Topsy Turvy

clara · April 14, 2009

For the first time, I saw this system offered in Germany, but I know it's coming from the U.S. Therefore, did anybody already try this system? It's quite expensive, so I need your opinions.
Thank you, clara

BattleOfBennington · April 14, 2009

Used them, not bad if you dont have any garden space at all. I would suggest those great earth-tainers everyone build on here.

I found I needed to water 2x a day to keep everything wet enough and the plants not dry out (i even used those water gel crystals in the mix).

they also only last one season. The sun dries out the plastics.

If you real wanna hang them, do like my grandmother did - use the old milk pails that started to rust. (or since most of the folks here dont milk by hand anymore, 5 gal plastic will work)

ContainerTed · April 14, 2009

Clara, I think they are a fraud. I have heard reports this year that many of them are disintegrating after a few months. Here in the states, most of the places that sell them online are severely lacking in the Dave's Garden ratings. We can also find them now in the home improvement stores for about $9 or $10. Even the new model with the holes for plants on the sides are still a joke in my opinion. Every advertisement on TV shows tomato plants with dozens of 6-10 ounce tomatoes ALL RIPE AT THE SAME TIME. HEELLLOOO!!!!

I grew an upside down SuperSweet 100 last year in a 2 gallon pot with a hole in the bottom. While I got a good crop, it was in constant need of water and drove me crazy. I think it's a novelty that will make the sellers rich, but is not for serious growers.

I would ask you if you think you could grow slicer-sized tomatoes like shown in most of the Topsy-Turvy advertisements in less than a cubic foot of growing mix? I consider it a total waste of money. If I want an upside down plant, I'll modify a pot and hang it up like last year. If fact, I think you might do better hanging up a growbag.

Ted

amideutch · April 15, 2009

clara, more a novelty than anything else. Save your money. Ami

clara · April 15, 2009

Thank you all for your advice! I think you're right - it's not worth the money and I will prepare a pot for myself just to have a try - for a cherry, Ted! I would have a lot of space for let them hang down from the balcony (with an adjustable chain). Okay, now some hanging baskets and one or two upside down... and some in containers directly under the balcony.
clara

ContainerTed · April 15, 2009

Sorry if I seemed totally biased against the Topsy Turvy, but my firecracker goes off when I run into blatant obvious false advertising aimed at stealing from the gullible side of the American Public.

Here on Georgia Public Television they have a gardener program that showed how to do a 5 gallon bucket upside-down tomato planter. It turned out so heavy that the host had to hang it from an old swingset. The key thing the host did was to use a large plant (2-3 feet tall) and hold the roots well up into the bucket while adding in the growing medium. He also packed the "soil" well enough to hold the plant up in the bucket.

Home-made costs less and works better. Clara, hope your experiment goes well. One thing I did with my experiment was to put a lid on the open top on the upside down rig. That allowed for less evaporation and eased the watering a bit. It also kept the wrens from building nests in the top.

Ted

BattleOfBennington · April 15, 2009

Ted -

When my Grandma used the mail pails....

She planted two in the opening in the bottom, and two in the top.....

Had four plants out of those milk pails.

You are right, they get darned heavy fast.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ContainerTed

Sorry if I seemed totally biased against the Topsy Turvy, but my firecracker goes off when I run into blatant obvious false advertising aimed at stealing from the gullible side of the American Public.

Here on Georgia Public Television they have a gardener program that showed how to do a 5 gallon bucket upside-down tomato planter. It turned out so heavy that the host had to hang it from an old swingset. The key thing the host did was to use a large plant (2-3 feet tall) and hold the roots well up into the bucket while adding in the growing medium. He also packed the "soil" well enough to hold the plant up in the bucket.

Home-made costs less and works better. Clara, hope your experiment goes well. One thing I did with my experiment was to put a lid on the open top on the upside down rig. That allowed for less evaporation and eased the watering a bit. It also kept the wrens from building nests in the top.

Ted

clara · April 16, 2009

Once more, thank you all! What a funny idea, BoB, to use the pail from both sides! I'm now thinking about the combination: A yellow tom at the top and a dark at the bottom or red and green or... As the balcony is the only place where neighbors can look into our garden, I'm sure there will be a lot of questions concerning this new bi-colored "variety"...

clara

Polar_Lace · April 17, 2009

clara,

You can also plant herbs in the tops to go along with the tomatoes - basil (different colors,) thyme, oregano ... etc.

I like Canary Vine or Nasturtium in the tops, they're edible too.

~* Robin

Moonglow · April 17, 2009

I had a very good experience with the Gardener's Supply version last year, and I'm using it again this season. The cage is heavy duty. I grew a black plum tomato in it.

http://www.gardeners.com/Gardeners-R...efault,cp.html

Happy gardening!

clara · April 17, 2009

Moonglow, that system looks much more solid than the original Topsy Turfy! Thank you for the info!
clara

kymaterjuice · May 16, 2009

I am trying out the topsy turvy. I have my doubts, but I will see. I have attached a couple of pictures and will try to update with more pictures as they progress. Cheers everyone!!

ContainerTed · May 16, 2009

Has anyone ever noticed that the tomato plants in the Topsy Turvey infomercial are not turning their leaves and stem tips upward toward where the sun should have been while they were outside? All of their plants have leaves and branch tips going down. Some of the leaves have their underside turned toward the cameras. Deceptive, false advertising which presents images that misrepresent the physical world we live in.

