NEW | EMPIRE® Topsy Turvy Upside-Down Easy Tomato Planter

This does exactly as advertised. The Black Russian Truffle Tomato i put in mine was growing famously. Actually, it's growth was fairly unprecedented, until....the whole thing fell and the plant's main stem was crushed. See, when the planter is watered properly, it is also incredibly heavy for its size. So, the lesson there would be to make sure whatever you hang it from can hold quite a bit of weight. I would say it needs to be able to hold at least twenty pounds, since the total weight of a fully grown plant with the planter and all the requisite soil and watering will at least end up weighing this much. It might be safer to shoot for 30 pounds though. However, that was a user error problem on my part for not planning properly. The planter itself is great. You cant overwater, as any excess will simply run out the bottom. A good solid and inexpensive purchase.

I hang these from the (otherwise scrawny and not very shady) tree in my front yard. I had more tomatoes than we could eat last year, from just two plants. I also hung a topsy-turvy strawberry planter, and had tons of strawberries too (most of which survived the winter to grow again this year, despite my leaving them in the garage unwatered for four months). This purchase represents buying more--I'll just learn to can or something to support the end of summer bounty.

My husband ordered this. A few years ago I bought him a Topsy Turvy as a birthday gift. The tomatoes we grew with it were wonderful. When we moved out of state the Topsy Turvy was left behind. The day the new one arrived we set it up on the porch, which was about a week ago. The tomato plant is already flowering. we look forward to a lot of tomatoes this summer!

Everything was great!

great! we use this for gardening off of our apartment balcony. we grow tomatoes. cucumbers. and yellow squash. looking forward to trying zucchini next year

Arrived on time. Good shape. Works great. Tomato plants already hanging in this babies. Good stuff, nice design

Works well I plant from the top.

This is my second year growing tomatoes in these and I will never go back to growing them the other way around. This is so easy and the tomatoes are huge.Just make sure they do have plenty of sun and that they are watered everyday to get the best results.

I consistently get a great crop of tomatoes with these planters. Tasty!

I've used Topsy Turvy's before and this one worked as advertised. I've found they only last about 3 years and then the fabric and lining begins to break down. They're not expensive and if you're tight on space in your garden these work great!!

Last year was the first time I tried this topsy turvy. I planted Heirloom cherry tomatoes. You need to to hang this really high because the pants grow really fast and really tall. I got so many tomatoes than I knew what to do with.

I live in the city. I do have a back yard but I grow my tomatoes on my deck. I got 2 seasons out of my last one. I think if you leave it full of dirt out in the sun and weather when not growing anything. The sun beats the life out of the outer material. But I think these tingsh are great kids next door love to watch them grow.

My second time buying these for my small patio. With these I can grow tomatoes.

very good product. just make sure you get right tomatoes to grow upside down.

I gave this as a gift to my neighbor and she has nice big tomatoes already (within a few weeks). Handy.

I have used this product for three years. I have grown the most awesome tomatoes. The only complaint I have is that the sponge inside is good for only one year. I could have used the outside for several years if I could have purchased a new sponge. Having said that, I will buy this product every year because the tomatoes are soooo good.

Easy to use! Good handiwork! It would better if an additional 'hook' is provided.. Something that enable this planter to be hung straignt onto another hook. The only option currently is to screw it into a wooden ceiling..

HOW WOULD HAVE FIGURED THIS WOULD BE A HIT. I HAD TWO LAST YEAR AND NOW I HAVE 6 WITH A STRAWBERRY ONE THAT I AM TRYING THIS YEAR. HAPPY GROWING

I rated this product and gave feedback already. Good good good product gave five stars nothing more for me to say

Wonderful

this is excellent. great tomatoes grow out of this

Love this product!! We are still growing green peppers on our porch in Texas. We had a freeze but I simply moved the plants inside for the night. I just ordered more to use!!

