Turning Traditional Gardening on it's head: Alternative gardening update from Shepherd's Cove Farm, Frankford NJ

TURNING TRADITIONAL GARDENING ON IT'S HEAD

What if you don't have ANY garden space available for planting? Can you still grow some fresh veggies for your table and to share? We're told the answer is YES and are giving it a try.

WHY IT WORKS
Plants respond to light direction. This is called "Phototropism". Phototropism is directional growth which is determined by the direction of the light source. In other words, it is the growth and response to a light stimulus. Some plants will grow toward the light- others will grow away from the light.

For our UPSIDE DOWN experiment we used a patio tomato plant. The plant will extend its growth toward the sun-so although the plant itself is upside down, new growth is extending upward. And so far-so good. The real question is whether the weight of the tomatoes will weaken the vine and cause the plant to drop or the vines to break. Time will tell, but for now our UPSIDE DOWN TOMATO plant seems to be doing just fine.

HOW TO BEGIN
We purchased a "tomato bag" from a local nursery and followed the easy to assemble directions. The bag actually was "easy to assemble" which was great!

POTTING SOIL
We selected an enriched potting soil for this project-one with time released commercial fertilizer already added to the mix (we're taking every advantage we can find to ensure success). We filled the bag as per the manufacturer's instructions but have noticed the soil has compacted. We will be adding a little more potting soil as needed.

PLANT SELECTION
Our choice of patio tomato was based on the tendency of this plant to get bushy rather than leggy. This should make it easier to offer support if the vines become to heavy. We purchased our tomato plant from a local grower who knows plants and had started and cared for the young seedling on site.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Veggies need a sunny location to grow well. We found no suitable place to suspend the bag in the front gardens (which receive the best sun) so we got a bit creative and suspended the bag from a clothesline at the back of the house. Using the clothesline to suspend the bag allows us to keep the plant in the sun for longer periods of time simply by sliding it across the clothesline. We're keeping an eye on the sun pattern as the season progresses and may change location if this doesn't seem to be doing the trick.

CARE
Upside down plants need a bit more watering than other container gardens. Because the roots are closer to the surface of the container, we water with a little extra care so the roots don't become damaged by the force of the water. The container has a plastic lid with a center hole at the top. When watering your plant pour the water onto the rim of the plastic lid and let it drip gently onto the root system.

Initially, the plant looks a bit odd hanging upside down, but as the leaves and new growth begin to seek the sun, it's actually looking better!