How to DIY - make your own upside down tomato planters

Looking for a great craft that you can do with your kids?

have little space but still want to grow tomatoes or peppers for your family? Even cucumbers can be grown this way.

Here is an inexpensive craft project that uses recycled milk or water bottles and turns them into upside down tomato or pepper planters.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• old plastic gallon milk jugs or water jugs
• scissors
• paper punch
• twine or yarn
• potting mix
• tomato or pepper plants

1. rinse bottles well to remove all milk residue. Be careful that you do not get the label wet as it will be harder remove.
   
   To remove label you will fill the jug with hot water the heat of the water should loosen the glue and the label should come right off.

2. Cut out and remove the bottom of the milk jug
   
   Using your paper punch you will punch a hole in each corner of the jug near the edge.
   
   Tie an equal length of string or yarn into each hole you must made and place a knot into the free end of each string.

3. Take your tomato or pepper plants from their pots. If they are in paper or peat pots you can carefully tear away at the top of the pot till it is level with the soil. (These pieces can be added to the upside down planter once you have your tomato plant inside.)
   
   Remove the cap from the milk jug planters.
   
   Carefully feed the tomato plant through the hole in the milk jug. Use caution not to break the stem as you do this.
   
   Fill the pot around the plant's roots with potting soil and then add some water to help compact soil around plant. Be careful to do this over a container to catch the muddy water.
   
   Pull strings on open end of planter to make them even and tie a knot at the end of the strings, and another knot just below the first one. The space between the two knots is what you will use to hang it from.
   
   Hang your upside down tomato planter and enjoy the fruits of your labor when they ripen. YUMMY!

Tips & Warnings

• While you and your children are making these it is a good time to talk about nutrition and discuss what you and the kids want to do with what they grow.
• You can also discuss responsibility and how living things must be nurtured in order for them to grow and thrive and without proper care they will suffer and fail.
• Encourage the kids to help with the care of the plants like reminding to keep them watered and fed.
• Adults should cut the bottom out of the planter.
• Children should not be allowed to climb chairs to water the plants.

Resources

• Code 3 offers discounted merchandise to police and fire Personel
• Going green with Sustainable Aquaponics
• what is Aquaponics??
• DIY Aquaponics
• tilapiahybridpair.com
• Felknor Ventures 82506 Topsy Turvy Upside-Down Tomato Planter
• My favorite - Black Sea Man Tomato 10 Seeds - Heirloom
• Miracle-Gro Tomato Plant Food 1.5 lb. #100042

[badkitties]

on 9/6/2009 I always wanted to try this..thanks for the info. 5*&rec.

[grammastacie]

on 9/3/2009 innovative! great idea. 5* and recommend.

[sonni57]

on 6/16/2009 I've never heard of upside down tomato planters thanks for the good details.