Upside Down Hanging Tomato Plant

by Elizabeth (Beth) Naylor, M.S., R.D.
Health Professions Division
Eugene, OR
541-463-5533

Hanging Tomato Plant

Below are my instructions.

This is a heavy 12" heavy cardboard pot that we've used for 3 years.

There are a variety of ways to widen the hole in the bottom. We used a "spade" drill bit.

I bought a four pack of 2 inch tomato starts.

and Jim put the start through the hole.

Soil went into the top....

....and then a little viola planted there.

This is 12 hours after I planted it in mid May. It has already curled so it can grow up.

This was early June another year when I planted ivy in the top.

From our kitchen window, we watched it growing up, but then beginning to start down as it got heavier.

early July

late July

Another year we had tomatoes called "Juliett".

This is the first year we did it, when I planted lobelia in the top. As with many tomato plants, by late August they're still bearing tomatoes, but the greenery looks pretty puny.

One year I had a contest with my baby brother, who lives in Arlington, Virginia, to see who could get the first ripe tomato in June. Can you tell who won?

But who had the healthiest-looking plant?

This is how a friend did it. In late April, she poked the tomato start up root first through the bottom of the planter. There was already a little soil there and she added more.

This is a heavy 12" heavy cardboard pot that we've used for 3 years.	There are a variety of ways to widen the hole in the bottom. We used a "spade" drill bit.
	I bought a four pack of 2 inch tomato starts.
and Jim put the start through the hole.
	Soil went into the top....	....and then a little viola planted there.
	This is 12 hours after I planted it in mid May. It has already curled so it can grow up.
This was early June another year when I planted ivy in the top.	From our kitchen window, we watched it growing up, but then beginning to start down as it got heavier.	early July
late July	Another year we had tomatoes called "Juliett".	This is the first year we did it, when I planted lobelia in the top. As with many tomato plants, by late August they're still bearing tomatoes, but the greenery looks pretty puny.
One year I had a contest with my baby brother, who lives in Arlington, Virginia, to see who could get the first ripe tomato in June. Can you tell who won?	But who had the healthiest-looking plant?
This is how a friend did it. In late April, she poked the tomato start up root first through the bottom of the planter. There was already a little soil there and she added more.