Topsy turvey tomato planter

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

Has anyone tried one of these? We picked one up last year at the end of the season, as well as a large plastic trough planter, to put on our deck. Last year we had a poor crop of tomatoes in the old garden bed, and the squirrels took bites out of about half the tomatoes we did get, so we thought we'd increase our chances of getting some tomatoes to the table by growing some in containers.

Well, this year, the six tomato plants in the new bed are huge and covered with small tomatoes and flowers. The tomatoes in the trough are going crazy as well, but the one in the topsy turvey, which is a cherry tomato plant and should be producing masses, is only so-so. There are some small tomatoes on it, as well as some flowers, but it's really producing half-heartedly. I grew all the tomato plants from seed at the same time, and the topsy turvey plant gets just as much sunlight as the trough plant.

We also got a hanging strawberry bag, but I managed to kill all the alpine strawberries seedlings I had started, so I've planted herbs in the pockets, and that is growing well. But that bag allows the plants to grow upright, so I'm not sure if the tomato just doesn't like growing upside down or what.

 

[blueeyes]

I tried out the topsy turvey for tomatoes two years ago and had no success at all. A friend also used one and although he got a few cherry tomatoes, he said it wasn't worth it and never used one again. My cherry tomatoes always seem to do well in my pots on the balcony, so I have never used one of the topsy turveys again.

 

[btatro]

I just have not seen or heard of anyone havign real good luck with these. I see them scattered throughout my friend's apartment complex, and none of them have produced, or have hanging perhaps 1 or 2 non-ripe small size tomatoes. From what I have seen, they do not seem to be worth the cost.

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

Oh well, at least I know it's not just me Glad I only got one!

 

[blueeyes]

Oh well, at least I know it's not just me Glad I only got one!

Lol, I know what you mean...I sometimes buy so many of these new inventions, to find they don't work and then can't get rid of them...Thankfully I only bought one too

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

Since it's nice and deep, I'm wondering if I could plant a potato plant in in next year....

 

[headfullofbees]

I made my own, and used it in conjunction with the "espalier" technique a couple of years ago & got 20-odd trusses off one plant.

 

[dconklin]

I had some luck with mine a couple years ago but then decided to plant everything in the garden instead of planters. I didn't get as much as I thought off the one in the Topsy Turvy tho. I found it harder to tell when it needed water and then the soil kind of seeped around the plant's stem and onto some of the leaves - but I think that was because it was hard to tell when it needed water.

A couple people here in town had some success a couple years ago. I remember seeing a few hanging from decks that were loaded with tomatoes! Maybe it is a hit or miss with these or maybe it is the type of tomato plant we grow in them that makes some more successful then others.

I think my friend had planted the "patio tomato" in hers and had a bunch growing, but it is also a plant that grows well in planters. I do like the Topsy Turvy, I just chose not to use it again and to keep the plants in the garden.

 

[RomanAnthonysMama]

I bought one for my mom this year, because my grandmother got one from my uncle, and she had great results with it. She said it's a lot less hassle! I guess you could say they run in my family now! Haha! I've tried a few tomatoes from their gardens out of the Topsy-Turvy and they tasted great! I also found them at the Dollar Tree for only a dollar once...Quite a deal if you ask me!

 

[Cammie27]

I've never had any luck with one myself, but my 12 year old daughter picked one up at the dollar store, popped in a volunteer cherry tomato that came up in the wrong bed this spring, and it is thriving. I don't know what she did differently, if anything. She used the same potting mix I use for my right-side-up planters and hasn't fertilized or fed it, but it is doing so much better than the ones I tried a few years back.

 

[ACSAPA]

I just have not seen or heard of anyone havign real good luck with these. I see them scattered throughout my friend's apartment complex, and none of them have produced, or have hanging perhaps 1 or 2 non-ripe small size tomatoes. From what I have seen, they do not seem to be worth the cost.

I don't know how people are having good results. One article I read says that they're bad for plants because the upside down roots are baking in the hot sun.
Maybe people are hanging them in partial shade.

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

well, I'm getting a few cherry tomatoes on mine finally, but not as many as I would expect on cherry tomato plant! And it's a pity, because they are really tasty. I personally won't use it again, anyway

 

[Cammie27]

I don't know how people are having good results. One article I read says that they're bad for plants because the upside down roots are baking in the hot sun.
Maybe people are hanging them in partial shade.

That might be part of why ours is doing so well this time. When I tried it, the planters were in full sun hanging from my grape arbor. We have since moved and there's no place with full sun to hang anything here, so my daughter hung her Topsy-Turvy on the back porch. It is in full sun from sunrise until about 1pm, but is shaded through the hottest part of the day and into the evening.

 

[claudine]

To be honest, I prefer to grow my tomatoes in a traditional way, not upside down. So I've never tried topsy turvey planters and I don't plan to. I uderstand that it makes it easier to pick the fruits though. It also looks really interesting:

 

[ACSAPA]

That might be part of why ours is doing so well this time. When I tried it, the planters were in full sun hanging from my grape arbor. We have since moved and there's no place with full sun to hang anything here, so my daughter hung her Topsy-Turvy on the back porch. It is in full sun from sunrise until about 1pm, but is shaded through the hottest part of the day and into the evening.

True, that's probably why you're doing so well. If your planters were upside down in full sun then the roots were probably getting cooked and the water was probably evaporating pretty quickly.

So I guess if I ever decide to try topsy turvy planting, I'll have to choose a spot with partial shade.