When people first saw an advertisement for an Upside Down Tomato Garden, they thought it was a joke. It seems like a goofy idea, and maybe too gimmicky to actually work.

However, the product is real and "old-timer" gardeners have been growing tomato plants upside down for years. The obvious question is: Why?

There are pros and cons of an Upside Down Tomato Garden:

Drawbacks include intense need for watering and lack of sunlight. Very heavy (up to 60 pounds) when full of soil and water (need's sturdy hook to hang from).

Cons of an Upside Down Tomato Garden

Weight - The containers require a lot of dirt, which is heavy. In addition, when you water it, it may be too heavy to move with ease.
Watering - To make the container manageable, it is relatively small for the plant. This means frequent watering. Very frequent.
Plant Size - Depending on the variety you get, the root system may not hold the plant when fully grown.
Applying Insect Repellent - Because the plant is upside down, it makes shaking the insect repellent dust onto the plant a bit challenging.

Pros of an Upside Down Tomato Garden

Early Harvest- Your tomatoes can be ready a few weeks earlier than normal because of how warm the roots are able to get. (Roots being heated from all sides allows faster growth.)
Very Few Weeds - You use potting soil, not regular ground soil, and there's no contact with neighboring plants, so no weeds!
Diseases from the Soil - Since you have 'fresh' soil, there are fewer diseases that can inflict your plants. The air circulation also helps keep the plant healthy. In addition, pests like snails or slugs can't reach the plants.
Easy to Prune - Pruning is easier when the plant is hanging down...and the plant can be suspended at a height that avoids the need to bend down to harvest or prune.
No Rot - Tomatoes rot when they stay in contact with the ground. When all of the tomatoes are hanging, you increase your harvestable yield.

Some people will try to improvise their own system rather than using a commercial product. This may be worth a try, if you're willing to lose your entire harvest. The challenge is in balancing the size of the container to get enough soil and water, with something that can actually hang. Many people who build their own upside down tomato garden end up with poor results.

The commercial products are not only worth while to avoid the hassle (and possible crop loss), but Time magazine voted the Upside Down Tomato Garden product "The America’s Best Invention" in 2005.

You can find the Upside-down Tomato Garden at Amazon.com.

Linda - http://how.best-free-information.com - The "How" Blog