Topsy Turvy

[Alberta]

Thanks Dee for guiding me through my first ever pictures to this site,

Alberta

[cthomato]

I've tried this gimmick too and found only one variety that worked every time: the oft-maligned Early Girl. I found the tomatoes lacked the usual EG flavor (some will contend EG has no flavor) - probably because of the frequent watering to keep the thing from drying out.

[ddsack]

(You're most welcome, Alberta!)

Your topsyturvy tomato looks really healthy, keep posting update pics as the tomatoes develop, please ... it'll be interesting to see how long a season the bag allows. I like the additional decorative side plantings you've added, adds interest to the bag itself. (Nice pool!)

[Alberta]

In all honesty, the black cherry in the topsy turvey looks healthier than my plants in the ground. The stem is thick and its got multiple flowers on it, my in ground tomatoes look terrible due to all the rain and cool temps we've had. I haven't had to water either the b/c or any in ground plants for over a month. I'm truly amazed that one is doing so well, but time will tell also, if we ever get any summer weather. Next year I'll do a roma or something determinate in it and see how that does.

Alberta

[Ga_Gangle]

I have used 5 gal buckets for the last few years...





2 Roma plants per bucket this year & i water heavily daily...

[veggie babe]

Welcome to T'ville. Your maters look great.
good harvest,

neva

[FILMNET]

supersweet100s on the right side, Big mama romas on the left side. doing wonderful 8-10 romas coming clean no blossom rot or Late bright yet

[bigbubbacain]

I'm trying mine in my greenhouse for the winter. Maybe the cooler temps will offset the need for constant watering. I'm also going to use some determinate dwarf cherry, one that would do well in a container anyway. The only other thing I could think of that might improve this gizmo would be to try and plug more of the holes in the bottom. Frankly, I think the Topsy-Turvy drains too quickly.

[FILMNET]

I just checked i have 12 romas on the left side of the topsy now, 1 finally red.I have 7 roma plants this is the first red one, Very late here on the coast of Ma.

[Ross]

I too got pulled in......just to test the novelty factor. No success. Soil mix inside dried out too quickly in our often windy settings here. All of a sudden it just wimped-out.....big time. That TV commercial we all have seen is dubious like Ted stated in posting 13. The leaves will turn upward in a mere few days and THAT plant showed nothing of the kind !

Also, I did not like the fact of the eventual dripping of water from the perimeter of the round base of the cylinder. Obviously, at some time you will see that indication that you have put ample water into the top surface of soil mix. The root mass must be potentially very full at the bottom of the cylinder as gravity will take most water there, and so the roots stay there too. You mean ?......that the roots are going to also grow UPward when the water is moving down ?

When that dripping does occur fine small particles of soil mix will fall upon the surfaces of the leaves below. I do believe in foliar feeding for many plants but gritty water dripping upon leaves is just not wise when the sun heats those flecks and can put "burn" marks there where the speck landed !

I give a thumbs-down vote on the product. Good income for the Chinese manufacturer, though ! My 20 tomato plants in the ground and 2 more growing vertically in containers are doing just fine, thank you.

[Mischka]

I used them for planting those newer "wave" type petunias and found that adding some polymer crystals helped immensely with increasing the time between waterings.

Having to water hanging baskets daily truly is a real PITA.

[cmpman1974]

I HATE these Topsy Turveys. Waste of $$$ after buying 3 of them. Horrid root systems, need to be watered constantly, stunted plants.

[agail]

Ive had mixed success with the upside down planters I used last year but more success with one of those upside down garden thingys - http://www.practicalhomeandgarden.co...-tomato-garden

One good tip I read on the article above is that if you put plenty of vermiculite at the top of the bucket/planter then when you water it, the moisture will help stay around the deeper roots which are the drinking roots apparently - albeit they are inverted in this planter so are actually the shallower roots!

[duajones]

Add me to the list of folks that have planted in the Topsy Turvy. A friend gave me one for my birthday in March and had been asking every few days if I had planted in it yet. Truth is I really didnt plan to but didnt want to dissapoint my friend. I do look at them as a gimmick but threw a Sweet 100 into mine yesterday. I had a half a bag of potting mix already, added some tomato tone and a handful or two of dolomite. Watered it in with some fish emulsion and actinovate.
I cant see watering the thing twice a day just to keep up once it gets hot, so I will put a drip line on it once it is necessary. See what happens

[nolabelle]

I stopped by Big Lots today for the first time in months, and they have the Topsy Turvy planter for $1.50. I bought one for kicks and giggles. Probably won't try it until next year, though.