Ok, I'm a sucker for TV commericals... I was up late at night and saw an ad for a Topsy Turvy Tomato grower. It grows tomatoes upside down on your patio. Looked good to me ;)... LSS - I ordered the darn thing....

Got it and got my tomato plants ... Went by the directions... Planted the darn things, hung it up and waited for my tomatoes to sprout...

I don't have tomatoes yet, but that darn thing is working.... The plants are healthy as the devil and growing like weeds (no Chuckles - they're NOT weeds - I DO know the difference!). Ok, they've only been "hanging" about four days, but I swear you can see them growing.

We'll see now if they produce the 30 pounds of beautiful tomatoes that the nice man on TV said they would. I can already taste those tomatoes...... ummmm ummmm good!!!! :)

Hugs BD

Barb, I have heard nothing but great reviews on that thing, so I'd say you made a good purchase!

:)

We've always grown the tomatoes in pots, but I might give that thing a try this year.  Be interesting to see if it works.

No tomatoes outdoors around here yet--the local wisdom is that you shouldn't put your tomatoes out until the snow is off Schaeffer Butte.  It isn't.

Best,

George

Barb,

I've been looking at getting one of those.  We have a one acre lot.  95% of that lot is completely in shade during the summer - no kidding - we have one acre of humongus Oak trees.  We can't even grow grass, although my husband keeps trying.  

We've got one teensy area that actually gets full sun all day during the summer.

We've tried planting tomatoes in the ground in that area, in pots in that area and in the last five years, and have gotten a total of 9 tomatoes that have been not much bigger than a marble.

Where did you hang it?  Where did you get it?  Should I order right now and hang (we are still having frost warnings)? How much did it cost?

Sandy

ARRRGGGHH!!  I grew tomatoes once upon a time....... Gil made me a raised bed, I put in nice planter mix, got my lil starts........and, lo and behold! They grew! I loved watching my lil plants grow up into big plants....then they gave birth to lil white blossoms, which in short time, gave way to lil green tomatoes....THEN, one day, whilst admiring my handiwork I discovered big fat, gushygrowths on my tomaters.and holes in my stems...a disgusting slug juice......
Gil got out a hatchet and took down my wonderful tomato plants, when he acknowledged, the worms got far more than we did!
I like meat wrapped in butcher paper, and produce from the produce market.........if Mother nature wanted me to eat meat I had harvested, she woulda written the cuts on the outside, and perforated them so they'd tear apart easily.  And NEVER have made those disgusting worms........
Sign me,
not a woman of the land, Cathi ;)

Mmmmm....vine-ripened tomatoes.

Me likey.

Was driving through Cedar Key a few days ago, and saw a hydroponics set-up there for strawberries.  On a space about 50x100 feet, they had stacks and stacks of containers ...  each column had 5 containers about 5 gallons each. And a lot of strawberries!!  

Sandy - the shade will be an issue. Tomatoes need some sun, and full sun is best. Put some ferns or peonies under the oak trees, but don't be cruel to a tomato that way.  >:(

I see that upside down tomato thing in the skymall magazine all the time. I wondered about how good they are!

QnHeartMM wrote on Apr 17^th, 2009 at 10:22am:

I see that upside down tomato thing in the skymall magazine all the time. I wondered about how good they are!

Scam.

     potter

Believe the farmer. A bucket don't have enough nutrients to maintain any production.

My dad bought one of these damn things last year...worked like a charm...couldn't believe it!  Sad...I saw it at Walgreen's yesterday...probably for half the price and NO shipping and handling.

Good luck Barb!!

monty wrote on Apr 17^th, 2009 at 9:38am:

Sandy - the shade will be an issue. Tomatoes need some sun, and full sun is best. Put some ferns or peonies under the oak trees, but don't be cruel to a tomato that way.  >:(

I've never been cruel to a tomato.  I LOVE tomatoes.  They are one of my bestest friends.

How was I being cruel?    I'm, about to cry  :'(

I LOVE my tomatoes.

Sandy

If I so much as suspect that you are planting tomatoes in deep shade, I will drop a dime and let SPoCtT know what you are up to.

