On Feb 26, 9:16 pm, "SteveB" meagain@rockvilleUSA wrote:
"Jangchub" wrote in message

...







On Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:18:12 -0500, Bill R
wrote:

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.

If you have five gallon buckets, poke holes all along the bottom and
sides and hang those upside down with the tomato plants in them.

Just saw the ad and was curious. I think I'll just wait until the local
nursery starts selling them, then grow them in the customary way, and do
what I did before. Nothing like fresh tomatos.

Steve

The only thought I had about this was that some of the tomatoe plants
get mildewed or moldy or spotty leaves and start dropping them from
getting water on the leaves. Any overwatering would go right to the
foliage and could promote what ever that is. It would be so much
easier to pick them with them higher and with less foliage though,
that I've wanted to try it.
Our Amish farmer friends place the plants between two fences about a
foot apart and let them 'climb' between them. They remove some of the
foliage and have less reason to water. The plants produce
voluminously, and are easy to see and get to. Trying to get DH to put
up the fences this year.
Olde Hippee