Tips For Upside Down Tomato Growing
Who doesn't want a fresh tomato right off the vine? But what if you have lack of space. But now its possible to get fresh tomatoes from your own garden, even if you don't have too much space. All you need is an open balcony, terrace or even a small patio that receives quite a bit of sunlight and you can have your garden. You can get your fresh and ripe tomatoes from an upside down tomato garden. All you need are some pre made upside down planters and you are on your way. These planters are great space savers and time savers. Of course you need to take care of the tomato plant just like you would do in a conventional soil garden.
The first step to building your upside down tomato garden is getting the right seedling. Choose the seedling that is green in color and the leaves are in perfect health. Disregard any sapling that looks wilted away or where the leaves have holes or look eaten by insects. The tomato seedling should also be as wide as it is tall.
Fertilizing the plant the right way
The soil for the upside down tomato should have initially been fertilized in the right way if purchased from a reputable grower. After that your upside down tomato garden needs occasional fertilizing. Usually two tablespoons of fertilizer should be mixed in the soil at the time of planting. But if the nitrogen content of the fertilizer is extremely high, then you can use only a single tablespoon of your desired fertilizer. Once the tomatoes start to appear, you will need to fertilizer the plant again. Your local garden store should be able to help you with the right fertilizer.
Get the right temperature and sunlight
Tomatoes need at least 8-10 hours of direct sunlight every day. Your upside down tomato planters should be placed in the sun. The temperatures that are most suitable for the plant are in the band of 50 - 78 degree Fahrenheit. Temperatures below or above these temperatures can spell trouble for the plant.
If there has been a hot spell and the temperatures have ranged above 78 degree Fahrenheit for a few days (and if the situation is likely to continue), then you would need to cover the tomato planters to protect them. Its best to plant the upside down tomato garden right after the frost has gone in the spring.
Insects such as thrips are a problem for the tomatoes. You can use organic pesticides available at the local garden store to counter this problem. Be consistent with watering the plant, else the plant can wilt away.
Other problems faced by the upside down tomato plants
Another problem that is faced by the plant with irregular watering is the black rot at the bottom of the tomato. If you see that your tomatoes are forming a black rot at the nip of the tomato, you can be sure that you haven't watered the plant properly. This happens when you have watered the plant intermittently.
The first step to building your upside down tomato garden is getting the right seedling. Choose the seedling that is green in color and the leaves are in perfect health. Disregard any sapling that looks wilted away or where the leaves have holes or look eaten by insects. The tomato seedling should also be as wide as it is tall.
Fertilizing the plant the right way
The soil for the upside down tomato should have initially been fertilized in the right way if purchased from a reputable grower. After that your upside down tomato garden needs occasional fertilizing. Usually two tablespoons of fertilizer should be mixed in the soil at the time of planting. But if the nitrogen content of the fertilizer is extremely high, then you can use only a single tablespoon of your desired fertilizer. Once the tomatoes start to appear, you will need to fertilizer the plant again. Your local garden store should be able to help you with the right fertilizer.
Get the right temperature and sunlight
Tomatoes need at least 8-10 hours of direct sunlight every day. Your upside down tomato planters should be placed in the sun. The temperatures that are most suitable for the plant are in the band of 50 - 78 degree Fahrenheit. Temperatures below or above these temperatures can spell trouble for the plant.
If there has been a hot spell and the temperatures have ranged above 78 degree Fahrenheit for a few days (and if the situation is likely to continue), then you would need to cover the tomato planters to protect them. Its best to plant the upside down tomato garden right after the frost has gone in the spring.
Insects such as thrips are a problem for the tomatoes. You can use organic pesticides available at the local garden store to counter this problem. Be consistent with watering the plant, else the plant can wilt away.
Other problems faced by the upside down tomato plants
Another problem that is faced by the plant with irregular watering is the black rot at the bottom of the tomato. If you see that your tomatoes are forming a black rot at the nip of the tomato, you can be sure that you haven't watered the plant properly. This happens when you have watered the plant intermittently.