Anyone try "Upside down tomatos" ?

[lib2DaBone]

I have a couple of buckiets going.. but it seems when the vines just get going.. a strong wind shears off the tomato vine where it goes into the bucket.

I also noticed that the yields are not as good as tomatos grown in a regular "right side up" 5 gallon busket?

[Blue Gardener]

1. I've heard the same thing

About the yields not being as good. I'm sticking with my big tomato planter I got from Gardener's Supply.

[HamdenRice]

2. Tomatoes evolved to grow upright

I'm not convinced growing them upside down is an improvement over nature.

[Greybnk48]

3. I tried them last summer and they were a hassle/disappointment IMO.

I'm only 5'4" so when I hung them high enough to keep them off the ground, I had trouble watering them even with a rain wand (I couldn't see the hole up top. It's difficult to monitor the soil/moisture content as well, so I never knew if they were getting the proper water (or too much given that the roots are wrapped in plastic). One more complaint, my yield was less than half of what I get when I put them in the ground so I won't be using them again.

On a positive note, despite all of this, we got a kick out of trying something different. Everyone was curious as to how the experiment/ would turn out.

[K8-EEE]

4. I am trying one and so far underwhelmed with the results

It's still early in the season but, it looks less happy than its "in the ground" cousins.

We don't have the wind issue, my problem is that the foliage is always wet and dirty from watering it (or as my hub says -- stop waterboarding those poor upside down tomatoes!) I thought the leaves were supposed to stay as dry as possible, at least that's what Iw as always taught.