How to grow tomatoes upside-down

Defying gravity in your garden: A few years ago the market was abundant with upside-down tomato plants at the Home Depot and local nurseries. It was the rage of garden enthusiasts and created a myriad of discussions at the water cooler and backyard gatherings. Today, it appears that the excitement of an upside-down tomato plant is starting wane in popularity because of it's difficulty to grow, water and manage. However, that has not dampened my determination to defy all odds and succeed at growing cherry tomatoes in this unusual way!

Tomato plants require a large volume of soil (do you remember the photo of the 50" tomato root in my post on March 18th) and lots of moisture as they dry out quickly in the hot sun. In addition the pot gets really heavy and must be secured to a sturdy railing, wall or tree. Understanding these challenges let's get started. I use a fairly large pot around 1 foot square and secure 3 short chains to the pot by drilling holes around the pot edge. The chains will be secured to a steel support that is screwed into my deck about 6 feet off the ground. Using an exacto knife cut a hole in the bottom of the pot big enough to accept a small plant. Then place a small piece of landscape cloth around the hole inside the pot to prevent soil from falling out. Keep the pot away from the tomato stem because when it sways in the wind the pot will cut the stem! Then gently push the plant through the hole and fill the pot with Miracle-Gro Potting mix. One year I tried planting flowers at the top of the pot, however, the flowers only lasted for a short while. The soil capacity was just too small to support the tomato and flowers together.

As the plant grows you will notice the vines trying to reach upwards towards daylight, but as the vine gets larger and laden with tomatoes the weight will bend it towards the ground. I have never had a vine break regardless of the weight. I might add that I always use cherry tomato plants because regular size tomatoes would be too heavy. The real problem is constant watering is required each day and twice a day during the hot summer. I'm also going to try and add more fertilizer and that should help.

You may also want to try the Lee Valley Tools pot that is specifically designed for upside-down plants. It has a unique watering system with a wick. I'm trying one this summer, so I will give you some feedback later in the summer. Topsy-Turvy upside-down, my friend.