5 Easy Steps to Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

5 Easy Steps to Growing Tomatoes Upside Down By Alex Homes

A few words before we start. There is no secret method to growing tomatoes upside down.

You can use either a 5 gallon plastic bucket or a store bought tomato hanging bag. I am going to use a 5 gallon bucket. They can hold the weight, are easy to obtain and are very durable.

Step 1 - Gather Materials

Here is a list and feel free to improvise:

• Clean 5 gallon plastic bucket with lid
• Method to cut a 3" hole
• Potting soil and/or peat moss and fertilizer
• Newspaper, coffee filters or sphagnum moss.
• Way to suspend bucket, hook, post, wire

Tomato plants, the varieties that seem to work well are:

• Roma or Window Box Roma
• Celebrities
• Tumbler
• Garden Pearl
• Yellow Pigmy
• Micro Tom
• Basket Boy Yellow or Red

Step 2 - Prepare your Hanging Container

Take your bucket and cut approximately a 3" hole in the bottom and in the lid. A hole saw on a portable drill would be my choice. Tin snips or a utility knife (be extremely careful) may work as well.

Step 3 - Planting the Tomato Plant

There are two approaches to planting the tomato plant in the bucket.

Method 1 - Place the bucket on some supports right side up to allow access to the bottom hole. Hold the plant at the stem upside down and thread the roots through the hole in the bottom of the bucket. Place newspaper around hole to keep soil from falling out. Add potting soil gently around the root ball. Fill the bucket almost to the top with potting soil and add organic plant fertilizer.

Method 2 - With the bucket right side up place newspaper on the bottom and fill the bucket with potting soil. A 40 lb. bag fills it. Snap the lid on. Turn the bucket over (up side down). Cut through the newspaper and plant the seedling in the 3" hole that was cut in the bottom of the bucket.

Step 4 - Hanging the Container

Now you are ready to hang the bucket. Select a location that gets full sun and position it so that you will be able to easily add water through the hole in the bucket lid.

Step 5 - Daily Care and Harvest

Replace soil as needed to keep soil level within 2" of the top. The plant will require daily watering. Harvest your organic tomatoes from your upside down tomato growing project.

To grow disease free organic tomatoes you will need . . . Read More If you enjoy learning how to grow tomato plants and like tomato plant care then I recommend Organic Tomato Magic found at http://www.OrganicHomeGardenGuide.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alex_Homes