Above, Silverrowan asked "why not just grow them out of the TOP of a hanging container?". That's a valid question. In my case, I guess there's not a real good answer; I have plenty of large containers, raised beds, open space, and 4 acres of irrigated ground that I could grow vegetables in. To be honest, I had seen others plant tomatoes upside-down, and I found it interesting and quirky; so I planted some just to play, to experiment, to be quirky, whatever. Having said that, here is what some "upside-down" growers around the web say about WHY they plant upside-down (I will not vouch for the validity of any of these points): "First, the air can circulate better so the plants have almost no disease problems. Second, the fruit doesnÂt rot as quickly as that on the ground. And finally, some critters that eat tomatoes have trouble getting to the ripening fruit." "We also grow tomatoes in the ground, and, by comparison, the ones in the upside-down buckets seem to have a little better yield than the same varieties grown in the ground. I attribute it to the fact that the branches have less stress while growing, and have better air circulation. Of course, you have to grow smaller varieties or ones that are suited for container growing, or the yields will be less." "First, they dont have near the problem with disease as tomatos growing on the ground. Also being hung off the ground tends to make it a lot more difficult for animals and bugs to get to the plants. Not to mention they dont need tilling or weeding!" "Hanging upside down the weight is upside down as well so you donÂt need to stake them, and the fruit is better because it doesnÂt come in contact with the ground which can cause rotting. It also ripens faster because it is not shaded by other plants. Other benefits include no tilling or weeding, and some pests that eat tomatoes have trouble getting to the ripening fruit." And on and on . . . Oh, and JaG is correct; the plants actually grow UP. The plants are growing out of the bottom of the bucket, but the foliage continues to reach for the sky up the sides of the bucket. As tomatoes begin to mature, the weight of the fruit drags the plant down.

okra grows very easily to 5-8'+ with full sun and full sun is what it needs to produce pods properly. there are dwarf/pot varieties of okra that get only a few feet high, but the yields are pretty boring. it's not a heavy plant but it has large leaf mass if you have wind considerations. It likes to be anchored pretty firmly, but it's not as top-heavy and picky as corn is (for instance) about wind. growing it upside down probably won't save you any space given how tall it is and it'd probably look really freaky.

Update on these planters need to find a better way to hang them after months of heat the tie wraps have worked throw and some are hanging by a thread but i must say all grew super well peppers best here are some pic Dont think ill do the 4 jugs again ill just do the pail upside down pots nexted year they sure gave me tons of bell peppers and japinos and way more cherry tomatoes then i know what to do with for less space great and the upside down shades the plant from our very hot texas sun hehehehe I did water ever other day and very little fert .All my dill died and im starting new batch. Angie

I would like to try this but have a lots of questions for those who have experience using this method. I really want to get this right. I would guess that others have many of the same questions. I know my tomatoes usually climb right out of the 5 ft cages and then back to the ground. How high do these need to be off the ground? My 5 gal. bucket stands almost 2ft. off the floor which means if I put them 6ft. off the ground, that leaves about 4ft. for the plant to grow. Will that be enough? Or will growing them in a bucket restrict the growth? I can build a support that will get them up to 8ft off the ground but will that be too much? On a hill with lots of wind, should I be concerned? Rope or other support method recommended? For the plant? For the tomatoes? Would it be better to put a 2x4 (or whatever) right through the handle? Or use something else? What about spacing? How much? Will they tend to slide from the wind? The bush plants I grew (in ground) last yr. were almost 5ft but sprawling. Is it better to grow a bush or other determinate? Is pruning recommended? I tend to let mine just go with minimal pruning. Usu. just the lower branches which would be just the opposite using this method. I usu. intermix basil with my tomatoes. Anyone tried growing basil out of the same bottom hole? Also wondering about tips/tricks on watering. I know from growing a tomato plant in a bucket (on the ground) last yr. I had to water it almost every day because of the wind drying out the soil. It really didn't do that well but was early. To aid in watering, is it recommended to drill more than one hole in the lid or just leave it off? Any recommended nutrients or soil amendments? Other thoughts or recommendations? Thanks to ALL, Gumby CT ps. Looking for a reliable source for Siberian Tomato seeds. Supposed to produce fruit down to about 38 deg. Anyone have experience with Siberian Tomatoes?