Whether in a bucket or a plant pot: tomatoes take up a lot of space. With a trick, however, the cultivation is successful and the rich harvest is practically inevitable. Grow tomatoes upside down to keep pests away and save space.
Planting tomatoes upside down: advantages of growing
There are several arguments as to why more and more hobby gardeners are choosing to plant tomatoes upside down in plant pots. These are, for example:
- Space-saving: The vegetable garden does not take up any space from the balcony or terrace.
- Flexible: The hanging plants can be moved back and forth as needed so that they receive more sunlight or are better protected from rain and wind.
- Effortless: With traditional cultivation, they requireTomato climbing aid. Otherwise, the shoots will simply hang over the edge of the pot and simply lie limply on the ground. This makes them more susceptible to pests and diseases. And prevents good air circulation, which often leads to the formation of rot. These problems can be avoided by planting tomatoes upside down. And no climbing aid is necessary.
- Of course: the tomatoes neither need climbing aid nor do they need to be thinned out.
- No weeds: Weeds cannot grow upside down, so the annoying weeding of the vegetable patch is no longer necessary.
What are the disadvantages?
If you grow your tomatoes upside down, you also have to expect some disadvantages. We list several reasons why vertical planting is not worth it in some cases:
- Water more often and more: The tomatoes need larger and more frequent watering. A layer of mulch or straw can help to some extent, but you should still check the soil regularly and never let it dry out.
- Some amateur gardeners believe that tomatoes that hang upside down tend to rot more often. This is because every time you water, the runoff water drips directly onto the leaves and shoots of the plant. Organic pesticides can solve the problem, but not every gardener wants to treat their plants with them.
- Only certain varieties can be grown upside down. Compact varieties that produce coconut tomatoes are particularly suitable for this. In principle, the larger the fruit a plant bears, the higher the chance that the shoots will break.
- Weight: Tomatoes are heavy plants and may take a lot of effort to move around. The pots also have to be attached very well to the ceiling or wall so that they don't fall.
- Growth: If the tomatoes grow upside down, the shoots have no climbing support. They can therefore break easily in strong winds. It can also happen that the tomatoes sprout upwards again because they intuitively seek sunlight.
Planting tomatoes upside down: Which varieties are suitable for growing?
The varieties that are particularly suitable for vertical cultivation are: “Sungold”, “Sweet Million”, “Indigo Cherry”. Practically any variety that has a compact growth habit (i.e. does not grow taller than 1 meter) and is suitable for keeping in containers can be grown upside down. These are for examplevarious cocktail tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and bush tomatoes.
Growing vegetables upside down – instructions
As a container, you can use either a plastic pot or a plastic bottle with a volume of at least 1.5 liters. It is important to choose a compact variety with low weight. Plastic buckets with a handle are also very suitable. In these instructions we use such a container with a volume of 18 L.
- Plastic bucket, 18 liters, with handle or plastic bottle
- Young plants (tomatoes)
- Lightweight potting soil (usually a mix of soil and compost)
- Macrame hanging basket or cotton rope for hanging flower pots
- Marigold (seeds or young plants)
- Mulch
Directions:
1. Drill a 5cm hole in the bottom center of the plastic bucket. Place several sheets of newspaper on the floor. If you want to use a plastic bottle – turn the bottle upside down and cut out the bottom.
2. Fill the container to the middle with soil. Water generously.
3. The next day, carefully dig up the young plants and wrap the roots in newspaper. Make a hole in the newspaper in the plastic bucket and place the plants upside down in the soil. If you use a plastic bottle – insert the roots of the young plant into the neck of the bottle.
4. Plant the marigolds in the top of the plastic bucket. Lay a layer of mulch so that the soil does not dry out so quickly.
5. Fill the plastic bucket with soil and hang it up.
Care instructions
- Water the tomatoes thoroughly once a day, preferably in the evening. Water until the water drains away from the drainage holes. In hot weather, water the plants twice a day.
- Fertilize the tomatoes every week and harvest the fruits as soon as they are ripe.
Planting tomatoes upside down is actually not particularly difficult. However, in order for them to produce abundant yields, there are a few things you should keep in mind. Choose only short-growing varieties with small fruits. The sunny location is an absolute must. Tomatoes without trellises still need protection from rain and wind. Water the tomatoes more often and more thoroughly than usual.
