diff --git a/k8s/base/app-redis.yml b/k8s/base/app-redis.yml
index c0b53706..a056fec1 100644
--- a/k8s/base/app-redis.yml
+++ b/k8s/base/app-redis.yml
@@ -36,6 +36,30 @@ spec:
       containers:
         - name: redis
           image: gcr.io/tacoma-app/redis
+          resources:
+            requests:
+              memory: 128Mi
+              cpu: 50m
+            limits:
+              memory: 1Gi
+              cpu: 200m
           imagePullPolicy: Always
           ports:
             - containerPort: 6379
+
+---
+apiVersion: autoscaling.k8s.io/v1
+kind: VerticalPodAutoscaler
+metadata:
+  name: redis
+spec:
+  targetRef:
+    kind: Deployment
+    name: redis-prod
+    apiVersion: apps/v1
+  updatePolicy:
+    updateMode: Off
+  resourcePolicy:
+    containerPolicies:
+      - mode: 'Auto'
+        containerName: '*'
diff --git a/k8s/base/app-worker-beat.yml b/k8s/base/app-worker-beat.yml
index 5625b63d..39978281 100644
--- a/k8s/base/app-worker-beat.yml
+++ b/k8s/base/app-worker-beat.yml
@@ -19,9 +19,30 @@ spec:
       containers:
         - name: beat
           image: gcr.io/tacoma-app/bg_worker
+          resources:
+            requests:
+              memory: 256Mi
+              cpu: 50m
           command:
             - /run-beat.sh
           imagePullPolicy: Always
           envFrom:
             - secretRef:
                 name: prod-secrets
+
+---
+apiVersion: autoscaling.k8s.io/v1
+kind: VerticalPodAutoscaler
+metadata:
+  name: beat
+spec:
+  targetRef:
+    kind: Deployment
+    name: beat-prod
+    apiVersion: apps/v1
+  updatePolicy:
+    updateMode: Off
+  resourcePolicy:
+    containerPolicies:
+      - mode: 'Auto'
+        containerName: '*'
diff --git a/k8s/base/app-worker.yml b/k8s/base/app-worker.yml
index a100bd3d..2e9c5aeb 100644
--- a/k8s/base/app-worker.yml
+++ b/k8s/base/app-worker.yml
@@ -19,9 +19,33 @@ spec:
       containers:
         - name: worker
           image: gcr.io/tacoma-app/bg_worker
+          resources:
+            requests:
+              memory: 512Mi
+              cpu: 100m
+            limits:
+              memory: 2Gi
+              cpu: 1000m
           command:
             - /run-worker.sh
           imagePullPolicy: Always
           envFrom:
             - secretRef:
                 name: prod-secrets
+
+---
+apiVersion: autoscaling.k8s.io/v1
+kind: VerticalPodAutoscaler
+metadata:
+  name: worker
+spec:
+  targetRef:
+    kind: Deployment
+    name: worker-prod
+    apiVersion: apps/v1
+  updatePolicy:
+    updateMode: Off
+  resourcePolicy:
+    containerPolicies:
+      - mode: 'Auto'
+        containerName: '*'
diff --git a/k8s/base/app.yml b/k8s/base/app.yml
index a992a3cb..5cfa6f48 100644
--- a/k8s/base/app.yml
+++ b/k8s/base/app.yml
@@ -40,6 +40,13 @@ spec:
       containers:
         - name: stormpiper
           image: gcr.io/tacoma-app/stormpiper-pod
+          resources:
+            requests:
+              memory: 512Mi
+              cpu: 100m
+            limits:
+              memory: 1Gi
+              cpu: 500m
           imagePullPolicy: Always
           ports:
             - name: web
@@ -52,3 +59,20 @@ spec:
           envFrom:
             - secretRef:
                 name: prod-secrets
+
+---
+apiVersion: autoscaling.k8s.io/v1
+kind: VerticalPodAutoscaler
+metadata:
+  name: stormpiper
+spec:
+  targetRef:
+    kind: Deployment
+    name: stormpiper-prod
+    apiVersion: apps/v1
+  updatePolicy:
+    updateMode: Off
+  resourcePolicy:
+    containerPolicies:
+      - mode: 'Auto'
+        containerName: '*'
diff --git a/k8s/dev/kustomization.yml b/k8s/dev/kustomization.yml
index b43da707..28f7be67 100644
--- a/k8s/dev/kustomization.yml
+++ b/k8s/dev/kustomization.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
 resources:
   - ../base
 nameSuffix: -dev
-commonLabels:
-  app: stormpiper-dev
+apiVersion: kustomize.config.k8s.io/v1beta1
+kind: Kustomization
+labels:
+- includeSelectors: true
+  pairs:
+    app: stormpiper-dev
 images:
   - name: gcr.io/tacoma-app/stormpiper-pod
     newName: gcr.io/tacoma-app/stormpiper-pod
@@ -13,22 +17,54 @@ images:
   - name: gcr.io/tacoma-app/redis
     newName: gcr.io/tacoma-app/redis
     newTag: edge
-patchesJSON6902:
-  - target:
+patches:
+  - path: secrets.yml
+    target:
       group: apps
-      version: v1
       kind: Deployment
-      name: stormpiper-dev
-    path: secrets.yml
-  - target:
+      name: stormpiper
+      version: v1
+  - path: secrets.yml
+    target:
       group: apps
+      kind: Deployment
+      name: worker
       version: v1
+  - path: secrets.yml
+    target:
+      group: apps
       kind: Deployment
-      name: worker-dev
-    path: secrets.yml
+      name: beat
+      version: v1
   - target:
-      group: apps
       version: v1
-      kind: Deployment
-      name: beat-dev
-    path: secrets.yml
+      kind: VerticalPodAutoscaler
+      name: redis
+    patch: |-
+      - op: replace
+        path: /spec/targetRef/name
+        value: redis-dev
+  - target:
+      version: v1
+      kind: VerticalPodAutoscaler
+      name: beat
+    patch: |-
+      - op: replace
+        path: /spec/targetRef/name
+        value: beat-dev
+  - target:
+      version: v1
+      kind: VerticalPodAutoscaler
+      name: worker
+    patch: |-
+      - op: replace
+        path: /spec/targetRef/name
+        value: worker-dev
+  - target:
+      version: v1
+      kind: VerticalPodAutoscaler
+      name: stormpiper
+    patch: |-
+      - op: replace
+        path: /spec/targetRef/name
+        value: stormpiper-dev
diff --git a/k8s/readme.md b/k8s/readme.md
index fbcb8b40..60ef1500 100644
--- a/k8s/readme.md
+++ b/k8s/readme.md
@@ -24,3 +24,9 @@ Update env vars if needed and then run from the project directory, rather than f
  kubectl rollout restart deploy --selector=app=stormpiper-dev
  kubectl rollout restart deploy --selector=app=stormpiper-prod
 ```
+
+# check usage recommendations
+
+```
+ kubectl get vpa worker-dev -o yaml
+```