spills the...tomatoes...go to Big lots. 2.50 per box and includes strawberries as well

In the same planter, plant one tomato plant and one tobacco plant and get ready for some nice fresh Tomacco!!!

I would love to grow my own tomatoes... Unfortunately I live in a condo with a balcony that is in full shade.

I actually have one hanging right now. So far, it is growing great and is starting to bear fruit (down here near Tallahassee). As for the water loss, put another plant beneath it to catch the water. I have strawberry plants in a planter beneath this and I have yet to have to water the strawberries seperately. Just water the tomtaoes and the water gets reused for the other plants!

rain8048 wrote:spills the...tomatoes...go to Big lots. 2.50 per box and includes strawberries as well

Yeah, if you like a side of pesticide with that.

I've given these a couple of seasons to proove thier worth - and they don't. I've grown the exact same plants in both these "Topsy" planters and large planter tubs within feet of each other. The tomatoes grown like gangbusters in the tub planter and do terribly in the Topsy hanger. 3 years of side by side comparisons, by a relatively experienced gardener, gives these Topsys, two upside down - thumbs down.

I used 2 tomato planters and 2 strawberry planters at my old place in mid-central Wisconsin. I don't know how many tomatoes we got but we had fresh heirloom tomatoes every day all summer long. The strawberries grew really well but box elder beetles would swarm them before we could pick. They'd swarm them whether they were in hanging planters or not, just to be clear.

I'm going to use it again, my new place is on forest and all the tomatoes I grew fed various forest creatures. Well, 3 made it into my belly.

As for how the plants grew, they draped down and had no tendency to try and grow upwards.

Show me the references where the system is scientifically flawed, then I'd believe it's a fact if not for the delicious tomatoes I grew.

Incidentally, one question asks "Are they reusable?" Yes, they are. I used them two years in a row.

I bought two of these last year. They do not work very well in that tomatoes plant branches will hang and then turn and grow up towards the sun. Once you get fruit, the weigh often cracks the branches and you have no cages to support the weight. = DO NOT BUY.

zcbmarne wrote:My dad had one of these P O S! Grow them the old fashioned way or don't grow them at all.

and dagnabit, why use a computer, that Pony Express thing is modern enough....and watch out for that there new Pool Hall, that starts with P which rhymes with T and that stands for Trouble!

gak0090 wrote:Make your own:

http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/topsy-turvy-tomatoes-672321/

It consumes water like a drunker sailor, but is very nice. I would cover the basis with a reflective thing like aluminum foil or mylar film.

For DIY, instead of black in the go.com example, try a white container to deflect sunlight. You can find them for cheap on CL or cheap/free from food stores (bakeries, restaurants, supermarkets, catering.) For soil, use Mel's Mix (1/3 of five or more types of compost, 1/3 of coarse vermiculite and 1/3 of peat moss or coconut coir). This will keep it fertilized (compost), retain moisture (vermiculite), and soft (peat moss/coconut coir). It can be 100% compost if you have heavy rains or just want to save money short-term.

For plants, you can get a head start buying the 6 pack, which are about 1 to 2 months old.

Whatever you do grow, and grow it right. My thumb turned green with Mel's Mix (1/2, 1/4, 1/4). Do what works for you, experiment, you CAN get a bountiful harvest!

TopsyTurvy site price is $10 for a set of 2 with S&H of $7.95. Free set is 'just pay S&H only'..another $7.95. Basically, $26.00 for 4 planters. 2 tomato, 2 strawberry.

Eh. I'm too lazy for this. I'll just steal tomatoes from my dad's garden.

Wind is the primary enemy of these devices. A stiff breeze will set them spinning, causing the plants to disintegrate and the soil to scatter. Wind also tends to dry out small quantities of isolated soil, so you'll need to water them pretty much constantly if you hang them in a breezy spot.

The sun will also do a number on the bag part after a while, causing it to become brittle.

wlgiv wrote:I've given these a couple of seasons to proove thier worth - and they don't. I've grown the exact same plants in both these "Topsy" planters and large planter tubs within feet of each other. The tomatoes grown like gangbusters in the tub planter and do terribly in the Topsy hanger. 3 years of side by side comparisons, by a relatively experienced gardener, gives these Topsys, two upside down - thumbs down.

Any photos?

Don't plan on growing a tomato crop in these... might as well put the money in fresh produce at Farmers' Market, you would get a lot more there for the buck...

Greshmahg wrote:... Plants by design will attempt to reach up to sunlight. It's just how they work....

Correct! Then gravity takes over and they are forced downward. (Physics 101).

You may be correct about the yield but I've heard a lot off success stories about these. I think it depends on the persons gardening skills.... I'm in for two of them (make that four!)

So....I'll probably get four tomatoes. My gardening skills aren't all that great :-(

just bought 3 for a total of 6. these are really good and easy to maintain. the tomatoes are super juicy as well.

Linad wrote:Anybody know the best time of year to plant, or I guess hang, these things?

Plant tomatoes after the average last frost date for your area: http://www.moongardencalendar.com/mgc/index.cfm/apps/FrostDates

Here's a link to the newest zone maps: http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/

lichme wrote:I have a friend in an apartment with a balcony who swears by these things. Might have to try one. Are they reusable?

You might get two years out of one. They become pretty brittle after one year of use. I'm looking at buying this because mine from last year is starting to fall apart.

Linad wrote:Anybody know the best time of year to plant, or I guess hang, these things?

