MSU ag professor shows how to grow tomatoes upside down

Watch a YouTube link from Missouri State University demonstrating how to grow tomatoes upside down.

April 03, 2012|edited news release from Missouri State University

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Gardening is a popular spring and summer pastime. Since the sustainability movement has heightened public awareness of organic foods and sustainable practices, gardening has also grown in popularity.

One garden staple is the tomato, and Dr. Clydette Alsup-Egbers, associate professor in the Darr School of Agriculture at Missouri State University, shows how to grow tomatoes upside down.

“When you’re passionate about gardening, you can never have too much space, and this not only conserves space, it’s relatively inexpensive and fun,” said Alsup-Egbers. “Planting upside down is also an advantage because the plants are not in direct contact with the soil, which prevents some diseases on the plants. Many of the pathogens that cause diseases live in the soil.”

Alsup-Egbers cautions that these plants may dry out more quickly than tomatoes grown in the soil, and she recommends watering regularly and fertilizing about once a month.