If you lack enough ground space for growing tomatoes, hang them upside down. This method is beneficial in different ways.
Tomatoes grown at home are always preferred to store-bought ones. However, everyone is not lucky enough to have sufficient ground space for a vegetable garden. In that case, you may grow plants upside down. For growing tomatoes, you need a sunny location, where you can hang the containers. It is easier to prune and harvest plants that grow upside down.
While weed menace is minimal, there are very less chances of soil-borne tomato plant diseases. You can also do away with stakes and tomato cages. It is also said that, tomatoes grown upside down yield better, as compared to their counterparts. In short, this is one of the preferred methods for growing tomato plants.
► First of all, collect the required materials for hanging tomato plants upside down. You need five-gallon buckets, some strong chord, soil, and tomato seedlings. Nowadays, upside down tomato planters are also available in the market.
► Clean the bucket, and drill a hole in its bottom. The hole must have a diameter of two inches, and should be in the center. Place a few layers of newspaper on the bottom of the bucket and make a slit through the hole.
► The next step is to fill the bucket with soil. You will need a 40 lb bag of soil, to fill a five-gallon bucket. It will be better to buy soil with added nutrients.
► Once you are done with the soil, you may either cover the bucket with the lid that has holes for watering, or leave it uncovered.
► If the buckets have holes along the edges, insert chords through the holes, and tie them to the hook that is meant for hanging the bucket. Otherwise, drill four holes at equal distances, along the edge of the bucket.
► Hang the bucket, and plant the seedling through the slit made in the newspaper. The roots of the seedling must be well inside the soil. Some people plant the seedling first, and allow it to grow erect, by keeping the bucket straight. The bucket is hanged upside down, only when the plant gets established.
► The location, where you hang the tomato plants, must provide the plants with good sunlight. Care for these plants include daily watering, but avoid over watering that can lead to dripping.
► Rotate the plants once a week, in order to expose all parts to sunlight. This will prevent their growth in a single direction. It is recommended to feed the plants once in every two weeks with a balanced fertilizer. You may also prune those branches that do not produce fruits.
In short, hanging tomato plants is not a difficult task that require expertise. However, such plants may not develop a sprawling root system, and this may affect their size. You may also face difficulty in hanging those heavy containers with the soil and the plant. In case of any doubt, contact the local nursery officials or a horticulturist.