Types

• When picking the tomatoes for an upside down planter, go for the smaller varities. Tomato varieties with large fruit, like Beefsteak, would be too heavy. Varieties like Sub-Arctic Plenty, Early Cascade and Mountain Spring all bear small to medium fruit. Of course, not every variety grows well in all zones, so consult your garden center about what thrives best in your area. Cherry, plum and grape tomatoes are also an option.
  
  

Features

• You can either buy upside down tomato kits, or build your own planter. Building your own is very easy. Just drill a hole in the bottom of a plastic container. A hanging basket that flowers come in works perfectly. Make the hole between 2 and 3 inches around. You need to put something in to hold the plant in place, such as moss from the garden center, to let the roots breathe. Then, put in the plant with the vine hanging out of the hole, make sure the moss is around the plant and holding it in place. Keep your hand on the plant and pour in the soil. Hang the plant and give it the first drink of water. You may have to add some soil as the season goes on, so keep an eye on the level.
  
  

Function

• Upside down tomatoes give an apartment dweller a chance to have a bumper crop. They can be grown inside as well, giving a year round crop. For the gardener with a small plot of land, it frees up garden space so you can plant other crops. Upside down tomatoes look so nice and decorative hanging from a front porch or in a window. Your upside down tomatoes will not only be the talk of the block, but will probably inspire others to follow your lead.
  
  

Benefits

• There are many benefits to growing tomatoes upside down. Since plants are suspended in the air, the garden pests like squirrels and chipmunks will not be able to get at them. If you have ever grown tomatoes in the ground, you know the trouble the vines have when the fruit becomes heavy. They droop down and the fruit can get damaged from being on the ground--you are fighting gravity. With upside down tomatoes, gravity actually helps you. The fruit-laden vines hang down and they become much less stressed.
  
  

Potential

• It won't be long before they develop special hybrids of tomatos just for upside down planting. Gardeners are already experimenting with other upside down crops, such as peppers and strawberries. Soon, upside down tomatoes may be more the rule than the exception.