Growing tomatoes upside down is all the rage. The Topsy Turvy Upside Down Tomato Planter is advertising all over, with promises of bigger, better and earlier tomato harvests, all while avoiding “the backbreaking work,” of growing tomatoes right side up.
I have never found growing tomatoes in traditional container gardens backbreaking in the least, in fact I love it. That said there are both advantages and disadvantages of growing tomatoes upside down Here are some of the important upsides and downsides of growing tomatoes upside down.
Advantages of growing upside down tomatoes:
- Good For Limited Space: For some people with limited space, hanging a tomato upside down is the only way to grow tomatoes. Some sunny balconies or decks are perfect for growing tomatoes upside down.
- No Staking Necessary: Most tomatoes, when grown traditionally need staking. Stakes are used to keep tomatoes off the ground and to keep the stems from breaking from the weight of tomatoes. Apparently, some people hate staking tomatoes. I don’t have a problem with staking tomatoes, in fact I kind of like it. I build my own tomato trellises with bamboo. It’s easy, cheap and I love the way it looks. But if you hate staking tomatoes, growing tomatoes upside down may be a good solution.
- Foils Some Pests: When you grow tomatoes upside down you don’t have to worry about cutworms or ground fungus. However, these are problems you don’t have to worry about with any tomato grown in a container garden.
Some Disadvantages Growing Upside Down Tomatoes:
Upside Down Tomato Planters
There are many different types of planters and systems for growing upside down tomatoes. Some are fairly high tech and expensive and some are pretty simple.
You can also make your own upside down tomato planter, cheaply and easily using a big bucket.
Upside down tomato planters for purchase:
- Revolution Planter by Gardeners Supply
- The Patio Garden from Plow and Hearth
- The Topsy Turvy Upside Down Tomato Planter
Tips for Hanging an Upside Down Tomato planter:
There are three basic ways to hang an upside down tomato planter. You can hang it from a wall, a ceiling or from a pole or hanging system.
Unfortunately, most shepherd’s hooks that you can buy at nurseries or hardware stores, will not hold the weight of the upside down tomato planters.
Gardeners Supply carries a heavy-duty wall bracket that is both attractive and designed to hold up to 50 pounds. The bracket does not come with screws so you have to make sure you get some that are tough enough for your heavy planter. Also make sure that whatever you are attaching the hook to will take the weight.
You can also buy heavy duty, attractive hangers from hardware stores.
Gardeners Supply also caries a “Four-Arm Plant Hanger.” This looks like a great product, though it is pricey and you do need to use all four hooks to balance the hanger.
So should you grow tomatoes in upside down planters? I think the answer is only yes, if you can’t grow tomatoes right side up, for reasons of space or sunlight. Otherwise, I think it is easier to grow them right side up.