Interesting observations with hanging containers

18 years ago

This weekend, I tried my hand at planting tomatoes upside-down in hanging containers. I used 5 gallon buckets, and drilled a large hole in the bottom of the container. Then I lined the bottom with screen material, cut a small hole in the screen, and weaved a tomato plant through the hole. Then, I filled with my container mix, hung the pot, and watered thoroughly. To visualize the final product, the bucket is hanging by its handle, and the tomato plant is upside down, growing out of the bottom of the bucket.

Interesting observation #1: No surprise here; the plants began to curve and grow upward, toward the sun, in only a few hours. I'm not sure how the roots will behave.

Interesting observation #2: Again, no surprise. It was our first hot day yesterday, and the surface of the soil (on top of the bucket) dried very quickly. The soil in the hole at the bottom of the bucket remained very wet to the touch, even with no visible drainage from the hole. I am imagining I can use this fact as a way to gauge the drying of other, regular pots, given that they are of the same depth, with the same soil, as my hanging pots.

I'll let you know how the tomatoes grow!!!

Cheers

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Comments (3)

justaguy2
18 years ago
Looking forward to your updates.

My only concern about what you described is that the entire weight is on the bucket's handle. I have found 5 gallon buckets to get brittle when in the sun and I hope you don't find the handle breaking out of the plastic later in the season. I think if it were me I would put a couple extra holes in the bucket and run some nylon coated steel rope or similar through it to provide additional support.
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
18 years ago
With this novel method, I often wonder about all the soil fungi spores we're not supposed to be splashing on foliage/stems that are in suspension & flowing out of the drain hole & over the plant. I keep imagining all manner of fungal issues - especially later, as foliage grows lush & retards air flow ...... Please include your observations in this regard?

Al
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redneck_grower
Original Author
18 years ago
Justaguy - Good suggestion. Even with my fairly light potting mix, the buckets are quite heavy after watering, they are in full sun, and hanging by that handle does distort the bucket's shape somewhat. I think I will add some more "handles"; another great use for bailing twine! (Duct tape, bailing twine, and vice grips; don't live in the country without them!!!)

Al - I also was wondering about the affect of the drainage on the stems. So far, the branches are seeking the sun, and are starting to grow up around the bucket. Only the main stem (the most important one, albeit !) is subjected to drainage at this time. Maybe some judicious pruning as the plants fill out might be the trick to minimize problems on the stem.