Topsy Turvey ‘Maters
Sponsored links
I first ran across the idea of growing tomatoes upside-down while I was “surfing” for ideas for tomato stakes/frames. Last year I picked up some frames from Home Depot I really liked – they had a triangular “footprint” and were very adjustable – but, some of the plastic crossbars warped in the hot August sun. I can still use them up to a point, but I wanted to see if I could replace them with something better.
Enter the Topsy-Turvey “upside-down” tomato growing system. I saw the ad and I couldn’t believe it. How could that possibly work? The ad claimed faster ripening, no grubby pests, and best of all – no staking!!
Well, I just had to look into this further. So, I googled the term “upside-down tomato”, and got a number of pages of very interesting results. A number of forums reported various levels of success with upside-down tomatoes, as well as a number of different “gadgets” intended to make the system easier. It seems there’s a “table” you can buy that grows six plants upside-down, the Topsy-Turvey system that grows one plant upside-down, and the regular old inverted “plastic bucket” system that grows a single plant.
I learned that this method of tomato growing has been around for quite a few years, but has not gained much noteriety until now. In fact, when I revealed my plans to experiment with upside-down tomatoes to my father-in-law, he told me his brother had been doing it for years using the plastic bucket method. I guess it’s one of his favorite things to do in the garden.
The bucket method was explained fairly well on one of the web pages I visited. Simply take a five gallon bucket, cut a 2 inch hole in the bottom, put the tomato plant in upside down (the roots are pointing up inside the bucket, the stem hanging out the bottom), fill the bucket with a growing mix, and hang on the fence or other suitable location. Water well, and presto! – easy pick tomatoes. (Some who have experiemnted with the method report excellent results – others report dismal failures. Perhaps there’s a not-to-obvious trick to it).
I decided to hedge my bets and purchase some Topsy-Turvey kits because they seem to have everything covered. Instead of a bucket they use a decorative “bag” made of rip-stop nylon which should last a few years. All the hanging hardware is included with each kit, as well as a plastic top with a watering hole in it, and some foam disks used to hold the plant in place and slow drainage down (you want to give your tomatoes a chance to get a nice, long drink).
Planting and hanging was simple enough. First, I had to locate a nice, sunny location with a drip line close by. Our patio overhang fit the bill quite nicely. I drilled pilot holes for the hooks, and screwed those in about 8 feet above the ground at 20 inch intervals. Then, to avoid having to stand on a ladder while planting, I found some old decorative chain and an ‘S’ hook to provide a temporary “hook” at about waist level.
The planting process was actually much easier than I had anticipated. The hole in the bottom of the bag was large enough to fit all the branches through while lowering the tomato plant (inverted, of course), down into the bag. Once the plant was in position, I used the dense foam “plug” to make sure the plant and soil would not fall out. Next, I filled the bag up with a mixture of peat moss and a number of handfuls of time-realease fertilizer. (The peat-moss trick comes from the Topsy-Turvey people – they claim that the mixture of peat moss and fertilizer is all the plant needs to grow big and strong. It’s quite cheap, and easily discarded at the end of the season). Hopefully, the peatmoss will really soak up water and the fertilizer will provide enough nutrition during the plants’ growing season. (Wow, I guess this is a hydroponics experiment as well).
After the lid was snapped into place, it was simply a matter of lifting the bag up (it was lighter than expected) and placing it on it’s permanent hook. I then followed Topsy-Turvey’s advice and soaked each bag with a very slow drip for a couple of hours. Later, I plan to run a couple drip-lines to the ‘maters in the next few days.
I will report my upside-down tomato experiences as the weeks go by.
Related Stuff:
BUNN NHBX-B Contemporary 10-Cup Home Coffee Brewer, BlackNothing brews like a Bunn! Using coffee brewing technology perfected in over 40 years of service to the restaurant industry, Bunn has built the perfe... Read More >
Home: A NovelWINNER OF THE ORANGE PRIZE 2009A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALISTWINNER OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE
A New York Times Bestseller A Washingto... Read More >
AeroGrow AeroGarden with Gourmet Herb Seed Kit, BlackEnjoy the taste and fragrance of fresh herbs, vegetables and salad greens grown right in your kitchen. The AeroGarden grows them all with no dirt, mes... Read More >
[...] Topsy Turvey ‘Maters I first ran across the idea of growing tomatoes upside-down… [...]