Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter

jpr62902 · Apr 9, 2010

Anyone ever use one of these things? I love homegrown tomaters, so I figured I'd try it out. Any pointers from you experts out there?

http://topsygardening.com/10/products/tomato-planter.php

mtntopper · Apr 9, 2010

They work very well as we have used them in the past...

Cityboy · Apr 9, 2010

I just spent an hour and a half tilling this evening and a whole day to go tomorrow. That little hanging thingy is looking purdy good to me right now.

muleman · Apr 9, 2010

Wife got a bunch of those at a Mennonite greenhouse supplier the other day for 65 cents a bag. She wants to plant posies and strawberries in them. I already have tomatoes about 5" tall and needing repotted into bigger pots. never grew them upside down. We have grown flowers that way before and they did good.

JEV · Apr 10, 2010

I just Googled "how to make an upside down tomato planter," and was amazed at the inexpensive options for making these upside down planters. I'm going to try tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets, since I have lots of them from drywall mud. I may try a cucumber plant or two, since we make lots of freezer pickles every year. Top of the buckets will house various herbs that we use.

fogtender · Apr 10, 2010

Bought one at the store for six bucks in town. Will find out if they work, the shelf only had a couple on it still, seems they sold out quickly.

Kwiens · Apr 10, 2010

I saw a lot of those around here last summer; didn't see any tomatoes growing from them.

I made my own with a 5 gallon bucket and haven't been able to get the plant to set on tomatoes.

K

loboloco · Apr 10, 2010

Make sure it stays watered. Kwiens, depending on micro environment, you may have to hand pollinate. If no bees or other pollinators can get to it, you have to take over. Been using a hand made version for several yrs off and on. Work good, but water is key.

Cityboy · Apr 10, 2010

mtntopper said:
They work very well as we have used them in the past...

Hey MT! You need to post more!

Tell us what contributed to your success with these. Got any pics?

jpr62902 · Apr 10, 2010

Cityboy said:
I just spent an hour and a half tilling this evening and a whole day to go tomorrow. That little hanging thingy is looking purdy good to me right now.

Cityboy said:
Hey MT! You need to post more!

Tell us what contributed to your success with these. Got any pics?

Tryin' to get out of a whole day's worth of tilling, eh CB? :w00t2:

Cityboy · Apr 10, 2010

jpr62902 said:
Tryin' to get out of a whole day's worth of tilling, eh CB?

It's kicking my ass today JP. New garden, never before tilled. Soil is really too wet, which surprised me, since no rain in over a week. Beautiful black loam, though.

Rented a Barreto tiller because they looked super well built online, but it's so heavy its like a day in the weight room working with it. I plan to do a thread with pics as soon as I find my camera cable. Still kicking my own ass for selling my Troy Bilt. :sad:

working woman · Apr 10, 2010

mtntopper said:
They work very well as we have used them in the past...

You are the first person that I know of that said it has worked good. Last year a local radio station had "as seen on tv" product review. Every caller that had tried the topsy turvy said it was a bust. Every plant had gotten some kind of tomato disease. (blyth?)

So far I've planted lettuce, spinach and broccoli. Oh, and my blueberry bushes that were planted last year are flowering :smile:

darroll · Apr 10, 2010

We planted tomatoes and they grew fine. These things are heavy when loaded with potting soil and water..
Planted yellow squash and they seemed to get fungus around the sponge sealer.
We ended up with no squash.
It looks to me like they only last one or two seasons before they rot and fall apart.
We have no place sturdier enough to hang them this year. Don’t want to hang them from the eves on the house.
Oh, the bell peppers grew fine. They came out of the bottom and went up the side.

jpr62902 · Jun 16, 2010

It appears my tomato plant is sick. I planted it almost 4 weeks ago, and while it has grown quite a bit, it also has what appears to be fungus -- and no fruit yet. I've done a lot of research online, but can't find anything on the nasty looking nodes growing on the main stalk. Anyone have any idea what this is or how to treat it?

pirate_girl · Jun 16, 2010

You might find something on it here..

