How to Build a Topsy Turvy Tomato Hanger

Tomato seedlings can be planted into your hanger once they are six to eight inches tall.

A convenient way to grow vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and even squash is to use a Topsy Turvy tomato hanger. Because the Topsy Turvy hanger grows plants upside down, you can set the planter virtually anywhere there is full sun and grow your vegetables without ever having to dig in the ground. While you can't make a name brand Topsy Turvy tomato hanger in your home, you can make an upside down planter like it using a bucket and basic supplies from around your house.

Things You'll Need

• 3-gallon bucket
• Drill
• Plant hanger
• Galvanized screws
• Peat moss or coco liner
• Tomato seedling
• Potting soil
• Mulch
• Water

Instructions

1. Drill a 2-inch-wide hole into the center of the bottom of your bucket. Attach a plant hanger to an exterior wall of your home using galvanized screws high enough up that the bottom of your bucket will hang 5 feet off the ground. Hang the bucket on the hanger.

2. Add 1 to 2 inches of peat moss to the bottom of the bucket, covering the hole with your hand to keep the peat from falling out. If you don't want to use peat, then place a ring of coco liner into the bottom of the bucket with a hole cut in the center.

3. Remove the small pot from the root ball of your seedling and push the roots of your seedling through the hole. Fill in the peat moss, if used, around your seedling's roots to hold it secure and add another inch of peat to the bucket.

4. Add potting soil to fill the bucket to within 3 inches from the top. Don't pack the soil in, but do pat it firm enough to hold the plant in place.

5. Spread mulch over the potting soil to fill the bucket and retain moisture in the soil. Water the soil two times a week so it stays moist without letting it pour out the bottom. Use larger quantities of water as the plant grows larger and needs more to keep the soil from drying completely between watering.

Tips & Warnings

• Depending on where you live you may want to use a black bucket to draw in heat to the soil in colder climates or a white bucket to avoid absorbing heat in hotter climates.

References

• "Vegetable Gardening: Your Ultimate Guide"; Robert J. Dolezal; 2000
• "Growing Fruit and Vegetables"; Richard Bird; 2003

Resources

• TopsyTurvy.com