How to Make a Recycled Upside Down Hanging Tomato Planter

Tomatoes in pots require more frequent watering.

Tomatoes of all types thrive in home gardens, to bring in repeat harvests throughout the summer season. Gardeners who want to grow their tomatoes on the porch or patio instead have a range of choices, included standard pots, hanging gardens and upside-down bags. Instead of buying a new garden pot for your tomatoes, recycle an old bucket or planter as an upside-down planter.

Things You'll Need

• 5-gallon bucket
• Drill
• Eye hook
• Twine
• Organic compost
• Potting soil
• Peat moss
• Perlite
• Fertilizer
• Fabric
• Scissors
• Scoop

Instructions

1. Start your planter and tomato process in spring when temperatures rise to 65 degrees F. Hanging planters don't require warm ground temperatures, but tomatoes do require air temperatures of 65 degrees F or over.

2. Drill a 4- to 5-inch hole in the bottom of an old 5-gallon pot or bucket. This hole provides the tomato plant's growing area. Line the inside of the pot with a piece of fabric to keep soil from falling through this hole. Slice a 2-inch opening in the fabric for planting.

3. Put an eye hook in a hanging spot with full sunshine and good air movement. Tomatoes won't bloom or bear their fruit harvest unless they get full sun. String sturdy twine through the eye hook and to the handle on the bucket for hanging. Leave the bucket hanging at waist level for an easier planting process.

4. Mix potting soil outside of the hanging bucket. Combine 1 part sphagnum peat moss, 1 part quick-draining potting soil, 1 part organic compost and 1 part perlite for a rich, nutritious and moisture-retentive potting soil. Add slow-release 6-24-24 or 8-32-16 fertilizer for good rooting.

5. Choose small tomato plants like cherry and container cultivars for successful upside-down growing experiences. Larger plants outgrow their space and weigh down the planter. Insert the plant's roots through the slice int he material so that the roots are inside the bucket, while the foliage hangs below. Hold the seedling in position.

6. Use a scoop to transfer soil mixture into the bucket to "plant" the seedling. Sprinkle the soil slowly to avoid damaging plant roots. Pack the soil down as you go to secure the seedling, and fill the bucket to three-quarters full.

7. Water the soil with 1 gallon of water to moisten it throughout. Keep in mind that the water now drains from the top of the bucket down to the tomato, and doesn't have an immediate impact on the plant. Water upside-down tomatoes with 1 gallon of water every three to four days to keep them from drying out.

8. Elevate the upside-down planter to your desired location and secure the twine.

References

• Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet; Growing Cucumbers, Pepeprs, Squash and Tomatoes in Containers; Pamela J. Bennett
• University of Missouri Extension; Growing Home Garden Tomatoes; David H. Trinklein
• The Cheap Vegetable Gardener: Make Your Own Upside Down Tomato Planter
• Curbly: How to Make an Upside Down Tomato Planter