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/contain/msg0723563010486.html

XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq · Jun 16, 2010

Are you getting any flowers on your plant? You can prune almost all the non-fruit bearing branches off and it will put more energy into growing the fruit.

It looks like the plant is doing OK other than the stem issues.

Maybe get some Tomato plant spray that treats all the common stuff and hope it works.

jpr62902 · Jun 16, 2010

pirate_girl said:
You might find something on it here..

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/contain/msg0723563010486.html

Lollie, you da bomb! Turns out, those bumps are new roots trying to grow ("root primordia") -- a condition caused by too much water. Basically, since the plant is upside down, water draining from the container runs down the stalk and tricks the plant into thinking it needs to sprout more roots.

PBinWA said:
Are you getting any flowers on your plant? You can prune almost all the non-fruit bearing branches off and it will put more energy into growing the fruit.

It looks like the plant is doing OK other than the stem issues.

Maybe get some Tomato plant spray that treats all the common stuff and hope it works.

I'm getting lots of flowers, but certainly lots of branches without blooms as well. I see some tomato plant pruning in this evening's plans. :biggrin:

jpr62902 · Jun 18, 2010

Some progress pics of growth from 1st through 4 weeks. I pruned it right before I took the 4th week pic. The last pic is the first tomato! Woohoo!

jpr62902 · Jul 9, 2010

It's been 7 weeks now, and this thing has really taken off. I zap it with Miracle Gro every two weeks and I've pruned it twice so far. There are about 30 tomatoes on there right now. How big does the fruit get on these Better Boy plants?

darroll · Jul 9, 2010

We hung our on the clothesline poles and they were so heavy it about pulled down the clothesline.
We had beautiful tomatoes though. (last year)

loboloco · Jul 9, 2010

jpr, better boys can grow a sandwich size tomato. Meaning one slice can cover a slice of bread. Don't know poundage as we never figured them that way.

jpr62902 · Jul 20, 2010

After 8+ weeks, I have some pretty good sized fruit. Unfortunately, I also have some vandals. I caught the perpetrator of this criminal mischief and sent him to the afterlife.

jpr62902 · Jul 20, 2010

Then I hired the Mantis Private Security Firm.

pirate_girl · Jul 20, 2010

Ewwwwwwwww!! a praying mantis??!!
I am scared to death of them! LOL!!

Anyway, looks like your maters are really doing great.
Some of the ones I've seen around here in those look sad.
As I said, at first, before I knew what they were.. I was thinking "what's with all these green windsocks on peoples patios and porches?" :bonk:

P.S- off topic... whilst searching for the smiley I saw the new WOW on a spring.
Cool lol

muleman · Jul 21, 2010

Wife and I put one together for neighbor who we watch after. It is getting some fruit on it but has decided to grow sideways almost 2 ft. from the planter. I saw another at the Amish farm that grew down and then up the side till it is above the planter already. It has a few fruit on it but not as many as the old woman. She does talk to hers every day. Swear to god! :flowers:

darroll · Jul 21, 2010

Someone said you are supposed to talk to your plants.

I yelled at the weeds and they are still there.

muleman · Jul 21, 2010

Yeah, I cuss at mine and they keep growing. :hammer:

jpr62902 · Jul 26, 2010

That little pea-sized fruit in post #17 is now this (and it's delicious):

pirate_girl · Jul 26, 2010

So, what did you eat with it?.. or did you just slice it up and eat as is?

jpr62902 · Jul 27, 2010

pirate_girl said:
So, what did you eat with it?.. or did you just slice it up and eat as is?

I just picked it today. I ate the top, and the rest is in the fridge. In the summer, I LOVE home grown tomato slices with just a dash of salt. When chilled, they're 6 layers of awshum! :biggrin:

Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter

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