Inverted Tomatoes

[LT04]

Good morning Guys and Gals,

I’m not sure if any of you would have an interest in this but I’ll throw it out there anyway.

I have a friend who has been a farmer most of his life and he told me about the wonders of “inverted tomatoes” or IT at some would call it. It’s a process where you grow tomatoes upside down. It sounds weird I know it took me a few years of odd looks to get the gusto to try it so far it has worked well.

Why would you want to try this? I get that one a lot.

A ) Tomatoes are subject to seven types of diseases growing them off the ground eliminates the possibility of four of them from ever happening.

B ) Growing them upside down uses gravity to push all the nutrients in the plant to the fruit.

C ) My personal favorite (b/c I have a lazy streak) you don’t have to prop branches off of the ground b/c they are suspended above the ground.

D ) This fashion of gardening works well where space is limited. (i.e. apartment building on the 30th floor)

To make one you:

1 ) take a 5 gallon bucket.

2 ) Cut a hole in the bottom big enough to fit the bush part of the plant through. Be careful plastic tends to splinter off into veins all over the place.

3 ) Then after you put the plant where you want it place wet news paper around the base of the plant to prevent soils from falling out of the hole you cut.

4 ) Place the top soil in the bucket.

5 ) (This isn’t a required step but I have heard it works well.) Take a small soda bottle and cut the neck off, then poke about six holes about the size of the eraser at the end of a pencil all around it. Place the bottle in the bucket slightly above the level of the top soil. This is where you put the water for a controlled release.

6 ) Hang the five gallon bucket from a very sturdy hook where it can get at a minimum of eight hours of sun light a day.

I planted my first three about three weeks ago they have almost tripled in size. I am very impressed by the results so I thought some of you might take an interest.

-LT04

[Marsha]

Pictures? Would love to see some.

[Dr T]

Yes, like Marsha, I'd like to see some pictures too.

[Guest mamacat]

that sounds very innovative and intriguing. it might feel somewhat strange consuming the tomatoes though. i think of food nourished in the earth as being grounded in earth, reaching downward for earth energy...and reaching skyward for sun energy...the minerals in the soil have a deep relationship with the light of the sun. it's a process of roots delving deep and plant rising high. i dunno....it just seems that this process is intrinsic to the 'life' and composition of the plant. it's one reason that artificially grown, hydroponic food doesn't seem to have the same life that traditionally grown food does.

it's very interesting though. great topic. :)

[Blessed]

A neighbor of mine did this once and the tomatos that were produced were prolific and huge! Tasted good as well.

[Dr T]

Cat,

It is still growing in soil. Whether in the Earth or not-it's still soil.

[Guest mamacat]

i meant earth as in the planet earth. reaching into the planet for its unique earth energy. roots reaching upward do not ground themselves in the 'earth' (as in planet).

[Guest MrsS]

Tomatoes generally are a vining plant. That is why the use of tomato cages came into use - to keep the plant off the ground and the fruit of the plant away from slugs, etc.

I prefer to grow cherry tomatoes in hanging baskets right on the porch. You would have to have a very sturdy porch overhang to handle the weight of the 5 gallon bucket.

I also have done Salad in a Pot. I used a HUGE peat pot that I set on the porch. I had the turn table from my ancient sharp microwave (I think it was like 20" across) that I put under this peat pot. It took 1/2 bag of bark rock and 2 bags of steer blend soil amendment (steer blend is one of THE best outside potting soil mixes around and it is Cheap,Cheap,Cheap compaired to (pick a name) Potting Soil. Find a place on your porch or patio where it will get lots of sunlight. You can shade it if necessary until the salad starts take root and grow. Plant your salad starts. I found that if you place your lettuces about a fist apart, they will grow great. I planted radish seeds in the area that my spread out hand would cover. Radishes are pick and plant. As you harvest some, plant more seeds. Always plant a bit too much, thin and use those thinnings in the salad! Do the same with carrot seeds - I did a long planter box for carrots. I "dusted" the entire box with carrot seeds, gently raked them into the soil (I have a set of miniture garden tools made for indoor plants), as I thinned the carrots, I took those thinnings and used them in salads, sandwiches and soups. They are wonderful. I also 'sprout' carrot seeds like I do alfalfa, mung beans, radish seeds, etc.

