Growing Tomatoes Upside Down: Everything You Need To Know

Traditional gardening techniques are gradually giving way to new, original, and interesting ways of cultivating well-known crops. Modern gardeners and farmers came up with the idea to diversify the design of their location and save landing areas. Upside down tomatoes growing is one such trick.

Urban gardening in a small area is constantly demanding new solutions to accommodate at least one more plant.

There are different ways to tackle this problem from vertical gardens, hanging Gardinier to a completely unusual method of growing food on the balcony – gardening upside down. Such gardens are ideal for small balconies, and you do not need to use any specialized containers, but ordinary bins used for floor washing, to create one. Inside them, we mostly grow tomatoes, which saves considerable space, and is easier to maintain as no support is needed.

Benefits and disadvantages of growing tomatoes upside down

What are the benefits of upside-down tomatoes growing?

• the upside-down tomato looks very decorative;
• the possibility of growing tomatoes even where there is no land (balcony, porch, etc.);
• use the top layer of the greenhouse;
• growing tomatoes in this way do not require guides and tying to them;
• tomato fruits are well protected against pests;
• The yield using this method will not only not diminish, but will also increase, as during irrigation the water will be delivered directly to the roots and the roots will receive more light and heat;
• water consumption for irrigation reduced many times;
• very suitable for harvest, grows in the vicinity of the hand;
• flowers can be planted on top of a container;
• due to the fact that the roots get better and faster warming, the ripening of tomatoes comes two weeks earlier;
• it will surprise your neighbors and acquaintances.

Of course, this method has its disadvantages as well:

• strong and reliable support is needed as the shrub with a pot will weigh about 55 pounds;
• planting upside down tomatoes is a little more complicated than normal;
• Not every variety and hybrid can fit.

It is important to emphasize. Every plant grows upwards, no matter how it looks, and tomatoes are no exception. Therefore, it is impossible to use varieties that have thick and fragile shoots and large heavy fruits – the branches will break underweight.

Step by step to growing tomatoes upside down

When selecting a location, sufficient space should be left around the bucket so that when the bucket is hung, the tomato can grow evenly during growth. This will allow all parts of the plant to be exposed to the sun, and far better airflow, thus reducing the possibility of disease from fungal diseases.

To create a garden, choose deep pots with a sturdy metal handle; plastic handles could loosen underweight. If you use old buckets that have a rag, you can later plant a smaller plant in that area, such as basil, which blends well with tomatoes. The size of the pot will determine the variety of tomatoes that will be grown in it, but the ones whose fruits are the size of a nut are the most successful.

Guides for growing tomatoes upside down

1. The necessary materials for making the garden are a pot with a metal handle, drill, special piercer, solid cloth, scissors, carabiner, seedlings – tomato and basil, gloves, and quality soil.
   
2. The trick is to drill a hole through the bottom of the pot through which to root the plant. The opening should be large enough to prevent damage to the root system when drawn out. In the tool shops, one can find a drill bit that will very easily make a hole in the bin.
   
3. Then the transplant is gently removed from the pot and the root is pushed through an opening we made in a sturdy cloth. This will prevent the soil from falling out and various materials such as coconut washers, cardboard or moss can be used for this purpose.
   
4. Tomatoes love rich and gentle soil, so it is safest to use quality substrates for growing vegetables in pots enriched with fertilizers of organic origin. In the same pot on the top of the bucket, other plants can be grown that have a shallow root such as lettuce, chives, or basil.
   
5. Finally, we hang the garden and water it regularly as needed.

The temperature needed for growing tomatoes upside down

It is the same thing as with normal tomatoes. The minimum temperature for seed germination is 50 °F, and germination lasts 8-23 days. The optimum germination temperature is 72-77 °F, and growth and development until fruiting require a temperature of 64-72 °F. The best relative humidity is between 55-65%.

Water for growing tomatoes upside down

Tomatoes are classified as crops with medium water requirements. The critical period for the moisture is the flowering and fruiting times, which take 1-2 months. For normal growth and development, tomatoes require moderate soil and air humidity (60-70% PVK and 50-60% relative humidity). The same can be said for growing tomatoes upside down.

Soil for growing tomatoes upside down

The soil for growing tomatoes must be light, of good structure, fertile, neutral or weakly acidic, pH 6,0-6,5. Soils containing a lot of clay should be avoided as the root system cannot develop well under these conditions.

Advice! To preserve moisture, mulching with white cover material is recommended and covers not only the soil surface but also the entire tank.