Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

Photo of tomatoes being grown upside down in a bucket.

Growing the tomato plant upside down makes the fruit much easier to pick. This is a guide about growing tomatoes upside down.

Solutions: Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

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Homemade Upside Down Tomato Planter

Milk jug tomato planter hanging in tree.

Reuse your plastic milk container by making an upside down tomato planter. This is great for people with limited space. Not having to grow them on the ground eliminates the need to keep your tomato plants well staked.

Materials:

cleaned plastic milk jug
scissors
tomato plant
rope, if you do not have a branch or something similar for jug to hang off of
cloth or duct tape if it's going to be sitting in direct sunlight

Directions:

Cut a 1/2 inch hole on the bottom of the milk container, this will be where the stem of the plant will come out.

Cut four slits out from the center of the 1/2 inch hole to make it easier to insert the plant into the container.

Place tomato plant in through hole and fill the jug the rest of the way with potting soil.

If you don't have a branch of something to hang the container from, secure with rope and hang.

Water the soil from the top of the milk jug for several minutes. It will need to be moistened all the way through.

In the pictures, one has reflective cloth wrapping because it was in a very sunny area. Sunny location version wrapped in reflective cloth wrapping.

Source: My mother showed me how to do this after I showed her a commercial tomato planter I spent $8 on.

By attosa from Los Angeles, CA

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Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

They were only 2 topsy turvy planters left to buy at the store. After purchasing them, I had an idea, plus I wanted to plant more than 2 tommy toe tomato plants. What I did was cut a small hole in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket (most have a small circle already to use for a template) and used a dishwashing sponge to keep the plant from falling back through and gently filled with potting soil.T his idea works as good as the store bought planter.

Good Luck and have a nice day.

By Michael from Guntersvile, Alabama

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Project: Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

Photo of tomatoes growing in a hanging basket.

Newest idea for plants is hanging them up side down, but don't buy expensive packaged products! See here!

Approximate Time: 5 minutes

Supplies:

metal basket
grass clippings or moss
potting soil
tomato or strawberry plant
flowering plants - optional

Instructions:

Use hanging baskets found in yard sales and in local Dollar Tree stores as the base for your own attractive hanging plants (see photo)! I added grass clippings along the outside walls to hold in the soil or you can use moss. Stick tomato plant into the bottom hole facing downward. Add potting soil and additional attractive flowers or vines, if you'd like.

Don't pay for a pre-packaged plastic bag to enjoy this new plant craze! Pretty, huh?

By Donna from Sterling, PA

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Sharon's Hanging Garden

I started a hanging tomato garden, and not having anything to hang them from, I built a trellis using the 1 1/2 inch and the 1/2 inch PVC piping. The milk jugs I used for my garden fit perfectly on the 1/2 PVC piping, and will sit on top of the 1 1/2 inch PVC piping rectangle trellis I made! Sharon's Trellis Garden

Use a milk jug to hang the tomatoes upside down, by putting a two inch hole in the bottom and using a newspaper square with a slit in it to keep the soil in. You can even plant other plants in the top like pepper plants! I have squash in the top of this, and plan to use the trellis to keep it off the ground.

Use another milk jug to create a strawberry plant holder, cut the top off leaving the handle and cut three small holes on the flat sides of the milk jug (look at the picture) poke holes in bottom for drainage and use the styrofoam peanuts found in packing material or any other torn up styrofoam (recycle!) in the bottom instead of gravel to keep the container from being heavy. You can hang this container, or leave it sitting like you would if you had bought an expensive strawberry pot!

By Sharon from Fairview, NC

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Questions

Here are questions related to Growing Tomatoes Upside Down.

Growing Tomatoes In Hanging Baskets

I've seen commercials for the hanging baskets to grow upside down tomatoes. Do these really work and does anyone know how difficult they are to use? Thanks so much.

Hardiness Zone: 7b

By Rcwidow from NC

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Most Recent Answer

By Tigertame4 03/03/2011

I used 2 liter pop bottles two years ago, they worked great (just do a web search for upside down planters). Last year I got a good deal on the topsy turvey planters and they also work well. I put heavy hooks into the ceiling beams of my porch. I wanted them away from my garden as the year before I had blight in my tomatoes. Having them upside down and up high they did not get blight. Note: I grow cherry tomatoes so they are not as heavy. If you use the bucket idea you could grow Marigolds on the top and they will keep pest bugs away from the tomatoes and look pretty.

Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

I would like information on growing tomatoes upside down.

By Donna from NE PA

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Most Recent Answer

By fuzzytufts 07/03/2012

You can use a 5 gal bucket and hang it right side up. Drill the holes for the plant about l/2 way up the bucket and hang it low enough to be able to water it. Remember the plant knows which way is up and will automatically grow upward, it requires more watering and feeding this way also. Where the hole is for the plant put a coffee filter and punch a small hole just big enough to get the plant in or you'll lose the soil out the holes. Make the holes about 1 inch.

Topsy Turvy Tomato Plant's Leaves Turning Brown

My tomato plant leaves are turning yellow and brown. Can you tell me why?

By Lori A. N.

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Growing Tomatoes In Hanging Baskets

Tips for growing tomatoes in hanging baskets from the ThriftyFun community.

