SteveB wrote:

I have seen on TV these upside down tomato containers. They look like, and
probably are simple bags that let you grow tomatos in a hanging position
upside down.

I have raised tomatos in Louisiana for about six years, so am familiar with
a lot of the basics. I now live in Utah, and although it is quite a
different climate here, some of the basics apply.

Has anyone ever tried these? Do they work? Could one build some of the
same thing out of say, burlap bags, as I believe they would probably last
only one season anyway?

Or just grow them the right way?

Steve



Steve,

The ones that they sell are EXTREMELY overpriced (usually about $10 per
bag). If you want to try to grow upside down tomatoes you can make your
own up side down containers. One year I took some three liter soft
drink bottles and cut off the bottoms, poked some hole near the bottom,
used some twine for hangers and planted a tomato plant in each one. The
ones that did the best were the smaller type plants (determinate). They
were all hung in a nice sunny area of the garden and all produced a good
crop. Comparing them to the same type of plant that were grown in the
ground the only advantage that I saw was that the upside down ones
produced tomatoes a few days earlier than the "in ground" tomatoes. The
BIG disadvantage that I found was that the 3 liter containers had to be
watered daily (if it didn't rain).

I might give them a try again this year because the grand kids seen them
on TV and expressed an interest in trying them. I've been looking
around for a cheap alternative to the bags that they sell but I think
three liter bottles are as cheap as you can get.
--
Bill R. (Ohio Valley, U.S.A)

Gardening for over 40 years

To see pictures from my garden visit http://members.iglou.com/brosen

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