Upside Down Tomatoes
How to grow upside down tomatoes
It may seem crazy at first, but upside down tomatoes have their advantages. The main reason you may want to choose them is that they survive heavy storms and winds much better than tomato plants which require staking.
Things you need to grow upside down tomatoes
Pots
You need a sturdy container, pot, bucket or hanging basket of a minimum size of 20 cm across. You can also buy a planter designed for upside down tomatoes.
What are the best planters for upside down tomatoes?
Chain or rope
You need something strong enough to carry the weight of the container.
Upside down tomatoes pros and cons
Here are the advantages and disadvantages of plnting tomatoes upside down.
Pros
In general, tomatoes growing in hanging baskets or containers require less maintenance than traditional tomatoes and are easier to handle. Here are more advantages.
- No need for staking and maintenance related to supporting tomato plants
- They don’t require weeding
- Fruits aren’t prone to rotting
- Flexibility where you place the hanging basket
- Pace saving
Cons
- Pots can dry up very quickly and need more watering
- Plants produce fewer flowers and fewer fruits
- Limited use to the plants with smaller fruits because of weight
- Limited to determinate tomato varieties
- The weight of the container can become problematic – need to be hung securely
And finally, it’s worth mentioning that tomatoes are plants that naturally grow upwards and upside down is not their natural position.
Knowing the pros and cons of growing tomatoes upside down, if you decide to go for it, here is how to plant them.
How to grow tomatoes upside down
- Cut a hole in the bottom of the container
- Gently push the roots of the plant through the whole from the outside of the container.
- Fill up the container with soil
- Optional: you can plant other plants on top of the container, e. g. basil or other herbs.
What types of tomato plants are best to grow upside down?
Indeterminate tomato varieties are best for growing upside down and they don’t develop very sturdy stems, the plant is more compact and shorter. There aren’t any special tomato varieties for growing upside down tomatoes.