Today, there are quite a few nice upside down planters available on the market that you can purchase. However, I realized that it is really easy and much more fun to make your own upside down tomato planter. Best of all, it is less expensive.
For starters, for each tomato plant, you’ll need a sturdy container preferably a bucket or pail just because they typically have a handle.
It’s essential to grow your tomato plant to at least four inches tall prior to starting. Some other types of containers which will work well for this project are one gallon ice cream buckets or five gallon paint buckets. As long as the container has a solid sturdy handle. A lid is also preferable, however, not really necessary.
Next, be certain to have someplace to hang your bucket where you can still reach inside.
Cut an opening in the bottom of the bucket making sure that it is only about an inch or two in circumference. This to ensure that your tomato plant will not drop out. Place some potting soil inside the bucket, capturing what falls out so that you can recycle it for future use.
Then, carefully position your tomato plant inside the opening so that the roots are within the bucket and the stems are protruding out of the base.
Gently fill the soil gradually around the roots filling the bucket with dirt and soil completely. This is because tomato plants grown upside down can easily grow quite a few roots. Keep in mind, it is best not to pack it tight.
Finally, suspend your bucket someplace that gets plenty of sunlight.
Your tomato plant is going to grow thick sturdy stalks and gravity will be pulling them downward, however the tomato plant stalk will curve upwards looking for the sun. This produces a truly intriguing plant without any unsightly sprawling.
Growing your tomatoes in this manner has many benefits in addition to giving you the harvest of a lifetime. They will sprout more stems per stalk than traditionally grown tomato plants . What’s more, you don’t have to worry about tomato cages or stakes because the plants grow upside down with gravity. Your tomatoes won’t ever have contact with the ground keeping them away from bugs and pests. Also, they will flourish when they get sunlight all the way around enabling them to ripen sooner and more evenly. The gravity and additional circulation will also help the tomato plant produce not only more tomatoes but larger tomatoes too!
Feeding and watering is simple. You simply pour water into the top of the container. If you use a lid, cut a hole in it big enough for you to pour the water in or for rain to enter . With a lid you don’t need to water your plants as much because you want to allow the soil in your tomato plant to become almost dry before watering it again. Tomatoes prefer a dry climate and therefore too much water may produce flavorless, light-colored tomatoes like you see in quite a few grocery stores.
You can grow two tomato plants at once if you have a big enough container. This will provide quite a few tomatoes from a very small space and depending on the variety of tomato vine you select, you could get as much as 30 lbs of tomatoes at one time! You’ll be able to use your container time after time to grow plants for several years to come. Simply fill it with fresh soil and plant a new batch of starter plants each spring.
Consider using several different planters at the same time and grow tomatoes in one, herbs in another, and perhaps flowers in a third one. Flowers appear especially intriguing when grown upside down. The possibilities are limitless. It will be very gratifying for you to know that you are eating healthy and that you are feeding your family nutritious safe food. Not to mention saving some serious bucks.