I plant leaf lettuce only - it is cut and come again. Meaning that you cut some leaves off for your salad and leave some leaves for tomorrow night. By planting the starts close together, you are not allowing any weeds an opportunity to take root and get any sunlight to grow. Also the plants will then provide their own mulch.

I plant tomato plants in the huge peat pots too - I use the porch railing to tie the plants to and have them grow along the railing. Another thing with the hanging cherry tomatoes. And this was years before you got tomatoes in the store on the vine. I would cut a section of vine that had some ripe tomatoes and in the process of ripening, place the vine w/the tomatoes in a paper towel lined basket on my table and let the tomatoes continue to ripen. Never refridgerate your tomatoes until after you have cut them. The cherry tomatoes are the exception. They can be refridgerated without them breaking down and getting all mushy and nasty.

I love fresh mint. It is a fairly easy plant to grow and it is prolific. The garden store was tossing out a bunch of the huge peat pots cause the tops had ripped down. They gave them to me. I cut them down to about 15" from the bottom. The cut and broken off parts I broke up into dust and mixed that with my steer blend. I planted my mint starts (I got 2" plants for like $0.79 ) a fist apart and made sure I left the nursery tag right next to it. With in months I had healthy plants and could start harvesting from it. Cut a sprig of mint off at about 2" from the soil level. Gently spray off with cool water at the tap. Curl the sprig into the serving tea pot and add boiling water. Let steep about 10 minutes, serve. You can remove the sprig, or leave in - doesn't matter.

Mince some mint leaves and toss into your garden salad, on pork or lamb or even chicken. Use fresh mint leaves to decorate your cakes, fruit salads, puddings, etc. So many uses for mint, not enough mint plant. One or two mint leaves, chopped up and sprinkled on a sandwich is good too.

By the way I got a variety of different 'flavors' of mint. Chocolate Mint, Pineapple Mint, Spearmint, Peppermint, Lemon Mint, etc.

[Dr T]

I know Cat. What I am saying is that the soil contains the nutrients needed. It is not an "energy" from the planet that makes it grow.

[Guest mamacat]

lol, i suppose i think of growing things in terms of energy. somewhat due to my interest in the agricultural methods of biodynamics. i just need some delightful, rich soil to get my hands into and feel and smell the earth on my skin. i love the way the earth nurtures life. :)

[LT04]

Kinda busy today (first day, new job, new industry) I'll work on the pic's promise to get them up this week.

I planted an American hybrid called a bush Goliath. It's said to get as big 3' or 4' and produce through the winter months if you keep it in side. (The wife tells me thats not going to happen. he he)

I'll also get some pics up a few months from now to show you the progress.

-LT04

[Outshined]

Found a few links about it.

http://community.webshots.com/album/549853482pULRSe

http://www.programwitch.com/main.asp?xP=Ca...erted+Gardening

[shanstress70]

Thanks LT04! This is great. I have some tomato plants growing in a raised bed, but my chickens are eating whatever fruit starts to grow. They will not be able to get to inverted plants. It's also good for us who are short on space.

Mrs S, I love your salad in a pot idea! That would be a great gift for someone with a birthday in the summer months too. I imagine that it's really pretty when everything starts coming up with all the variety.

[StrawberryFields]

This is very interesting... The pictures were great too Outshined...just need some empty coffee cans

[Guest mamacat]

yes, great pics. i found a website that markets containters especially designed for growing inverted plants, with watering systems 'n all. and i LOVE the salad tub MrsS.

here are some cool ideas for growing stuff if you plan to move to Mars or the moon ~

Galaxy Gardening More Than Hobby For Future Moon, Mars Residents

Science Daily — Long periods of total darkness and poor soil needn't stop an avid gardener – at least not one who's willing to go out of this world to grow plants.

A pot of lettuce thrives in the low-pressure chamber designed by Texas Agricultural Experiment Station researchers to mimic conditions on the moon and Mars. (Texas Agricultural Experiment Station photo by Kathleen Phillips)Ads by Google Advertise on this site

Lush lettuce is growing by galactic measure in cylinders designed by Texas Agricultural Experiment Station researchers to mimic conditions on the moon and Mars.

