Tomato Planters
Tomato Planters
Upside Down Tomato Growing
An upside down tomato plant will not give you a problem with weeds because the soil you use does not contain any seeds for them grow. Because the water flows directly to the roots of the plant chances are your upside down tomato will grow larger and the fruit it produces will be healthier and more robust than if it was grown in the ground.
Growing tomato plants in this fashion is a great idea for the gardener that has a limited amount of space for a garden. The ground of a conventional garden needs to be tilled before planting and needs to be weeded afterwards. This tedious work is no longer necessary when you use these planters; all that is needed is to place you seedling in, add some soil and water now it is ready to hang.
An upside down tomato planter usually comes with everything you need except of course the soil and plant. Once you have the planter completely open you can insert the root system of the tomato plant through the hole located on the bottom. You can then start adding the gardening soil to about half way and then add some water. This would be the best time to hang the planter from a pole in a sunny location before you add the remaining soil. After you have added all the soil, soak the plant until the water starts to run out the bottom. This will give the plant enough water so the roots can start to spread.
When choosing the tomato seedlings for an upside down tomato garden always pick the healthiest ones you can find. You do not want ones that look spindly; the base of the stem should be as wide as the diameter of the stem and be wide and tall proportionately. If the leaves are turning yellow or they are beginning to curl, bypass that plant and select a healthy one for your hanging garden. If you do not choose healthy plants you will spend too much time trying to revive them.
Fertilizing is important because you want your plants to look as healthy as possible as they grow. Select a low-level nitrogen fertilizer, if it contains too much nitrogen you will end up with more leaves than blossoms. If using sandy soil you will need to add fertilizer more often. If you do end up with a high-level nitrogen fertilizer you only want to add one tablespoon to the soil as opposed to two tablespoons of low-level fertilizer. Once the tomatoes start appearing on your plant you can fertilize once again.
Watering is necessary for the tomatoes but water seems to hold better in this planter, better than your conventional garden. Tomatoes are roughly eighty-five per cent water so they need water frequently in order to survive. Some advantages to growing upside down tomatoes are: they are perfect for small spaces; it is unnecessary to stake the plants; it prevents pests and fungus; and there are no weeds. Water and the nutrients go directly where they are needed.
There are other fruits and vegetables that will work well in an upside down tomato planter such as beans, cucumbers, eggplants, beans, peppers, and strawberries. Most of the crops that grow on a vine will work well in the upside down tomato hanging planter as long as you choose the smaller fruit variety. The top portion of this hanging planter can be used to plant other crops such as radishes and herbs. Upside down gardening can turn into something exciting and fun.
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About the Author
Barbara has looked into upside down tomato gardening and has decided it is an excellent way to grow tomatoes and other fruits for those with limited space. Her website Gardeners Garden Supplies has several articles regarding growing fruits and vegetables some come share your ideas.
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Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter?? Does it work??
I love tomatoes. There's nothing like a home grown tomato. I've seen the commercial for the Topsy Turvy tomato planter and am wondering if any of you have used it and what kind of luck you had with it?? Does it really work like they say it does or is it just another gimmick?? IF it does work I want to get one. PLEASE let me know your thoughts on this before I decide to buy one. I HATE getting ripped off!
I have been growing tomatoes and other stuff like this for years. I use a 5 gallon bucket and cut a hole in the bottom. I have added cucumbers in additional holes in the side so I have more than one thing growing in the same container. I find that cutting about a 1" hole in the bottom of the bucket, and then making an X cut across it allows you to bend in the points when placing the plant in and then they go back and hold the roots inside. The hole should be larger than the size of the main stalk of what you are planting. You can use Krylon plastic paint for fancier containers.
Tomato Planters
Homemade hanging tomato planters
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Tomato $15.99 Tomato |
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Planters $24.99 Planters - Photographic Print |
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A Company of Planters $11.91 A Company of Planters |
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A Tomato $24.99 A Tomato - Photographic Print |
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Thistles and Planters $49.99 Thistles and Planters - Giclee Print |
Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter - Does it work? Read my review!
Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter - What is it?
I love to cook, and I've recently been experimenting with making my own homemade salsa and pasta sauces. Obviously, I've been using tons of canned tomatoes in the process. A friend at work recently brought me a few home-grown tomatoes, and I asked her how she possibly had time to grow tomatoes herself. She said she's been using a Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter. I was instantly interested in finding out more. I thought that would be a wonderful way to save money on buying tomatoes at the market, and have much better home-grown tasting tomatoes at the same time.
The Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter is a simple planter that allows you to plant tomato seedlings upside down. The roots stay in the planter and the plant hangs underneath. The sun warms the planter, which acts like a greenhouse. This makes the roots very happy. When you water, it allows the moisture and any tomato food you use to drain directly down onto the plant.
I bought this back in April, and I decided to plant cherry tomatoes in it. You can put three plants in each planter. You can even mix different tomato varieties, or even grow other vegetables or herbs. But, for my first try, I decided to stick with small tomatoes. A few weeks ago, my plants just exploded! My plants grew so fast, and then tomatoes started popping up- I have picked probably a hundred tomatoes so far and we probably have a hundred more ready to pick! The vines are almost touching the ground! I can't even describe how wonderful they taste!
Click Here to Visit the Topsy Turvy Website
Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter – Issues I had
I have a small garden, and I wasn't sure where I was going to hang my planter. But, I have an old clothes line in the backyard (which I've been begging my husband to get rid of for years) which ended up being absolutely perfect for hanging my Topsy Turvy from. The only con has been that the planter does get pretty heavy with 3 plants, dirt, and water, so you have to have a good sturdy hook to hang it from. My clothes line ended up needing a bit of reinforcement, but it's working just great now.
For the first several weeks, I was afraid it wouldn't grow. I followed the directions and watered my plants twice a day. I noticed about midway through the first bloom that some of my tomatoes were splitting. I read that this sometimes happens due to over-watering, so you'll need to figure out how much water works just right for your location. I adjusted how much I was watering, and the problem went away. Very easily fixed.
Benefits of the Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter
- Easy to set up and use
- Grow your own ORGANIC tomatoes
- Mix and match different tomatoes
- Works for growing fresh herbs or other vegetables
- Grow three plants in each planter (up to 30 lbs)
- Hangs on a deck or balcony for patio gardening
Eliminates:
- Use of pesticides – you don't get any normal garden pests
- Caging and staking like for normal tomato plants
- Digging, weeding and other hard garden work
Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter - Final thoughts
For me, this is the easiest way to garden. My Topsy Turvy tomatoes are growing faster and fuller than my other potted plants. I love the fact that I don't have to worry about pesticides or weeding. Since this can work for other vegetables and herbs, I can't wait to try some more kinds of plants. I have grand plans for having a whole garden full of Topsy Turvy planters. I think they even have a strawberry planter. I'm very happy that it has turned out this well, I'll have enough cherry tomatoes for ALL my summer salads, salsa, and pasta sauces. I might even try some canning so I can have my own home grown tomatoes all year long.
Click Here to Visit the Topsy Turvy Website
Diane English
About the Author
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Akro-Mils SLI08000E21 Deep Saucer for Classic Pot, Chocolate, 8-Inch $0.92 With a traditional design and natural colors, classic saucers are deep, and complement the poly planters. Perfect for formal and informal arrangements, inside or outside.... |
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5 Pack of Durable Black Plastic Growing Trays (with holes) 21 x 11 x 2 - Planting Seedlings, Flowers, Wheatgrass $8.95 Black Plastic Gardening Trays 21" X 11" X 2" Growing Trays can be reused over and over again. Drain holes and easy portable size make these trays perfect for growing wheatgrass even in your own kitchen. Each tray of wheatgrass will yield 14 to 18 ounces of juice.... |
Tomato Planters