So, I still think they are lower than whale poop on the bottom of the Marianna's Trench.

But I'll follow the progress of kymaterjuice as reality is revealed.

Ted

piegirl · May 16, 2009

I'm working at a plant place/hardware store and their supply is gone and we could have sold at least a dozen today. Friends did one last year with a yellow pear tomato and the thing was a monster - 10-12 feet long, 3 feet wide. Another had a bell pepper that did quite well - at least they are growing something! piegirl

kymaterjuice · May 17, 2009

To help prove Ted's point I have taken an updated picture since yesterday when I first planted in the topsy turvy. As you can see the plants are turning up toward the sun like Ted mentioned. It has only been 1 day since they were set out. I will try to post more pics. later on in the growing process. Cheers to everyone!!

April 14, 2009	#1
clara Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Germany Posts: 1,351	Topsy Turvy For the first time, I saw this system offered in Germany, but I know it's coming from the U.S. Therefore, did anybody already try this system? It's quite expensive, so I need your opinions. Thank you, clara

April 14, 2009	#3
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	Clara, I think they are a fraud. I have heard reports this year that many of them are disintegrating after a few months. Here in the states, most of the places that sell them online are severely lacking in the Dave's Garden ratings. We can also find them now in the home improvement stores for about $9 or $10. Even the new model with the holes for plants on the sides are still a joke in my opinion. Every advertisement on TV shows tomato plants with dozens of 6-10 ounce tomatoes ALL RIPE AT THE SAME TIME. HEELLLOOO!!!! I grew an upside down SuperSweet 100 last year in a 2 gallon pot with a hole in the bottom. While I got a good crop, it was in constant need of water and drove me crazy. I think it's a novelty that will make the sellers rich, but is not for serious growers. I would ask you if you think you could grow slicer-sized tomatoes like shown in most of the Topsy-Turvy advertisements in less than a cubic foot of growing mix? I consider it a total waste of money. If I want an upside down plant, I'll modify a pot and hang it up like last year. If fact, I think you might do better hanging up a growbag. Ted __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

April 15, 2009	#4
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	clara, more a novelty than anything else. Save your money. Ami __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

April 15, 2009	#6
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	Sorry if I seemed totally biased against the Topsy Turvy, but my firecracker goes off when I run into blatant obvious false advertising aimed at stealing from the gullible side of the American Public. Here on Georgia Public Television they have a gardener program that showed how to do a 5 gallon bucket upside-down tomato planter. It turned out so heavy that the host had to hang it from an old swingset. The key thing the host did was to use a large plant (2-3 feet tall) and hold the roots well up into the bucket while adding in the growing medium. He also packed the "soil" well enough to hold the plant up in the bucket. Home-made costs less and works better. Clara, hope your experiment goes well. One thing I did with my experiment was to put a lid on the open top on the upside down rig. That allowed for less evaporation and eased the watering a bit. It also kept the wrens from building nests in the top. Ted __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

April 17, 2009	#9
Polar_Lace Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Z8b, Texas Posts: 657	clara, You can also plant herbs in the tops to go along with the tomatoes - basil (different colors,) thyme, oregano ... etc. I like Canary Vine or Nasturtium in the tops, they're edible too. ~* Robin __________________ It's not how many seeds you sow. Nor how many plants you transplant. It's about how many of them can survive your treatment of them.

April 14, 2009	#2
BattleOfBennington Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Indiana Posts: 76	Used them, not bad if you dont have any garden space at all. I would suggest those great earth-tainers everyone build on here. I found I needed to water 2x a day to keep everything wet enough and the plants not dry out (i even used those water gel crystals in the mix). they also only last one season. The sun dries out the plastics. If you real wanna hang them, do like my grandmother did - use the old milk pails that started to rust. (or since most of the folks here dont milk by hand anymore, 5 gal plastic will work)

April 16, 2009	#8
clara Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Germany Posts: 1,351	Once more, thank you all! What a funny idea, BoB, to use the pail from both sides! I'm now thinking about the combination: A yellow tom at the top and a dark at the bottom or red and green or... As the balcony is the only place where neighbors can look into our garden, I'm sure there will be a lot of questions concerning this new bi-colored "variety"... clara

April 17, 2009	#10
Moonglow Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Corte Madera, CA - Sunset Zone 16 Posts: 356	I had a very good experience with the Gardener's Supply version last year, and I'm using it again this season. The cage is heavy duty. I grew a black plum tomato in it. http://www.gardeners.com/Gardeners-R...efault,cp.html Happy gardening! __________________ Moonglow Gardens Sustainable Gardening One Planter at a Time Sunset Zone 17 Apparently - - - Without the fog!

May 16, 2009	#13
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	Has anyone ever noticed that the tomato plants in the Topsy Turvey infomercial are not turning their leaves and stem tips upward toward where the sun should have been while they were outside? All of their plants have leaves and branch tips going down. Some of the leaves have their underside turned toward the cameras. Deceptive, false advertising which presents images that misrepresent the physical world we live in. So, I still think they are lower than whale poop on the bottom of the Marianna's Trench. But I'll follow the progress of kymaterjuice as reality is revealed. Ted __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

May 16, 2009	#14
piegirl Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: May 2006 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 791	I'm working at a plant place/hardware store and their supply is gone and we could have sold at least a dozen today. Friends did one last year with a yellow pear tomato and the thing was a monster - 10-12 feet long, 3 feet wide. Another had a bell pepper that did quite well - at least they are growing something! piegirl