Gardeners are always in search of the best way to grow tomatoes. Each year we see new ways and gadgets designed to help achieve that goal. Here we take a look at one of the most productive.

When looking at new ways to grow tomatoes, one of the more popular that has come about recently is to use hanging tomato planters. There are several advantages to growing tomatoes in hanging container.

Soil: Since you can refresh it yearly in a container, there is reduced risk of soil borne diseases. In addition, you can purge the mineral buildup from watering with tap or well water, and work in an appropriate amount of organic matter.

Air Circulation: This is much improved with hanging planters, and this leads to reduced rot on the tomato plants, and you will see improved pollination and increased yields from that as well.

Location: With a hanging planter, you can put it almost anywhere. This opens up the possibility of tomato gardening for folks without the space for a vegetable garden, such as people living in apartments and condominiums who have some free balcony space. Or you can simply put one on the deck or patio to keep it near the house.

No cages or stakes: Since the roots are at the top, there is little need for additional support. So you don't need to stake or cage the tomato plants, maybe just prune them if you have a sprawling plant. This also leads to the tomatoes growing and ripening above the ground, which also makes it much easier to pick when ripened.

Weeds: Weeds are not nearly the problem with a hanging tomato planter. Since you have a small soil base, and it's contained above ground, there is little need for weeding these plants.

Try growing tomatoes in a hanging planter, and you may be surprise at how well they work. There are quite a few types around, and some will work better than others. Moisture retention is a big variable between the different types.