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- Newly Registered
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- Joined: Tue Jun 22, 2010 1:51 pm
- Location: Maple City, MI
Side by side conventional vs upside down
I have 100 plants in the ground and 3 growing out of the bottom of 5 gallon buckets. The 3 growing out of the buckets are setting fruit and have grown twice the vegetative weight as the plants growing up out of the ground. May it also be noted that the ground plants are growing out of3 mil black plastic and are way ahead of the neighbors planted at the same time. I have used the black plastic for many years and always had good results. It will help beat late and early frosts and is impeccaable weed control, as well as moisture control. I may switch to hanging as many as possible next year...
- rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
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Good question lunacy... I've never tried the upside down, but from what I've seen posted here, cherry tomatoes and determinate varieties (I.e. smaller plants) tend to do better that way than full sized ones.
But I'm really glad to see an experienced gardener actually do the side by side experiment! Do keep us posted through the season how it works out! It's early in tomato season for most of us so far (just picked my first ripe tomatoes yesterday!)
But I'm really glad to see an experienced gardener actually do the side by side experiment! Do keep us posted through the season how it works out! It's early in tomato season for most of us so far (just picked my first ripe tomatoes yesterday!)
- gixxerific
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- Newly Registered
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- Joined: Tue Jun 22, 2010 1:51 pm
- Location: Maple City, MI
My upside down are heirlooms, Cheerokee Purple, Brandywine, and German Johnson, I believe those are all indeterminates. I have a variety conventionally planted... Heirlooms to match the hangers, Romas, Yellow pear, Celebrity, Orange Jubilee, Beefsteaks, etc. They all started the same size. The hangers are in a mix of moisture control potting soil and compost, which may be the advantage over my soil. The stems on the hangers seem to be stronger than normally grown tomatos. I surmise due to the fight with gravity.
I'll post pics
I'll post pics
- gixxerific
- Super Green Thumb
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- Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:42 pm
- Location: Wentzville, MO (Just West oF St. Louis) Zone 5B