Content

• To step
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Tomatoes are popular plants for beginners and advanced gardeners alike. They are easy to grow and do not require much space. This wikiHow will show you how to grow tomatoes upside down using a plastic bottle.

To step

1. Install the hanger. Choose a sunny spot in the house to hang the container for the tomato plant. Your plant can be hung from a hook in the ceiling, or tied around a beam - do whatever works best for the spot you've chosen.
   • If you're using a basket around the bottle, tie to the basket with twine or twine hangers to secure to the hooks or around the beam. Hang the basket from your ceiling or beam, ready to add the plant. When selecting the basket, choose one that can hold the upside-down PET bottle you will be using, without getting loose or waving to the side. Make sure to check this before you hang the basket! This step is nicer but optional, because you can also use the bottle directly (see below).
2. Choose a small one tomato plant. Purchased plants or grown from seed are both good choices. Water this plant well and lay it on its side.
3. Take the large, clean plastic bottle and cut out the bottom. Remove the cap. Look at the picture for more details.
   • Tie twine or twine around the edges of the cut end of the bottle so you can hang it up. Punch the holes with a hole punch or use a sharp tool to make holes for the wire to pass through. Tie the thread with loops to hang from the hangers you made. While the image shown below shows two holes, three holes can provide a better balance - experiment to see what works best for you.
4. Remove the tomato plant from its original pot. Carefully place it upside down in the PET bottle. Carefully pass the plant through the pouring opening so that the tomato plant hangs out of the hole, but the roots are still in the bottle.
5. Fill the bottle with a mixture of good compost and garden soil. Then water it. (Now you can see why the hanger had to be hung first - it is impossible to place the plant on a surface without covering it with soil or damaging the plant.) If using a basket, place the bottle in the hanging basket to to hang; if not, hang the bottle directly on the hangers. You are now ready to grow your upside down tomato plant.
6. Water your upside-down tomato plant regularly. The easiest way to water is to buy a watering can that contains a curved tube that absorbs the water and then pours it through the bend at the top of the tank; you just hold the bottle up, bend the tube over the rim of the container and pour the water into it. These can be purchased at garden centers and hardware stores.
   • Be aware that water often drips out through the neck of the bottle; this will gradually diminish as the root ball settles.
   • Place another plant under your hanging tomato plant to catch the extra water that escapes, or place a container under the plant to collect the water and use it around your other hanging tomato plants. Another option is to hang the plant somewhere where it is not so bad if the water drips out, such as on your balcony.
7. Ready.

Tips

• Make sure the tomato plant gets plenty of sunlight, as sunlight is important for dark, ripe tomatoes.
• To adapt it to a hanging basket, cut a hole in the bottom of the basket cover and follow the steps above. Likewise, you can grow hanging basket-style tomatoes through the bottom from a bottle and let the tomato plant grow through the top with the branches hanging over the edge.
• Make sure the hook or bar is sturdy as the plant can get quite heavy once it starts bearing fruit.
• Your tomato plant will grow downward, so hang it somewhere where it won't get in the way of foot traffic, pets, or anything else. (Do not hang it above a fish tank or in front of the television!)

Warnings

• Do not overwater; any plant that gets too much water indoors is at risk for mildew, or moisture-related disease.

Necessities

• A large PET bottle. Clean and dry it thoroughly before use
• A young tomato plant
• Compost and / or garden soil. Choose a mixture that is healthy for tomato plants
• Trowel
• Scissors / Utility Knife
• Thread or twine
• Hook in the ceiling or other hanging system