Re: Grow tomatoes up-side down?

 

I guess it may make sense to grow the plants off the ground - it may get
them out of reach of some pests like cutworms.  But it seems a little hard
to believe that the plants will grow better upside down than they will right
side up, all else being equal.  Anyone done a side-by-side test?

 

Lou wrote:

The Tomato, after all, is a vine. It would just as soon lay on the
ground if we hadn't interceded to keep the fruits off the ground. It
doesn't have any trouble changing direction. I wonder if watering from
the bottom might help the roots grow, along the same lines of watering
deeply to encourage deep growth.

   I found this:

http://nzdl.sadl.uleth.ca/gsdl/collect/fnl2.2/archives/HASH018f.dir/p009.gif

  What a root system!

I know that irregular watering leads to blossom end rot and the fruit
splitting.

   Anyone done a side-by-side test?

  Not that I could find. Must be somewhere.

   Jeff

 

Jeff Thies wrote:

An apartment dwelling friend was growing tomatoes with a "Topsy Turvy
Tomato Tree". He said that the results were disappointing. He's had
spectacular results with this, though:
http://tinyurl.com/Earthbox-garden-kit

Apparently the built-in watering system works very well.

 

Jeff Thies wrote:

No it isnt.


fruits off the ground.

Thats wrong too with bush varietys.


True. And plenty of other stuff doesnt either like strawberrys and other
espaliered trees.


Nope, not evidence with hydroponic tomatoes that it makes any difference.


Doesnt work with some plants like lettuce.


splitting.


Yep, tried both ways myself.

 

Lou wrote:


out of reach of some pests like

better upside down than they will right

Yep, it works fine both ways.

Just means that tomatoes are a very adaptable plant.

You can do it with strawberrys too.