Elaine. (2019) Small Space Gardening. Small Space Gardening (mgnv.org).
Container Selection
- Pennisi, B. (February 2021) The Container Conundrum. Fine Gardening, 37-41.
- Albert, S. Container and Pot Sizes: How Much Soil Do I Need? – Harvest to Table
Soil Volume for all types of containers:
- Albert, Steve. Container and Pot Sizes: How Much Soil Do I Need. Harvest to Table.
- Pamuła, Hanna. Potting Soil Calculator. Omni Calculator.
Fruit and Vegetable Root Depth
- Trulove, R. (2018) Gardener’s Guide to Fruit and Vegetable Root Depth – Virily
Plant Selection
- Native plants: Plant Northern Virginia (NOVA) Natives.
- Companion planting: 26 Plants to Grow Side-By-Side – Companion Planting Ideas (goodhousekeeping.com)
Vegetable Gardening in Containers
- Relf, D. SPES-255.pdf (vt.edu)
- Lee, D. and Wilhelm, S. (2021) Vegetable Gardening Without Fear. https://mgnv.org/vegetable-gardening-no-fear-video/
Growing Fruit Crops in Containers:
- Perry, L. Growing Fruits in Containers (uvm.edu)
- Williamson, J. (2018) Growing Fruit Crops in Containers.
- Crignan, C. (2018) Growing Dwarf Citrus. Growing Dwarf Citrus | University of Maryland Extension (umd.edu)
- Campion, F. (February 2021) No Orchard Needed. Fine Gardening. 56-61.
- Gardening: Pruning: How to Prune Dwarf Apple Trees – YouTube
- Nardozzi, C. Edible Landscaping – How To: Overwinter Containerized Fruit Trees – Garden.org (National Gardening Association)
Growing Roses in Containers
- American Rose Society: https://www.rose.org/
- Arlington Rose Foundation: arlingtonrose.org – Tips for Growing & Recommended Roses
- Overwintering roses outside: Singularly Beautiful Roses: Spring 2018 | American Rose Society
Growing Carnivorous Plants in Containers
- Ottesen, C. (Jan/Feb 2011) Growing Carnivorous Plants in Containers. The American Gardener, American Horticultural Society, 18-22. 2011-01r.pdf (ahsgardening.org)
Seasonal Porch Pots
- Jones, C. (Sept/Oct 2019) Seasonal Porch Pots. The American Gardener, American Horticultural Society, 15-19.