Someone from this forum, started a thread on "that other forum" about upside down tomatoes... I started to grow some last year, made my own planters, didnt buy those fancy ones on the tv....and they would have done alot better if I would remember to water them... but I did get a few tomatoes from the two that I grew..... I also started two of them this year, with another one waiting to be planted.... and am considering trying green beans the same way.... Anyway, I finally found the sites that I was looking for that I got my information from. So when I tried to post it over there, noticed it was down, and figured that I would post it all here...Anywhooooo, here is all you need to know about planting upside down tomatoes!!!
Houstonplant exchange also had a conversation about this last year, and here is one lady's instructions on how to make them.
Quote:
Donna, In answer to your question about soil staying in the bucket you have a few options. We used Spanish Moss only cause the darn stuff is in our trees here. I put a couple inches in the bucket after he drilled a hole in the bottom of the bucket. It took both of us to plant it. I burrowed my fingers through the moss from the inside as he was pushing the plant in. I pulled it up so I could feel the stem and tucked some moss in the hole. We then used potting soil *later I learned from Randy Lemon on KTRH that you should use rose soil with compost* but we have about 30 grape tomatoes. I have also read when doing this you can use clean coffee filters and cut an X in and just tuck it around the stem. Now they also have commercial ones for this but I figure I would give my bucket a try.
My daughter was so impressed with this idea she asked dad to get her a bucket and is taking this a step further. She is painting her bucket green with red dots. This is so that birds see the red dots all the time when the tomatoes ripen they just think its her red dots. We going to watch to see if this helps.
Question why is it the first tomatoes always seem to take so long to ripen?
Gloria
Donna,
1. He drilled a 2 inch hole
2. used a 3 gallon bucket *I think its that size definitely not 5 gal*
3. I used a shepherds crook to hang 2 huge polypodium ferns in wire baskets that weigh about 35 to 40 lbs each so yes they are strong enough.
4. If you want to go with 6 gallon buckets why not get some strong plant hanger brackets and hang higher *note see below*
5. I ran out and measured Ernie's and it's 5 ft off the ground from the bottom of the bucket. Now the top is about 14 inches higher. I can just barely reach in with my pitcher of fertilizer water to water it.
Note: if you have a watering wand or a way to reach in to water and fertilize every other day at least, then high is fine. I do suggest you remove the plastic grip off the metal handle and "kink" the handle so that it does not slip either on the bracket or shepherd's crook.
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Thanks for the pictures, Arrow! I grew lots of tomatoes in my childhood, but this is the first time I heard of this kind of tomatoes, very interesting.
Tomatoes are one of my favorite vegetables. The best memory about tomatoes was that I tried to search red tomatoes in the fields when I was little, at the beginning, only few tomatoes turned red (extremely light red), and I can't wait to eat them. But many will turn red after a rain, magically.
boy I hope my tomatoes get to look that good!!!!! Right now they are small babies.... hung them right outside my door this time, so I will remember to water them... People have used any kind of buckets they can find...Some ladies said that they use those plastic laundry buckets others have said they use the buckets that the kitty litter come in. I am on the search for more buckets..... But then again, things might all change if what these farmers down here are saying come true...Something about the bill HR875 might be able to stop anyone from growing food... need to do more reading on it tho
In T & T there is a Hilton hotel which was opened in the early sixties. Govt is a majority shareholder I am told. President Obama stayed there while he attended the Summit. It is also known as the upside down hotel. In downward order, the lobby is at the top, then the restaurant and then the rooms from the third floor to the ground. Room numbering starts from the third floor going down. It is built against a mountain which makes access to the lobby at the top very easy.
upside down tomatoes
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