Topsy Turvy Tomatoes
Picture a traditional garden plot of tomatoes. What do you see in your mind’s eye? Probably a sea of tomato cages, a sprawling jungle of tangled leaves, blossoms and tomatoes. There are probably more than a few rotten tomatoes lying around on the ground, cast offs because the gardener couldn’t harvest them fast enough, or find them amongst the sea of un-pruned foliage. All that changes when you turn tomato growing on its head.
Growing tomatoes upside-down has numerous benefits:
- Easier access to the plants. That makes pruning, harvesting, and inspecting for pests and insects easier.
- Better air flow. Easier access to prune makes pruning tomatoes more enjoyable and easier. Better air flow keeps bacterial and fungal diseases at bay because the plant leaves dry off more quickly.
- Plant leaves stay dry. You will be watering the soil where the plant grows, instead of trying to get water to the soil through a forest of leaves and stems. This helps keep disease problems at bay.
- More sunlight reaches the fruit. Without a jungle-mass of leaves obscuring the sunlight, the tomato fruits will get more sunlight than ever before, which will produce bright red healthy tomatoes.
- It is easier to water the tomatoes. You just water the container, and the plants take it from there!
- No staking. Finding a stake or cage system that supports the tomato while allowing you access to the plant is difficult, at best. Growing tomatoes upside-down eliminates the need for stakes.
Can you really get great tasting tomatoes this way? Yes! These upside-down tomato growing contraptions are also great for people gardening with very little space. You can hang them from strong shepherd’s hooks, and still grow plants under them.
There are lots of different tomato varieties. The best varieties for these types of planters are determinate or semi-determinate tomatoes that are not dwarf or bush varieties. These tomatoes will not just keep growing and growing, but also won’t stop at a bunched up, small plant. If you haven’t tried growing your own tomatoes for a variety of reasons, try the upside-down tomato planter. It will also turn your gardening world upside down, in a good way!
- Buy the Gardener’s Revolution Planter
at Gardener’s Supply Company
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