Many years ago, my grandmother, acquiring a small country plot, decided to plant several beds of vegetables, including tomatoes. However, growing tomatoes was not easy. Hardly hatching seeds were planted in the ground, and impatiently new gardeners were waiting for seedlings. After some time, the bed remained empty and, digging up the sprouts, we found that they planted them upside down, and they grow down!
Over the years, the history of the vitality of tomatoes was not forgotten, but only acquired a scientific basis. It turns out that for several years now, growing upside down tomatoes has been practiced abroad. What is it: new fashion trends that have reached the field of gardening or a scientifically-based solution? Or is it a whim for landscape designers to grow tomatoes upside down? In fact, the answer to all these questions will be positive.
YIELD - UP, TOMATOES - DOWN!
American experts, after conducting a number of studies and experiments, argue that the yield of tomatoes grown upside down exceeds its value in the traditional way of planting. This is due to the fact that, thanks to a similar pose, the shoots of tomatoes can be arranged more freely, avoiding excessive soil pressure and, as a result of internal stresses, leading to the fragility of a young plant.
In addition, being upside down, tomatoes receive more air and sun than their counterparts, with roots pressed against the ground. It is worth noting that the experiment was conducted not only for tomatoes, but other crops involved in the experiments, such as bell peppers, were too brittle, and it was not possible to grow them upside down.
WE SIT, GROW, CARE
To grow tomatoes upside down and, accordingly, upside down, you do not need beds, which means that this method of planting can save you a significant amount of space in the garden. This is especially true for those whose garden is not a huge plantation, the size of a football field. After all, as you know, many gardeners in our country try to place as many cultivated plants as possible in small garden areas. A tomato takes up a lot of space, famous for its lush bush and weighty shoots.
So, to plant a tomato upside down, you will need a container that can be firmly fixed in suspension. It can be a plastic bucket with a volume of about 20 liters, a piece of plastic pipe with a diameter of 300 mm or what your fantasy will offer, which we will talk about a little later.
Also, it will not be superfluous to stock up on a pair of assistants - so the process of planting upside down will be safer (both for tomatoes and gardeners), more interesting and more productive. In addition to directly packaging and apprenticeships, you will need land, water and a couple of your skillful hands.
The technology is simple: in the bottom of your bucket (or other container) you need to make a hole of 5-10 centimeters, place the tomato upside down in it, fix the plant and cover it with earth. It is necessary to pull out a stalk about 5 centimeters long and, in order to avoid falling out of a tomato, compact the cut-out window with crumpled pieces of paper. Then you need to produce abundant watering of tomatoes. Water should go through your entire structure, starting to ooze out of the window. After watering, the land may settle. There is nothing wrong with this, you just need to pour it again to the top of the container.
If you used a bucket for planting tomatoes upside down, then simply hang it by the handle. Tomatoes are planted! Care for such tomatoes is minimal - daily watering and attention. Tie up such a tomato is not required, support is also not needed, weeds with this design, it turns out, practically avoided, which means that there is no need for weeding.
As you can see, such tomato cultivation requires significantly less physical costs: you can do without digging beds and loosening the earth. In addition, experts say that sprouting down sprouts reduces slugs, caterpillars and other garden parasites from reaching the tomato. There are special fixtures for planting tomatoes and other crops up roots. It is called Topsy Torvey. The principle of its operation is absolutely similar to the above-described measures for growing tomatoes in a bucket head to the ground.
Garden on the balcony
For planting tomatoes upside down, varieties called miniature are most suitable. Smaller containers will be required to land them, which will allow them to look more neat. In addition, this way tomatoes will create less shade for their jar neighbors. Such varieties of tomatoes can be planted not only in the garden or garden plot, your own balcony is quite suitable for them. For example, cherry tomatoes look very decorative.
From small to great
The technology for the reverse cultivation of tomatoes, of course, causes a lot of controversy. And no wonder, because all the plants around us are drawn to the sun. And the tomato is no exception in this matter. It turns out that such a design should change the natural course of things. Therefore, many gardeners recognize this technology interesting, but believe that it can only be used privately, but not on an industrial scale, where the tomato will still reach the sun with leaves and large lush bushes will create a shadow for each other.
BEAUTY DOES NOT NEED VICTIMS
In recent years, our gardens and gardens have ceased to be just the land that feeds us. More and more landowners, not only in our country, but around the world are trying to make their land a work of art, a small oasis or a shady paradise. Therefore, a tomato head down is not only an interesting technology for growing this crop, but also a new one. weapons in the hands of landscape designers and hostesses who want to impress neighbors and friends.
In addition to the original appearance that attracts attention, such tomatoes are also a springboard for new plants and ideas.For example, instead of buckets for decorative varieties of tomatoes, you can use the cache-pot, making it two-layer and planting a lush hat of flowers on top. Or you can just plant any undersized plants on the top of the bucket, such as spicy herbs. It would seem, just a tomato, and what a flight for creativity!
