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.

Hi, I have the following Latin American varieties: Rendidora (mexican tomatillo, 20 seeds) Punta banda drought resistant Mexican cherry (10 seeds) Jitomate Bullito heat resistant Zapotec paste tomato (20 seeds) I also have hollyhocks. I would like Jaune Flammee, Coyote or Garden Peach (your choice), and Noire Russe. please email me to see if we can work out a trade. thanks!

Updated pictures & information on the link below. Soon to come: Plants received from the MTPS (Middle Tennessee Plant Swap) & my Hyponex experiment. Steve's Garden Update

Yes, it sounds like the pint size will fit the Jillmos better. For future odd weighting situations, don't forget to try using a bag of water as a weight... like a sealed sandwich or quart size bag with water in it, and use another sealed bag over it, just in case of a leak. :) The water-filled bags can take on some weird shapes to fill the voids and keep things weighted down under brine.