There are more gimmicks surrounding gardening than almost any
industry. Everyone has come across advertisements, touting some
miraculous tree that grows 20 feet in a year or a new type of shrub
or vegetable that features amazing flowers or fruit.
There are more gimmicks surrounding gardening than almost any industry. Everyone has come across advertisements, touting some miraculous tree that grows 20 feet in a year or a new type of shrub or vegetable that features amazing flowers or fruit.
Which brings me to upside-down tomato growing. You may have heard of it before. This is a new method to growing tomatoes, and not a gimmick. Instead of planting your tomato plants in conventional pots or in the ground, you simply hang them up in the air, upside down. Growing them upside down so the plant is actually facing down, you eliminate the hassles of weeding, pests, hole digging, flimsy stakes and cages. You also don’t have to bend over to water, tend and harvest.
The hanging method allows for better air circulation, so plants have almost no disease problems. The leaves aren’t touching the soil, so soil-borne diseases are eliminated. The fruits also aren’t touching the ground, so fungus diseases are eliminated. Finally, critters that eat tomatoes have trouble getting to the ripening fruit.
You can make your own upside down tomato planter, or you can buy one. I came across the Topsy Turvy Upside Down Tomato Planter while browsing at the recent San Francisco Flower and Garden Show. The Topsy Turvy allows you to stand upright and plant two tomato plants upside down from a grow bag that you can hang from your deck, patio, porch, balcony or even a tree. It’s unique because you water and fertilize through a built-in funnel on top of the bag. All you have to do is let gravity do its thing.
Of course, tomatoes aren’t the only vegetable you can grow upside down. Cucumbers, peppers, squash and more can be planted in this way, as well. Flowers can also be planted this way. Many flowers will actually curl upward, taking on different appearances and looking almost like new varieties when grown upside down.
To make your own upside down containers, try used 5-gallon buckets with tight-fitting lids. Old detergent containers that come in 5-gallon buckets are ideal. You can also pick them up at paint or hardware stores. I’ve even bought sunflower seeds in 5-gallon buckets. The key is the container coming with a tight-fitting lid.
You’ll need to cut a 2-inch or larger hole in the center of the lid, and one in the bottom of the bucket. To make the holes, use a drill with a hole saw bit, which is an attachment for cutting a door to install the doorknob. With the bucket standing upright and the lid off, cover the hole in the bottom with a coffee filter or scrap of fabric. This prevents the soil from falling out when the bucket is turned over. Fill the bucket with a lightweight potting mix. Before putting the lid back on, place another coffee filter over the soil where the hole will be. After putting the lid on, turn the bucket upside down. Cut a slit through the filter in the hole, and plant a tomato seedling.
Either start with a transplant that is already a foot tall, or wait until your seedling is at least a foot tall before turning the bucket upside down and hanging it. The bucket will need solid support to hold the weight.
I can’t wait to try mine!
