How to Grow Upside Down Tomatoes

Bill's upside down tomato plants
Image by kkimpel via Flickr

For many years now I have been excited about growing tomatoes ‘upside down’.  Well, that’s what it seemed like I was doing anyway.  As a keen gardener I love to see the ‘fruits’ of my work as I sit on the balcony and growing tomatoes upside down has been the ideal way to do that.

Not only that, it is so convenient to just walk out and take from the tomato plant those beautiful fresh tomatoes that I want to use in my salad.  Another factor that I have discovered when growing tomatoes upside down is that I can hang my planters at the edge of the balcony and they still enjoy the sun all day long, whereas when I have them on the ground in containers the sun drops away about eleven in the morning.

What to grow upside down.

Over time it has shown that there are really no restrictions on what tomatoes you can grow upside down.  As long as the pot that they are grown in can feed the plant, even the larger tomato varieties do quite well.  Maybe not quite as well as in the garden but they are still very prolific.  Personally I just love the smaller varieties like the cherry tomato and the grape tomatoes and I do tend to stay with these, for two reasons:

•    I like the fruit because it looks lovely in salads or on platters
•    They do not hang down and enclose the balcony where I am sitting

All areas are different and each grower has their own preferences so do enjoy the experience of growing in this upside down style.

The benefit of growing tomatoes upside down.

Apart from the benefits mentioned about, which are just a personal choice, there are definite growing benefits as well:

•    The leaves and fruit are not resting on soil and therefore have more chance of staying pest and disease free
•    Plants often produce a better crop because of the fact they are not fighting diseases
•    It is easy to tend the plants because they are at a reachable level
•    They have better airflow around the stems and this helps in the growth of the fruit
•    They can be grown closer to the kitchen area for convenience
•    The plants can be moved around to take the full benefit of the sunlight
•    This method of growing is fantastic for those with small courtyards or limited outdoor space

I would really encourage you to try this method of growing tomatoes if you have not tried it before.  I know the first time I got mine I was quite amazed at how successful it was.

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