Try Grape Tomatoes

As far as hanging baskets of tomatoes, all I can think of is grape tomatoes would be the easiest and most adaptable. You need good soil, something to keep the dirt in the baskets, some sort of support for the plants. And plenty of sunlight.

By lahlbrand

Upside Down

My sister grew them upside down in hanging planters somehow and gave me one, it was great!

By Lily 59

Five Gallon Buckets

We planted tomatoes in buckets last year and have started some this year (07). Simply cut a hole in the bottom of a bucket about the size of a quarter turn it over and fill with a good soil. Turn it back over and put a tomato in the hole and let it set that way for a few weeks. After the tomato has taken and made roots, hang it up on a hook somewhere and water frequently. Soon you will have tomatoes!

By JM

Post your own advice below.

Growing Tomatoes In Hanging Baskets

RE: Growing Tomatoes In Hanging Baskets

Grow them upside down in a coffee can. Take both ends off a coffee can, and cut an X in the plastic lid. Poke holes in one end of the can to put in a wire for hanging, and then gently insert the plant through the X in the lid, snap the lid on the opposite end from the hanger, and fill the can with soil. The plant will want to grow up towards the sun, and will curl up around the can. Works great with cherry/grape tomatoes or smaller regular tomatoes. (09/13/2007)

By QueenBeeCrafts

RE: Growing Tomatoes In Hanging Baskets

I decided to use milk jugs to plant my tomatoes in, the jug already has a handle to hang them with, and is easier to cut a hole in the bottom, I also made a strawberry pots with milk jugs as well, and have planted bell pepper, squash, and eggplant plants in the tops of the containers! (05/31/2008)

By skayc1

RE: Growing Tomatoes In Hanging Baskets

Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

I am looking for instructions on how to build a frame to grown tomatoes upside down, including how to secure it. Maybe in a hole with cement, to the ground so that it can hold the weight of the buckets. I will have to do this myself, with the help of home depot cutting the wood and I have never used cement before. Thank you so much for any help.

Hardiness Zone: 7a

Bluegina from Shelton, CT

RE: Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

We just had a post on craftsfer dot com about this. They used a regular two liter bottle, with the top becoming the bottom, and cutting off the bottom and punching holes to hang it from a hook.

See also http://ohcripes.com/?page_id=47 for another way. Cheap and cheerful! (04/07/2008)

By bcgrote

RE: Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

I know an easier way than that if you want to do this method, it is on TV and it hangs. I am not sure what the name of it is. It is for tomatoes and there is no concrete or building involved. I would look at the TV first and see if you can find it. (04/09/2008)

By crystal

RE: Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

I'm assuming you don't have a place to hang it otherwise you wouldn't be building something to hang it from. The idea is to use a five gallon bucket and use the handle to hang it, so you just buy 2 fence posts, 8 foot long. Dig 2 holes and pour some sack crete into hole and mix in some water to form cement (get the sack crete without rocks in it). Next you let it set for say 10 minutes to harden a little and put the fence post in it and fill the rest of the hole with the dirt you dug out. Pat lightly, do this about four feet apart for 2 buckets and 8 feet apart for four buckets. Let set for a day or two, depending on weather. Now they sell braided steel cable and turn buckles in the hardware store also so you secure it on one end and using the turn buckle you tighten it to the other post. Hope this helps you. I know it sounds like a lot but my hubby and I did it in just a couple of hours, less the waiting time for the cement to dry. (04/09/2008)

By Denise W

RE: Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

Go to instructables.com. They they have instructions on how to make a simple upside down tomato growing planter. It looks inexpensive too. You may have to join and become a member to view all of the instructions though. (04/09/2008)

By teachpad

RE: Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

We bought metal pipe and made a frame for ours. We used one long piece for the center suport. At the top, we crossed two pipes so the support can hold 4 buckets. We used endcaps and brackets to hold the buckets in place. We put the main support in an old milk carton that we filled with concrete. After it hardened, we were able to place it in a hole we dug. The concrete helped support the weight of the the planter once the buckets were on it. This wasn't cheap, but will last for years. (04/10/2008)

By susanmajp

RE: Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

Denise W, I do have plenty of places to hang the planter. I just needed instructions on how to make the inverted tomato planter. bcgrote gave a link in this list of answers called OhCripe.com and it has good instructions and pictures. I can't wait to make a few! Thanks again! (04/10/2008)

By frugalelf

RE: Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

I used regular plant pots:put small plant upside down (roots up through bottom hole).Then put in soil. I hung with regular plant pot hangers on lower limbs of trees. (If you don't have trees a deck railing or anything like that will do. (04/11/2008)

By pam2cats

RE: Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

I have instructions for UpsideDown Tomatoes on my website. http://www.thehappyhorticulturist.com (04/11/2008)

By luvnaz

RE: Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

Thank you everyone for your information and ideas. Sorry it took me so long to respond. I was out of town and then could not get onto this site. I'm going to review the posts and check out the references. I'll let you know how I do. Thanks so much. Gina (04/15/2008)

By gina

RE: Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

Here's a link to upside down planter's. minifarmhomestead.com. Click on gardening. (05/21/2008)

By Sharynlove

RE: Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

I bought some pvc piping and made my own 'trellis' I guess it is a building frame! I used the 1 1/4 inch thick pvc for the frame, and the thick 1/2 inch to hang my plants from. this is my first year trying this. (06/02/2008)

By skayc1

RE: Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down