Monday, March 15, 2010

Upside Down - Perfect for Growing Your Tomatoes

Upside down tomato planters have become fairly popular over the last few years. There are articles on how you can build your own, and there are a number of commercially available units. But what are the advantages of using these upside down planters, and what kind of options do you have for buying or making one?

Upside Down Hanging Tomato Planter - Should You Make or Buy One

There are several types of planters you can buy. Some are for just a single plant, while others handle several plants. They can be used on a deck or even a balcony, bringing fresh tomatoes to the apartment or condo dweller.

They are advertised heavily to be used for tomatoes, but they can also be used to grow smaller bush plants like peppers and maybe even eggplants. Many herbs will grow well in these planters.

There are smaller planters (one of the most popular is the Topsy Turvy hanging planter) that your can find for less than $20. It will usually hold one tomato plant (you can sometimes put a second one on the top), and will need someplace to hang.

Another type is the larger self supporting free standing units like the Upside Down Tomato Garden. This garden unit stands almost five feet tall and is designed to hold several tomato plants, and herbs or flowers on the top. An ideal fit for an apartment balcony or patio, it will also serve well as a nice little garden space you can put close to your kitchen on a deck.

You should be aware that when you have filled these with plants and they are fully loaded they can weigh too much to easily move, so plan ahead when considering its location, so you don't have to move the loaded unit. The larger free standing upside down tomato garden will hold almost 80 pounds of soil, so you don't want to be moving it after it's loaded.

You can build an upside down planter yourself. One common approach is to use a plastic bucket for a planter by cutting a hole in the bottom that is a few inches in diameter to allow the plant to grow out. You can hang it from a hook on the house, or build a simple sawhorse bracket.

Pros of Using an Upside Down Tomato Planter

With the tomatoes hanging in the air they can ripen without rot. You have fewer problems with pests like snails and ants. Make sure to keep the planter soil moist, as all container grown plants tend to dry out fairly quickly in hot weather.

An upside down tomato garden is perfect for your apartment on a your balcony or a backyard patio, or put one on a patio or deck for those who are wanting to have part of their garden closer to the kitchen.

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