Upside Down Tomatoes
Tags: tomato, upside-down, upside-down-tomatoes
By Cindy Haas
Recently, I received an email from a friend asking my opinion on growing tomatoes upside down.
Honestly, I didn’t have an opinion at the time, although I did suggest that the person eat a little something with her pinot noir before emailing me next time. However, after doing some research, I had to apologize to my friend.
Upside down tomato growing is becoming a popular way of adding tomatoes to a small garden.
I discovered that some people feel that growing tomatoes upside down will prevent rot and blight by keeping the tomatoes off the ground, and will increase yield, too. I’m not convinced, so I am going to grow one tomato plant upside down and another planted in a traditional pot. By the end of this summer, I should be able to answer this question and have photos to prove it.
The Method
You will need:
- 1 large bucket- 5 gallon is good
- potting soil with some manure added
- a drill or knife for cutting the hole in the bottom
Drill a hole in the center of the bottom of the bucket. The hole should be about 2″ in diameter. Fill the bucket with potting soil mix. Cover with a lid or place a piece of cardboard over to serve as a lid.
Turn the bucket upside down, and plant one tomato seedling through the hole you’ve drilled in the bottom of your bucket. Make sure to plant deeply. Water the entire bucket with a mix of water and organic fertilizer, and hang from a sturdy hook.
As with any hanging basket, this will dry out easily in hot or windy weather, so watering frequently is a must.
The Project
I have planted one tomato in a planter and have one hanging upside down in its bucket. I’m going to take pictures as the season progresses, and I’ll also be logging all of the tomatoes produced by both plants. I’m excited to see if this new growing method actually works.
I’ll be posting pictures and more details as the plants grow.
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