You do not need a yard to grow some of your own food. This guide summarises Penn State Extension's four keys to container vegetable gardening, so you can check pots, soil and plants before you buy. It is general information from a US university extension service: conditions differ by climate, and results may vary. We make no claim that any plan or book will produce a harvest.

This guide is based on the public source listed below. We have not tested any pot, seed or store. For a bigger start, see our guide to starting a small homestead.

What Penn State Extension says

Source: Penn State Extension, "Container Vegetable Gardening: Four Keys to Success" (updated 30 March 2026). Last checked: 17 October 2026.

1. Choose the right container

  • Use pots with drainage holes, so excess water escapes and roots get air.
  • Tomatoes need a pot at least 20 inches wide. Peppers and eggplants do well in 14-inch pots. Herbs and greens need less room.
  • Make each pot at least as tall as it is wide.
  • Plastic dries out more slowly than terracotta. Heavy cement or stone pots help keep top-heavy plants such as tomatoes from tipping in wind.

2. Use a soilless potting mix

  • Avoid garden soil, which is heavy and drains poorly in containers.
  • Soilless mixes (peat or coir, perlite and bark) drain well, hold moisture and nutrients and are free of weed seeds and most pathogens.
  • You can mix in up to 50% finished compost.

3. Match plants to sunlight and space

  • Tomatoes and peppers need at least 6 hours of sun daily. Lettuce and kale tolerate partial shade.
  • Choose compact varieties labeled "bush" or "determinate". Tomatoes, pole beans and cucumbers still need a trellis or other support.
  • Skip sweet corn, watermelon, winter squash and zucchini, which suit in-ground gardens better.

4. Water and fertilise regularly

  • Water at least once a day in hot summer weather. The mix should stay moist but never soggy, and water until it drains from the bottom.
  • Container plants depend on the nutrients in the pot: add slow-release fertiliser at planting and a soluble fertiliser every 2 to 4 weeks.

What to check before you buy

  1. Pot size for the crop, the drainage holes and the weight when full.
  2. Potting mix, not garden soil, and whether the label says what it contains.
  3. Seeds or plants labeled for compact growth if your space is small.
  4. Sun at your spot. Count the hours of direct sun before you pick crops.
  5. Books, courses and planners. Check who wrote them, whether they match advice like the above, the refund terms and the climate they assume. No plan can promise a harvest.

What we could not confirm

  • Climate-specific timing, UK or other-country advice, and any particular product.

Source: Penn State Extension, container vegetable gardening: four keys to success.