How to Make a Topsy-Turvy Tomato Container

Make your own upside-down planter for growing tomatoes.

Upside down tomato planters have been popularized by the topsy-turvy planters that are sold commercially. They are essentially a hanging bag in which you grow a tomato plant. Instead of purchasing a commercially made planter, you can make your own from used materials, like an old plastic bucket. The bottom of the bucket has a hole cut in it for the tomato to grow out of and the bucket can be hung by the metal handle. Plastic 5-gallon buckets available at hardware stores are ideal containers.

Things You'll Need

• 5-gallon plastic bucket with lid
• Drill
• 2-inch hole saw
• Landscaping fabric
• Utility knife
• Perlite
• Potting mix
• Peat moss
• Tomato seedling
• Watering can

Instructions

1. Place the bucket on a work surface with the bottom end up. Drill a 2-inch hole through the center of the bottom.

2. Lay a sheet of landscaping fabric on the work surface. Place the bottom of the bucket on top of the fabric. Cut around the bucket with an utility knife to make a sheet of landscaping fabric the size of the bottom of the bucket. Cut a 2-inch slit in the center of the fabric.

3. Stand the bucket upright. Place the landscaping fabric in the bottom of the bucket. Mix together 1 part perlite with 2 parts potting mix and 2 parts peat moss. Fill the bucket up to 2.5 inches from the top. Place a half inch of peat moss over the mix.

4. Place the lid on the bucket. Turn over the bucket so the bottom is facing up. Press your fingers through the slit in the landscaping fabric to make an impression in the soil mix, large enough to accommodate the roots of the seedling. Slide the tomato seedling root ball through the 2-inch hole and slit in the landscaping fabric. Pack the soil around the root system with your fingers.

5. Water the plant thoroughly through the hole in the bottom. Allow the seedling to reach 12 inches in height. Keep the plant watered throughout the growing process.

6. Turn the bucket over so the tomato plant is upside down. Hold onto the bucket by the handle and hang it in the desired location. Remove the lid to water the plant.

Tips & Warnings

• You could remove the lid and plant flowers in the top of the bucket.

• Wear eye protection when operating a drill.

References

• Upside-Down Tomatos: DIY Upside-Down Tomato Planter
• Cheap Vegetable Gardener: 2-Liter-Bottle Upside-Down Tomato Planter

Resources

• Crafting a Green World: DIY Gardening -- Making an Upside-Down Tomato Planter