How to Plant Tomatoes Upside Down

Try growing cherry-sized tomatoes upside down.

It's possible to plant a tomato upside down on your patio or above other plants in an in-ground garden. Just drill a hole into a sturdy bucket and turn it into a planter, or purchase a planter designed to hold the plants upside down. Caring for upside-down tomatoes is similar to caring for tomatoes in a regular container. The main difference is that you won't need to stake or cage the plant, as the weight from the fruit will keep it from sprawling.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 5-gallon bucket or specialty upside-down planter
• Newspaper
• Landscaping fabric
• Tomato seedling
• Container soil
• Water
• Marigolds (optional)
• Herb seedlings (optional)
• Compost
• Strong hook
• Strong hanger

1. Drill a 2-inch hole in the bottom of a 5-gallon bucket. Line the bottom of the bucket with a layer of landscaping fabric or several pieces of newspapers. Poke a hole in the fabric or newspapers just above the hole in the bucket. If you're using a commercially available upside-down planter, assemble it per package directions.

2. Push the root ball of the tomato plant through the hole, from the bottom into the planter. Pull the root ball into the bucket until about 2/3 of the seedling's stem is also inside the planter. Roots grow down, so you need to give them plenty of space to spread out before they reach the bottom of the planter. The tomato will also grow roots on the portion of the stem buried in the dirt.

3. Fill the planter with container mix until the mix is about 3 inches from the top.

4. Water the soil in the planter until it is moist. Some water should run out the bottom of the bucket.

5. Plant a marigold or a few basil seedlings on the top of the planter to protect the soil from too much sun and to make the planter look pretty.

6. Find a spot outdoors that gets at least 6 hours of sun each day. Tomatoes need full sun to thrive. Hang the planter from a hook in that spot .

7. Add a handful of compost to the soil every few weeks while the tomatoes are growing.

Tips & Warnings

• Plant an indeterminate variety that produces cherry-sized tomatoes for best results. The stems of determinate tomatoes are too stiff and won't do well upside down. Large fruits can weigh too much for the plant to handle when upside down.

• Water daily, as container-grown plants dry out quickly

References

• "New York Times"; Growing Vegetables Upside Down; Kate Murphy; May 2010
• Washington State University Whitman Extension: Try Something Different
• Iowa State University; Upside Down Tomatoes; Gary Hall