For the past 2 years I have been intrigued by the upside down tomato planters I have seen in the stores. I have a pretty serious squirrel problem...they love to eat my vegetables! The planters in the stores are a bit pricey, so I decided to make one of my own with items I have laying around my home. First, find a large plastic hanging planter and a tomato plant. I reused an old hanging planter from last year. The tomato plant I chose, produces medium sized fruit. (I was afraid if the fruit was to large it may pull itself out of the pot!)
Drill or cut a 2" hole in the bottom of the planter.
Place a piece of fabric over the bottom hole, inside the planter. I used a piece of reminant fabric. This keeps the dirt from washing out the hole in the bottom when you water. Cut throught the fabric a couple of inches...enough to feed your tomato plant's roots though the opening.
Feed the tomato plant through the hole, upside down of course. Hold the plant in the bottom of the pot with one hand, while you use your other hand to fill the pot with potting soil. Lightly tamp down the soil around the root ball to secure it into the pot. Water the plant from above, and hang on a shepherd's crook.
For a finishing touch, plant herbs in the top of your pot. You could use oregano or parsley or just about any smaller herb. I hope this strategy keeps the pesky squirrels hungry!
