The topsy turvey tomato planters.?

I bought three of them a few years back. You can have them, they were a waste of money.

I bought 4 tomato plants, all the same variety. Planted two in the topsy turvy planters, the other two went into the ground. Those in the topsy turvy planters produced 3 small, sickly tomatoes. Those in the ground produced several pounds of large tomatoes.

The topsy turvy planters are nearly impossible to water. You're supposed to pour the water through a small opening in the top of the "bag", but the water tends to run between the bag and the soil inside and drain right out the bottom. The only other option was to take down the whole shebang several times a week and soak it in a large tub of water. And you know what? Those topsy turvy planters are pretty darn heavy when they're full of soil and plants and water. Plus it is impossible to tell whether or not the plant actually needs to be watered since you can't see or feel the soil inside the planter.

I've seen them in other people's yards too, but I have yet to see one that has a large, healthy plant growing in it. They are just a gimmick.

I'm having a garage sale this spring and if some schmuck wants to buy those from me, they're welcome to them. Otherwise they're going in the trash.

I planted tomatoes using 5 gallon plastic buckets such as you can get cheaply at Lowes or Home Depot. Be sure to get the plastic lid, too. Cut or drill a hole in the bottom of the bucket (about 3-4 inches in diameter or so). Turn the bucket over and put a paper towel or coffee filter over the hole and fill the bucket with soil. Put a paper towel or coffee filter on top of the soil and put the plastic lid on the bucket. Cut a hole in the lid about like the one you cut in the bottom. You can also use an old t-shirt or large rag to cover the bucket instead of the plastic lid, if you wish. Flip the bucket over so that it is upside down. Plant your tomato plant in the hole in the bottom of the bucket and leave it alone for a few days until the plant is established. Then pick up the bucket, turn it over so that the bucket is upside down and hang it up (you may need help doing this). Water the plant through the hole in the top. I put a 2 X 4 through my deck railing and placed cinder blocks on the part of the 2 X 4 on the deck as a counterbalance and hung the bucket on the other end. You could also hang it on a clothes line post.

Yes, the topsy turvey tomato planter can be used for strawberries. So can big soda bottles. They can hang too. Buckets too, for tomatoes and peppers. They need good drainage holes.

i made my own last year

this sounds complicated but its not

bare with me

i got new paint kettles with lids, REALLY cheap

turned upside down, cut a 4" diametre hole in the bottom in the middle,

covered the hole with card, and uprighted again

filled with compost, put the lid back on, and turned upside down again

with me so far?

removed the card

now you have an upside down paint kettle with a hole, and full of soil

plany the tomato plants or seeds and when they are about 6" tall

hang them up by the handle

they will grow down for about 2ft

then turn up on themselves

take the lid off and it will be easy to water

i know this sounds a lot written down but i had 10 plants in planters for less than your one costs

i'm going to try hanging a plastic shopping bag with holes cut on the side and very light porous growing mixture.

But, I haven't done it before so don't know how it will turn out.

Here are plans on how to make them..I used this method and they work great..

http://www.minifarmhomestead.com/gardening/tomato....

http://cgi.ebay.com/Als-Flower-Pouch-10-Hanging-Ba...

this is a link for growing bags. much cheaper than $20. if you don't need 10 i'm pretty sure they sell smaller lots.

i wood box