Tomato plants are the standby of summertime small talk and the source of endless speculation, tall tales and time-tested passalong "secrets"; tomatoes are synonymous with the deepest mysteries of garden lore and alchemy.
Yup, tomatoes are a staple of the gardening sub-culture. So to make sure you take your rightful place in the story, and have something new to add to the conversation this summer, give it your best shot and grow your tomatoes upside down. Upside down in a hanging bucket, to be exact.
Well, why not? Topsy Turvy Tomatoes. It can be done!
You know real gardeners don't just plunk tomato seeds in the ground and hope for the best. Real gardeners water their tomatoes faithfully, fertilize, mulch, stake and prune, fuss and worry, maybe even give them a good old fashioned talking-to every now and then.
Purists would say there are many finer points of tomato culture, fully one hundred one of which are neatly summarized here in a thorough but straightforward document which might be called What's Wrong with My Tomatoes?
Then and again, some would say maybe we shouldn't get hung up over it all that much -- these suckers are 'born" to grow most any which way you plant 'em!.
Planting tomatoes upside down in a bucket is perfect for a crowded cottage garden; if you are out of space, plant up!
But to grow tomatoes upside down is to grow them with a twist. And if that's not enough fun and entertainment value, there could be some additional benefits. Just think: no staking, no weeding, easy to pick, no worries about bad soil or woodchuck damage and hey, no slugs!
Best of all, this is an easy care conversation piece. Keep it handy, right by the back door. If it works, you could probably get your picture in your home town paper along with those amazing topsy turvy tomatoes. (If not, send it to me and I'll publish it right here.)
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