Hanging Tomatoes Upside Down
Image courtesy of A Taste Of The Earth
I’m a little skeptical about this fad of hanging tomato plants upside down. I can certainly see the benefits. Tomatoes are vines and by hanging them upside down, you don’t have to worry about the tomatoes lying on the ground and rotting. Gravity works in your favor and you have easier access to the tomatoes. On top of that, you don’t need to worry about weeds.
The reason I’m skeptical is that tomato plants need a lot of nutrition and water. In a limited space like a bucket, by the time the plant is producing fruit, it seems like it would have used up the nutrients in the soil around its roots, forcing you to use chemical fertilizers. And it also seems like you would have to water more. Hanging plants seem to run out of water faster than others–at least, that’s my observation. Maybe it’s gravity?
So I’m a little unsure about this, but also curious. I admit, hanging tomatoes could be great for a container garden. In limited space I could see it being a good way to grow fresh tomatoes.
You can buy kits in the store to hang your tomato plant, but it seems like a matter of rigging a bucket on a rope, drilling some holes, and hanging it on a hook in direct sunlight. eHow has instructions on how to do it. From what I know of tomato plants, you would need a strong hook, because between the dirt and the water and the vines loaded with fruit, that plant is going to get very heavy.
So hanging tomatoes–good or bad? Anyone tried it?
