Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

I am looking for instructions on how to build a frame to grown tomatoes upside down, including how to secure it. Maybe in a hole with cement, to the ground so that it can hold the weight of the buckets. I will have to do this myself, with the help of home depot cutting the wood and I have never used cement before. Thank you so much for any help.

Hardiness Zone: 7a

Bluegina from Shelton, CT

Answers:

Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

We just had a post on craftsfer dot com about this. They used a regular two liter bottle, with the top becoming the bottom, and cutting off the bottom and punching holes to hang it from a hook.

See also http://ohcripes.com/?page_id=47 for another way. Cheap and cheerful! (04/07/2008)

By Brandy Grote

Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

I know an easier way than that if you want to do this method, it is on TV and it hangs. I am not sure what the name of it is. It is for tomatoes and there is no concrete or building involved. I would look at the TV first and see if you can find it. (04/09/2008)

By crystal

Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

I'm assuming you don't have a place to hang it otherwise you wouldn't be building something to hang it from. The idea is to use a five gallon bucket and use the handle to hang it, so you just buy 2 fence posts, 8 foot long. Dig 2 holes and pour some sack crete into hole and mix in some water to form cement (get the sack crete without rocks in it). Next you let it set for say 10 minutes to harden a little and put the fence post in it and fill the rest of the hole with the dirt you dug out.

Pat lightly, do this about four feet apart for 2 buckets and 8 feet apart for four buckets. Let set for a day or two, depending on weather. Now they sell braided steel cable and turn buckles in the hardware store also so you secure it on one end and using the turn buckle you tighten it to the other post. Hope this helps you. I know it sounds like a lot but my hubby and I did it in just a couple of hours, less the waiting time for the cement to dry. (04/09/2008)

By Denise W

Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

We bought metal pipe and made a frame for ours. We used one long piece for the center suport. At the top, we crossed two pipes so the support can hold 4 buckets. We used endcaps and brackets to hold the buckets in place. We put the main support in an old milk carton that we filled with concrete. After it hardened, we were able to place it in a hole we dug. The concrete helped support the weight of the the planter once the buckets were on it. This wasn't cheap, but will last for years. (04/10/2008)

By susan

Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

Denise W, I do have plenty of places to hang the planter. I just needed instructions on how to make the inverted tomato planter. bcgrote gave a link in this list of answers called OhCripe.com and it has good instructions and pictures. I can't wait to make a few! Thanks again! (04/10/2008)

By Pattie McIntyre

Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

I used regular plant pots: put small plant upside down (roots up through bottom hole).Then put in soil. I hung with regular plant pot hangers on lower limbs of trees. (If you don't have trees a deck railing or anything like that will do. (04/11/2008)

By Pamela O'Brien

Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

I have instructions for UpsideDown Tomatoes on my website.

http://www.thehappyhorticulturist.com

(04/11/2008)

By luvnaz

Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

Thank you everyone for your information and ideas. Sorry it took me so long to respond. I was out of town and then could not get onto this site. I'm going to review the posts and check out the references. I'll let you know how I do. Thanks so much. Gina (04/15/2008)

By gina

Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

Here's a link to upside down planter's. minifarmhomestead.com. Click on gardening. (05/21/2008)

By Sharon

Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

I bought some pvc piping and made my own 'trellis' I guess it is a building frame! I used the 1 1/4 inch thick pvc for the frame, and the thick 1/2 inch to hang my plants from. this is my first year trying this. (06/02/2008)

By Sharon

Building Frame For Growing Tomatoes Upside Down

Great creativity! Good luck, thanks for posting. I'm gonna check out the pvc idea. (06/04/2008)

By gina