Growing Tomatoes Upside Down
There are many upsides to be gained by growing tomatoes upside down. Many tomato growers have turned to this method of growing tomatoes to increase their crop due to the ease of growing our favourite vegetable this way.
An outdoor garden is not the favoured technique for growing tomatoes upside down, but rather they are grown in a container. A lack of space and time is not a hinderance to those who love tomatoes and elect to grow them this way.
It can also benefit those able to move their tomato plants around to receive the 6-8 hours required by the plants for maximum growth.
Another benefit to growing tomatoes upside down is that there is no requirement to stake the plants. Tomato plants need support as they grow taller but with the plant hanging upside down, the weight falls unsurprisingly towards the ground.
Lack of satisfactory quality soil is not a problem when tomatoes are grown in a container as the soil can be controlled which also reduces the amount of weeding required.
For many, the greatest benefit to be gained from growing the tomato plants upside down in a pot or container is that it reduces the amount of harm that can be done by pests. With the tomato plant is hanging from the ground, pests that damage tomatoes, find the fruit hard to get to. In addition, the risk of diseases passing from plant to plant when grown too closely together, is reduced when the plants are kept separate.
The tomato plant will deliver a bigger and better crop when grown upside down as the plants take direct benefit from this method. This can be attributed to better airflow around the plant and because there is less stress on the branches during growing.
The tomatoes will also ripen faster than those grown in the traditional way in an outdoor garden. Tomatoes that come into contact with the ground usually rot but this is unlikely to be an issue with the upside down method of growing.
Smaller tomato varieties are believed by many to be the most appropriate for this method, but by no means are they the only types suitable. Many tomato growers have found that the best tomatoes are those that are grown upside down rather than those grown in a traditional outside garden.
Once you have seen and tasted the wonderful tomatoes grown this way, it is easy to see why. Rather than kneeling in the dirt in the garden to harvest a few tomatoes for a salad, all one has to do it to reach out to their container on the patio or deck to pick some of the very same if not more succulent tomatoes.
