An upside down tomato planter can be a fun way to grow tomatoes.

Growing tomatoes upside down is a technique that has been around for more than a decade.

Consider the full weight of the planter and the available sunlight.

cherry tomatoes on the vine

Credit:HuyThoai / Getty Images

Think About Weight

An upside down tomato planter is very heavy.

The pot, moist soil, and fruit-laden plant can easily weigh 50 pounds or more.

Sturdy hanging hardware and a secure structure to mount the hardware to are essential.

Sunlight

Upside down tomato planters are often suspended from a houses eve or a porch roof.

These are sturdy locations for hanging the heavy containers, but they may lack a key elementsunlight.

Porch roofs, houses, and nearby trees all have the potential to cast shade on a hanging container.

Choose the growing location after analyzing how sun and shade impact the space through an entire day.

Plants can tell up from down and theyll do everything they can to grow upright.

How to Make an Upside Down Tomato Planter

1.

Several plastic, mesh bags are on the market for growing tomatoes upside down.

Soil dries out quickly in these porous grow bags.

Use a 5-gallon bucket for growing tomatoes upside down.

Choose the right tomato plant.

Choose a small-fruitedtype of tomato, such as a cherry, grape, pear, or currant tomato.

Some great small-fruited varieties include Super Sweet 100, Sun Gold, Jasper, Jolly, and Valentine.

Make a planting hole.

Using the drill and saw attachment, make a 2-inch-wide hole in the bottom of the bucket.

Add soil and water.

Cover the planting hole with two layers of newspaper.

Prepare the tomato seedling.

Remove the tomato seedlingfrom its nursery container and gently wrap the root ball with a single layer of newspaper.

Set the bucket on its side so you’ve got the option to jump into the planting hole.

Place the seedling in the planting hole.

Hang your upside down tomato planter in a sturdy location that can handle the full weight of it.

Remove the lid if desired or leave it in place and remove it as needed to water.

Upside Down Tomato Care Tips

Water an upside down tomato planteras you would any container plant.

Check the soil moisture daily.

Aim to keep the soil moist, but not wet.

Soil may wash out of the container during watering.