After all chance of frost is done. Here in Wisconsin that would be July or August. KIDDING (but not a lot this year.)

I've used them under an overhang. Just don't water tooooo much as they get heavy and can develop root rot if too wet!

JohnWooten wrote:...if you fertilize early and often you're much more likely to be successful...

That's what she said.

And man can't fly because we don't have wings.

Can you grow other things like strawberries in this?

tried these, not bad for no yard. problem is daily or sometimes hot days, twice daily watering

Shipping is $7.95 for each set of 2, so the $10 price is up to $25.90.

Greshmahg wrote:Worthless product. Plants by design will attempt to reach up to sunlight. It's just how they work. Attempting to grow them upside down goes against the laws of physics and nature. The plants will actively attempt to grow upwards, because guess what, that's where the light is!

Not only will attempting to grow upside down result in less yield than growing out of a box or the ground, but it also puts the plants in more danger of having their stalks snapped or otherwise damaged, thus killing the plant. These things are less than worthless.

And man can't fly because we don't have wings.

We tried these. The tomatoes didn't grow so well, and the bags rotted in the sun.

Big lots sells them for 2.50 apiece...and you get to choose tomato or strawberry!

mine has become a house for wrens.
the wrens grow better than the tomato plants.

Along with everyone else, we had one and I was so excited when I bought it at home depot for twice the price. But even in WA you had to water it every day, and it still was dying of thirst. I kept thinking it might have been something I did.. but after looking at everyone else's reviews, I know it was not just me. By the time I bought the planter.. the good soil and an heirloom tomato plant, it made my tomatoes about 65.00 a pound. Especially since only one ripened enough to eat. They got all hidden in the tangle of vines and couldn't get to the sun

Do I need to use UV lights if I grow my herb in this?

ogresweat wrote:Plant tomatoes after the average last frost date for your area: http://www.moongardencalendar.com/mgc/index.cfm/apps/FrostDates

Here's a link to the newest zone maps: http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/

hohman wrote:After all chance of frost is done. Here in Wisconsin that would be July or August. KIDDING (but not a lot this year.)

I've used them under an overhang. Just don't water tooooo much as they get heavy and can develop root rot if too wet!

Thank you! I live in New York so I guess I can plant these as soon as they come in.

lichme wrote:I have a friend in an apartment with a balcony who swears by these things. Might have to try one. Are they reusable?

Sunlight destroys things. sometimes that's good (like when you hand something that got mouldy in the sun after washing, and the UV light helps clean out the bacteria) but in terms of plastics, it's usually a bad thing. If you had any fabric around (or screen some aluminium foil??) You could wrap it and probably slow that process considerably and also make it look pretty. In the garden, you use old newspaper to mulch over gardening fabric and that protects it for multi year use.

casey00001 wrote:You are better off with a five gallon bucket. Drill a inch and a half hole in the bottom for water to drain, and you can plant one tomato plant on the top of the bucket and grow one out of the hole in the bottom. Do a google search on "five gallon container gardening". You can hang the bucket at eye level and its easy to water, with no bending over or weeding.

My sister-in-law uses empty gallon vodka bottles. She grows some very happy cherry tomatoes every year.

Thought about doing this but then a man with a green thumb stepped in and instead of those, we built this: http://i.imgur.com/b7GvO.jpg

More expensive than a Topsy Turvy, but for apartment living, it doesn't get any better. Besides, this thing should last me at least 4 years before I have to replace the Big Lots planters. The TV stand base and treated lumber? Good for the ages.

(This really is just me patting myself on the back, but if you have the time and tools, I'd recommend something like this to anyone.)

I used these for two years. Those who said they don't work are WRONG. However a couple of caveats:

1. As others stated, they need to be watered every day once the plants get large and the weather gets hot. In my experience, the plants are less robust and yield less than those in the ground. But still, if you are short of space, they do the trick.

2. What I have not seen anyone say is that these get VERY HEAVY when they are full of wet soil. The cute little decorative hangers that I got from HD/Lowes bent. So make sure you hanger is strong enough.

3. Not only peppers and tomatoes, but cucumbers too! Probably would also work with eggplant. Just a note for would-be pepper growers - peppers like it hot, dry, and poor soil. So don't over water and skip the fertilizer.

The requirement to water every day was a deal breaker for me, so I am back to planting them in the ground for now.

I tried one. Epic fail. The few tomato blossoms that did set produced very tiny fruit. This was basically a gimmick. Put the plants in the ground, where they belong.

cjpowers wrote:I used these for two years. Those who said they don't work are WRONG. However a couple of caveats:

1. As others stated, they need to be watered every day once the plants get large and the weather gets hot.

2. What I have not seen anyone say is that these get VERY HEAVY when they are full of wet soil. The cute little decorative hangers that I got from HD/Lowes bent. So make sure you hanger is strong enough.

3. Not only peppers and tomatoes, but cucumbers too! Probably would also work with eggplant. Just a note for would-be pepper growers - peppers like it hot, dry, and poor soil. So don't over water and skip the fertilizer.

The requirement to water every day was a deal breaker for me, so I am back to planting them in the ground for now.

How about mixing some of those new polymer”crystals” that hold onto water and then slowly release it in the soil. These polymers are the same ones used in disposable diapers. There are some very expensive potting should that contain them, but it would be easy to make your own. Besides diapers, they are found in childs children's toys and science kits.

These two would probably be great together.



An original creation by yours truly.

This item does not function and produce in the warm/hot areas such as the Southwest, the heat is too much, save your money and time.