8-)

Sandy_C wrote on Apr 17^th, 2009 at 9:05am:

Barb, I've been looking at getting one of those.  We have a one acre lot.  95% of that lot is completely in shade during the summer - no kidding - we have one acre of humongus Oak trees.  We can't even grow grass, although my husband keeps trying.   We've got one teensy area that actually gets full sun all day during the summer. We've tried planting tomatoes in the ground in that area, in pots in that area and in the last five years, and have gotten a total of 9 tomatoes that have been not much bigger than a marble. Where did you hang it?  Where did you get it?  Should I order right now and hang (we are still having frost warnings)? How much did it cost? Sandy

Sandy, you crack me up!   ;D

monty wrote on Apr 17^th, 2009 at 5:35pm:

If I so much as suspect that you are planting tomatoes in deep shade, I will drop a dime and let SPoCtT know what you are up to. 8-)

They are part of the nightshade family.

Things that make you go hmmmmmm....

Cut a hole in the bottom of a 5 gal. plastic bucket keep the lid yer gonna need it fill with potting soil, put the lid on and turn upside down.  Plant yer tomato in the hole.  Wait awhile ,like a couple weeks,  turn it over, hang from the handle.  Free

                  Potter

I have pretty good luck with tomaRtos but the last few years my dog has taken a likeng to them as well and first eats the just about ripe ones and then goes for the green.  Then pukes on my rug!  I'll try hanging my dog in a bucket and plant tomaRtos.

Yea, that's the tickit! ;)

-P.

edit to add:  if you have blossom end rot with tomaRtos put a handful of llime mixed into the soil.  The end rot is caused by lack of Calcium. (crushed wallboard will work too.)

I feel bad now.  Jesse plants 2 rows of Tomatoes each year and we always have a ton of them.  We make tomato juice, salsa, spaghetti sauce, and have done ketchup too (cost more to make your own tho than to buy it, so we arn't doing that again this year).  One thing I want to try out is fried green tomatoes.  I've heard nothing but good things about them, so I hope I don't screw them up!

:)mel

p.s. I'll take pics this year when they begin fruiting.

Our local radio station ..KGB,......used to put out a home grown album every year...my all time favorite was "home grown tomatoes"...

There's only 2 things that money can't buy,
And that's true love and home grown tomatoes!
Joe

(Who LOVES his home groen matoes!)

I bought one too -
**snicker....

;D

Potter wrote on Apr 17^th, 2009 at 6:04pm:

Cut a hole in the bottom of a 5 gal. plastic bucket keep the lid yer gonna need it fill with potting soil, put the lid on and turn upside down.  Plant yer tomato in the hole.  Wait awhile ,like a couple weeks,  turn it over, hang from the handle.  Free                   Potter

We figured that out AFTER we got one and looked it over. But ya gotta "secure" the plant with a piece of rubber foam to keep it in the hole in the bottom. (around the root) - then put in your potting soil. Then hang it upside down. Cut a hole in the top of the pot for watering (or rain whichever comes first).

Next project -- my "green house" -- saw this one on RFD - It's PVC pipe rounded to make the frame and poly - urathane stretched over it to make the house (or hut). Worked for them on their farm. I've just got to work out the details .... Any suggestions on that one?

Hugs BD

C'mon, Barb - Potter? Suggestions?

He ain't got none of those. ;D

Brew wrote on Apr 19^th, 2009 at 8:52am:

C'mon, Barb - Potter? Suggestions? He ain't got none of those. ;D

   Buy a leggy plant. Plant all but a few inches.  The waiting takes care of the need for a shim to keep it innna bucket.

           Potter

Brew wrote on Apr 17^th, 2009 at 5:51pm:

They are part of the nightshade family. Things that make you go hmmmmmm....

They do well with shade at night, but not shade in the day.

Sounds like a shady proposition to me.

Very easy and cheap to make your own...

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Barb,

Good on you...  Keep us posted on the downside up hanging tomatoes...  I wuz going to try hanging tomatoes a couple years ago but my Brandywine's got out of control....

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Semi hydroponic, Miracle-Gro, and Ironite...

Take care,

V/R, Batch

Oh we've got a race on now..... I've got my tomatoes on one end, James has his on the other end and now Buddy (idiot son) has his pot planted and Caleb got him one planted. Nothing like a little competition in the garden. ;)

Right now MY 'maters are doing the BESTESTS... Caleb's are second... But the whole family is involved in this tomato business. I've got a feeling we're going to be "counting" who's plant gets the most tomatoes.

Should be an interesting summer.... :)

Hugs BD