Growing Upside Down Tomatoes appeals to me as a crazy idea. But how crazy is it and does it work?

I first came across the idea of growing tomatoes upside down while watching a TV show article about commercial greenhouses. They were growing tomatoes not only upside down but using hydroponics.

Having grown tomatoes in grow bags for years I thought a little more research was needed on the idea of growing tomato plants the wrong way round.

The idea behind growing any plant upside down is to eliminate the hassles of weeding, pests, digging, staking out and using tomato cages. The other advantages being not having to bend over to water, tend and harvest.

There seem to be a variety of commercial products available to help you invert tomatoes. However I prefer a more homemade solution, particularly as the available products seem to look homemade!

Two different solutions seem to exist either using a modified hanging basket or a modified plastic container (often with a lid). Both solutions allow you to grow other plants on the top surface which can improve the look or add another crop. Great use of space!

In both cases a hole needs to be created in the “bottom” of the hanging container. Inside the hole use a fibre mat which a slit cut in it to allow the seedling to be planted through but maximising your chance of keeping the soil in the correct place.

Remember in doing this yourself that you need to leave hanging room for the plant and to allow for the weight of the grown plant and crop. There will be more soul destroying than having the whole lot come crashing down ruining weeks of loving care.

Growing upside down is going to put a large amount of stress on the plant which will still be trying to do what comes naturally. You need to grow the plant right side up until it reaches 10 inches above the container. Having a lid helps during this stage to keep the soil together.

Hang your bucket in a protected sunny area and water. And watch your upside down tomatoes grow.

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The weather in the Mid-Atlantic US is unseasonably warm this week, which means I’m starting to get excited about growing my own plants this spring and summer. Unlike most gardeners, however, I don’t have the space in my small condo (or legal ownership of the yard) to build an actual garden. That’s why I’m going to start growing my own vegetables and plants this season in a hanging planter.

My condo is in a pretty great spot: good amount of back porch lighting and a moderate size deck. While I’m obviously going to grow some small upside down tomatoes, I’m looking forward to trying some other plants as well - cucumbers, peppers, even some fresh herbs are worth a shot. It’s going to be nice to bring some of the homegrown qualities of my childhood to my adult life and start similar traditions with my family, even if we don’t have as much space as I’m used to.

Because I’m limited in the space I have in my home, I don’t even have the buckets most people use to build their own hanging tomato planters. I’m a little stumped on what to do, but the commercials I’ve seen for the Topsy Turvy lead me to believe it’s the best option. The Topsy Turvy tomato planter grows multiple fruits and vegetables upside down, and its pretty affordable. Until I know for sure that growing tomatoes and vegetables this way really works well, there’s no way I’m investing the amount of money required for some of those other hanging planters.

Building my own garden box would be nice, but it also seems to be a waste of time and money. Besides, why would I want to spend all that time and effort on something I might not use ever again? I’m looking forward to trying a hanging upside down tomato planter, but I’m the kind of person who believes my own eyes over everyone else’s.

After all, my goal is to enjoy the “fruits” of my labor - an affordable hanging garden that works in my space confinements seems to be the best option for me and my family this season.

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How to plant upside down tomatoes

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1. http://www.curbly.com/DIY-Maven/posts/1620-How-To-Make-An-Upside-Down-Tomato-Planter

Basic photos uses a hanging basket.

2. http://www.wikihow.com/Make-an-Inverted-Hanging-Tomato-Planter

Uses plastic bags and newspaper along with your iron to create a basket… sounds messy

3. http://www.howdididoit.com/home-garden/how-to-grow-hanging-tomato-plants/

Good description plus pictures of the end results - uses 5 gallon bucket

4. http://urbangardencasual.com/2008/05/27/upside-down-tomatoes - good instructions on using 5 gallon bucket

 I’ll add to this list again tomorrow

Some people have used indeterminate tomato varieties in inverted growing but it requires carefully pruning.

Some determinate tomatoes varieties that have worked for others include Tomato tumbling tom red or yellow, tomato tumbler, tomato yellow pigmy and tomato garden pearl. If you can grown any other varieties upside down please let us know in the comments below.

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The other half of the story - how to make and fill a home made planter.

The upside down planter can also be used for peppers, cucumber, and some squash.

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