Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

[LadyPucksMa]

[font="Century Gothic"]I found this interesting idea & we are trying it this year. I'll post some pics of ours as they grow.... A great idea for folks that lack real earth or garden space~
We've been growing our tomatoes upside-down for the past three years and really have fun growing them this way! We also grow tomatoes in the ground, and, by comparison, the ones in the upside-down buckets seem to have a little better yield than the same varieties grown in the ground. I attribute it to the fact that the branches have less stress while growing, and have better air circulation. Of course, you have to grow smaller varieties or ones that are suited for container growing, or the yields will be less.
We've experimented with growing peppers and have found that sweet bells do not do good because the branches break very easily. Varieties such as Cayenne, Tabasco, or ones that produce small fruit, will grow fine.

You can grow tomatoes in any large container that has a sturdy hanging system, but we've found the safest is to use five-gallon paint buckets that have a handle. Planting them in the buckets is much easier and safer for the plants when you have one or two other people helping you.

Instructions for Planting

Start out by drilling a hole in the bottom of the bucket. Usually, there is already a circular indentation, which is approx. 2