"We're to the point now that we are confident with the systems we have developed, though it may not ultimately look like this (lab model)," said Dr. Fred Davies, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station horticulturist.

The research, part of the National Air and Space Administration's "Salad Bowl" project, is unique in that university-based scientists are tasked with finding a way to produce food in spatial conditions unparalleled on Earth.

Two certainties make this work important, the researchers believe: Humans will continue to explore uncharted expanses of the universe, and where humans go, food is a must.

"Exploration is part of our blood. Ultimately, we will start to inhabit on lunar and Martian surfaces in the near future," Davies said.

For now, food is transported in shuttles in quantities to last a space trip. Food also is taken to the International Space Station for the three people who work there in six-month stints.

Astronaut fare has gone from "bite-sized foods suitable for eating with one's fingers, and pureed foods, squeezed directly into the mouth from flexible metal toothpaste-type tubes" to some 200 different menu selections now including fresh tortillas and chicken fajita meat served on more appealing food trays, according to NASA food nutritionists.

But ultimately, for people to live in space for longer periods, self-sustaining food production would be vital, Davies noted.

Enter agriculture. The age-old profession is much on the minds of space exploration scientists.

Davies said green produce in space has both nutritional and psychological benefits. While leafy lettuce may provide humans with essential nutrients such as vitamin A, it also provides a welcomed fresh texture for astronauts who quickly get their fill of reconstituted food.

"A part that is important is the psychology of eating something that is green, smells like something you are used to on Earth, that has some texture to it and some freshness," Davies said.

Developing equipment to hurl humans into space has been less a challenge for engineers than finding ways to grow food. Mainly, all the earthly conditions that make plants thrive either don't exist or are vastly different in space.

The moon, for example, has no atmospheric pressure (vital for the development of clouds and rainfall) and only one-sixth the gravity of Earth. Its days, or period of light, last the equivalent of about a month on Earth and are followed by the equivalent of two weeks of darkness, Davies pointed out. And it has no carbon, which is essential for photosynthesis.

Mars, on the other hand, has an atmosphere that is about 95 percent carbon dioxide and an atmospheric pressure one-hundredth that of Earth's. And while a Martian day is a little longer than earth's 24-hour period, there is less available light for plant growth, the researcher noted.

To figure out how to grow plants in space, scientists first had to toss out what is known about plant production. They also had to design, build and operate growing chambers to work under space-like conditions. That meant developing chambers that would work in low pressure and provide plants with what's needed to photosynthesize, or grow and yield adequate quantities of food.

Thus far, their research has shown that the plants are doing better in the low-pressure conditions.

"The advantage to low pressure means we have to have less materials which means less cost," said Dr. Ron Lacey, Experiment Station agricultural engineer. "But to create a system for plants to grow in low pressure is very challenging."

Lacey said previous research on such systems had numerous issues with leakage – perhaps leaking the whole volume of air in a day.

"But we were able to create a very tight system that only leak about 1.5 percent of its volume per day or less," Lacey said, "and we see some very interesting things going on (with plant growth)."

"We have found that the plants grow better in the low pressure, and also that the gas ethylene has a big effect on plant growth," said Dr. Chuan He, Experiment Station researcher who plants, harvests and analyzes the lettuce for quality. Plants under low pressure produce less ethylene and use-up less carbohydrates at night (lower dark-period respiration), which produces larger heads of lettuce.

He, who said tending plants on Mars is his wished-for occupation, has sampled the product of his labors.

"The lettuce actually tastes quite good," He said.

Davies noted that plants also are useful for producing oxygen and reducing carbon dioxide, both important factors for humans.

"It may be that these plants are grown below ground in special growth chambers on Mars and the moon," Davies said. "They are looking at ways to be able to catch and store light on the moon and then be able to use that light later on."

More information about the project is available at http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/faculty...earch/nasa.html .

[LT04]

I would use something bigger than a coffee can. My plants have a 10'' clear bucket and I can see their roots grow to the sides and move up or down when they get there.

-LT04