Jim, I would think a good name might be Upside Down Tomato. I like Topsy, Turvey, too. Maybe Hang by the Heels tomato would work.
I have seen the directions on how to do this using a 5 gallon bucket. It said to use a tall tomato plant so that when planted, it reaches within about four or five inches from the top of the bucket while you only leave about three inches of the plant sticking out of the bottom of the pail. The instructions said to use moss around the hole/plant in the bottom to keep the soil in place. It also said one could grow a cover crop such as lettuce on the top to act as a mulch or put the bucket lid on to maintain the moisture level somewhat. I wouldn't think lettuce wouldn't be such a good crop there when the heat hits. Instructions said when the plant was developed it would need watering nearly every day along with fertilizing frequently. Be sure to use potting soil in the bucket. Me and my co-coordinator are planning to do this very thing and make a bracket to hang them on each side of our main gate sign in our community gardens. I haven't decided what variety of tomato would work the best. Good luck with yours and hoping for success with ours as well. Maybe we can have a contest with pictures so we can decide who had the most success followed with a write up of their method used. Marilyn ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Call" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, April 17, 2006 8:12 PM Subject: [cg] Upside Down Tomatoes > To All, > While wasting my life away the other night watching the TV, I came across > the QVC channel promoting a couple of Topsy Turvy Tomato Hanging Planters to > grow tomatoes upside down. They were about 29 bucks for two. Boy oh boy! > > I thought about using old 5 gallon plastic buckets instead at little or no > cost.. then drilling holes in the bottom, inserting the tomato, adding a > good soil/compost mixture and lastly hanging it upside down from our arbor. > Because these tomato planters are like hanging baskets and receive alot of > heat and sun exposure, they will be irrigated by a drip system on a timer > (maybe twice a day). > > One more thing, I may have to create a heavy cardboard collar around the > planting hole to keep the soil/plant in and to protect the tomato. > > Any thoughts on my simple design or tomato recommendation? > > Oh yeah, since they are grown upside down, should I call them the "Tomatoes > From Down Under" or the "Outback Tomato Crop"? :) Whoever comes up with a > unique title for these unusually grown tomatoes will be acknowledged on my > website... www.casagarden.com. > > Since space is a valuable commodity in the CG world, others may want to try > this method. > > Thanks in advance for your recommendations/ideas. > > Jim Call, Huntsville, Al > > > > -- > Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 267.15.2/252 - Release Date: 2/6/2006 > > > ______________________________________________________ > The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org > > > To post an e-mail to the list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: https://secure.mallorn.com/mailman/listinfo/community_garden ______________________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: https://secure.mallorn.com/mailman/listinfo/community_garden
