I live in a second floor apartment with a balcony and not a very big one at that. I decided to plant tomatoes but there isn't much room to put containers in such a small space, then I looked up. I have a spider plant and it hangs down from the ceiling, why can't tomatoes?
So I got one of those coconut lining type of planters, cut a small space in the bottom of it took a small tomato plant stuck the roots up into the cut spot. While holding the roots in one hand, I added some little rocks for drainage and then some potting soil to the top, hung it up on a hook from the ceiling and watered it. It is now beginning to bloom and it is growing. The stems and the leaves are growing upwards toward the light. I'm sure once the tomatoes come on the plant they will hang down some.
Source: I saw some planters for sell in some magazines that were basically plastic bags with holes cut in them. The idea of a tomato plant growing upside down had never occurred to me before, I thought of planting them in a pot and just hanging the pot, but after seeing the planter in the magazine I decided to give the idea a try.
I didn't want to go out and buy something new, that defeats the purpose of recycling. I spotted the coconut liner planter that I had had from the previous summer and thought why not! Why not indeed, it has plenty of room for the roots to have a field day up there and its not taking any of the space down below normally occupied by human feet. I want to do this with cucumbers as well. I just have to get the cucumber plants, wish me luck!
RE: Growing a Hanging Upside Down Tomato On a Balcony
By Susan from Hamilton (Guest Post)
I did the same thing but noticed the water ran straight through the coco matting. So I added dog pee pads to hold in the moisture and it seems to be holding it in a bit better. The tomatoes are not as shriveled. Hope this idea works for you. I have little tomatoes on the plant already and my plants are growing up as well. Good luck.
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