Upside down tomatoes

15 years ago

I have for 3 years tried to grow upside down tomatoes. They do real good at first. They try to grow up like nature wants and come from under the container and keep growing up for maybe a foot or more. The vine gets so heavy that it starts going down and twist because of the weight of the vine. When it starts going down is when it stops doing good. You can look at the stalk and where it bends up to grow up, this is where it it re bends to go down and it damages the stalk right there. Any thoughts. Anyone have luck growing them? I have hung some small weights on them this year to try to keep them going down. Whatcha think about that?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

2fennelshirts
15 years ago
If you have room to plant them in the ground, do so, you'll get more tomatoes off of one plant in the ground then you would growing 3 plants upside down! Do the test.
kriswrite
15 years ago
I don't know anyone who's had real luck growing tomatoes upside down. Part of the problem is tomatoes need LOTS of root room. They are also heavy feeders, and it just seems impossible to give them enough water and nutrients in those little containers.
Related Professionals
Florence Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · New London Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Davenport Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Sacramento Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Medford Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Rapid City Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Vancouver Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Quincy Landscape Contractors · Morgan City Landscape Contractors · Palm Bay Accessory Dwelling Units · Pensacola Accessory Dwelling Units · Knoxville Accessory Dwelling Units · Coldwater Accessory Dwelling Units · Grand Junction Accessory Dwelling Units · Kalispell Accessory Dwelling Units
digdirt2
15 years ago
It is a just gimmick and one that ample folks have discovered the hard way, doesn't work. A search using 'upside down tomato' pull up 50+ discussions of folks who have been mislead into trying this. So after 3 years of trying why not give up on it and plant your tomato plant normally?

Please don't buy into all the hype and rigged photographs the advertisers use with these things.

Dave
ldj1002
Original Author
15 years ago
I do have the room and have 6 plants out. I just thought it would be interesting to try. BTW, which way do the roots grow? If they grow down then the plant would probable be root bound and never grow above the original root ball.
bluebirdie
15 years ago
I tried to grow tomato up side down a few years back when most of my yard was still blessed with Ivy from the previous owner. I only tried cherry/grape type tomato but even those did poorly.

After a few years of evacuating ivy, I now grow tomato in raised beds on the hill. Haven't looked back since.
msplankton
15 years ago
it's fun to experiment, and you may want to choose a petunia to grow! i was given the plastic one to find it was manufactured in China, which doesn't have the best safety record. so, i grow my tomatoes in soil i know about, and pretty flowers in the other. good luck!
seysonn
15 years ago
I fully agree with msplankton.
Three years ago I did just that; planted cascading petunia
on the top. I did not buy any kit. I just made my own from a green color 5-gal bucket. Another draw back of this is that sometime in hot days, you have to water them twice.
Even If I did not have garden space, I would not plant tomatoes upside down. I woul rather plant them in the same container size as a hangimg basket. Also, I would plant small fruited tomatoes like cherry or roma, not a mortgage lifter. hehe