Nothing produces quality tomatoes faster than a hanging tomato planter. The first task in making a garden using a hanging tomato planter is to go to your local Lowes or Home Depot and buy hooks that can attach to the side of your house. This way you will have the upside down tomatoes growing from a hanging tomato planter attached to the side of your house. You will need a masonry bit to properly install the hangar or hook. Also, make sure you buy forged steel six-inch hooks. They will work perfectly for the 5 gallon bucket you will need for your hanging tomato planter. If the hook is installed properly it should feel very strong and secure, almost like you could hang off of it (don’t actually try hanging off of it). Next, get the bucket and make a circle cut by putting a 1 inch in diameter hole in the bottom of the bucket. You should be able to see a tomato plant through the hole if you have done it correctly.

Next, place the hook on the side of your house that gets a lot of sunlight. You also need some galvanized steel utility wire, we prefer 18 gauge. Use this utility wire to wire down the bottom of the bucket to prevent it from swinging back and forth in the wind. If you’re screwing into cement on the side of your house again make sure you’re using a masonry bit never put a screw directly into cement. Always have a good protection on when you’re installing your hanging tomato planter. Use plastic retainers in the hole that you have drilled with a masonry bit. They will provide a fitting for the actual screws. Again you don’t want to just go screw into the cement or stucco covering on your house.

Make sure you get some nice thick screws so you can make sure that your main tomato planter will never fly off. You can make two separate holes in the cement or stucco and you can use some screws and washers to make a brace to hold the utility wire. This will keep your hanging tomato planter from swinging back and forth and anchored in place. We have used this setup in Florida and are hanging tomato planters have survived hurricane force winds. Make sure you pay the couple extra cents for the screws and go with stainless steel. You certainly don’t want rust stains running down the side of your house.

Once the bucket of your hanging tomato planter is fitted and snug and secure on the side of the house it is time to fill it with topsoil or compost. Before you fill it with the topsoil take your tomato plant and turn it upside down and place the tomato plant through the whole. Once the plant is hanging out the bottom of the bucket and its roots are securely inside the bucket, fill the bucket with dirt and topsoil. Make sure you get good dirt and avoid the cheap stuff. You will have a much nicer crop of plants if you buy quality topsoil. Once the bucket is full make sure it gets plenty of sun and water so your plants will grow and produce tomatoes quickly.

Author Bio: Heather has a hanging tomato planter and a hanging tomato basket in her house. She eats her fresh tomatoes on a daily basis.

Category: Gardening
Keywords: tomatoes,growing tomatoes,large tomatoes,tomato