I've had a lousy time growing vegetables and herbs at my apartment despite my wonderful western exposure because of two things: a privacy fence that leaves most of my patio in shade all day long, and a squirrel who thinks that my pots and planters are his personal sandbox. That little b****** has dug up my lettuces, my peas, and my coleus (the only plant that was enjoying the very filtered sunlight). I knew tomatoes wouldn't get enough light if I put them in pots on the ground, even if they survived that plundering rodent. I started determinate bush tomato from seed in March (I live near Seattle) and moved the starts into the planters in mid-June. I filled them with Miracle Gro which I supplemented with a handful of whole frozen shrimp just above the plants' root line to supply calcium and nitrates. It's almost September now, and despite the cool, cloudy weather we had throughout the early summer, my tomatoes are HUGE, with incredibly healthy foliage and tons of little green tomatoes. I gave three of my leftover tomato starts to a friend, who put one in a planter on the ground and two into a single Topsy Turvy, which I thought was crazy. Nevertheless, the two in the aerial planter are quite happy, and are doing as well as the one on the ground, despite sharing a single pot. Our weather has been averaging 75-82 for the last several weeks, and I've had to water about every other day. I've had no bug problems--slugs are the Seattle gardener's greatest nemesis. And that squirrel hasn't been able to touch my plants. For around five bucks, the same price as a dinky plastic pot at a big box store, this planter has been a total tomato solution and I couldn't be happier.

Gave them to my granddaughters for Valantines Day. They went with Mom and Dad on Mothers day to buy the flower and picked out heir own tomaote. I can over to plant them with the gitrs. The watch tehm and water them every day. Grow like crazy.

We live in Oklahoma. Since we planted a tomato in one, green pepper in another and a banana pepper in the last one two weeks ago, we have had very very high winds, hail of all sizes, very heavy thunderstorms and they have held up well. Plants are thriving at this point. We were surprised they held up under the weather conditions we have been having.We don't know yet how the plants will produce, but are having a blast with them and watching the plants grow each day.Very happy with our purchase.

I bought the Topsy Turvy and three weeks later the tomato plants in side of it (I planted two) are thriving! It is truly amazing. On top of that my weather is currently in a 'June-gloom' pattern without mutch sunshine and yet these plants are still growing. I am about to move but plan to buy two more of these.

Last year our tomatoes did really well on the south side of our home, but we needed to make room for other things so I decided to give this a try.Out of the box it's pretty self explanatory as to what you need to do. Open, insert tomato start, fill with potting soil, hang and water. So far my tomatoes are looking great! They haven't ripened yet, but there are plenty of them on the verge. One important thing is to water often! It's easy to forget and if you don't water enough you won't have good results.Overall this is a good product that I think is worth the price, especially if you are limited on your space. The only suggestions I would make are to make sure that you get your tomato start in early. I got busy and put mine in after it had grown quite a bit, not easy at all and more stress on the plant than it needed. Also make sure your hanger is sturdy, with the soil, water and mature plant it becomes quite heavy.**UPDATE**After seeing a recent thread in the Amazon Gold Box Forum I remembered that I hadn't come back to post any pictures. Several forum posters complained that the Topsy Turvy was a waste of money and didn't work. I have already had one successful year and expect another one. I just uploaded one, it's within a week of putting the start. I will continue to add pictures as the plant progresses.

Good quality - still early in growing season, so no harvest as of yet. I was pleasantly surprised how well these are made and are complete save for plants and growing medium. They even supplied hooks from which to hang them

Great price for these must have garden plants. Can't wait to reap the harvest.

I have had mine planted for 3 weeks and the tomato plant is thriving and has buds all over it. I planted cherry tomatoes in it. Yes, it is heavy so be sure to hang it from something strong. We have deer that wander the neighborhood at night, munching on everything. This year, the deer won't eat my tomatoes before i can!

I got great results from this. The plant was bigger than when I planted the same type of plant in a regular pot or in the ground.

We have used these for several years and really like the convenience of them. This year we needed to replace one of them and we could not find them locally so ordered one. The price was about right and it came very quickly.

Have tried this item before and have decided it just isn't very good for our high temperatures. Drys out to quickly even in partial shade/

This planter holds one tomato plant and works wonderfully. It comes with a lid to decrease evaporation, as well as a hook for hanging. We screwed the hooks into 2x4s and they are working just fine. These planters are very heavy once filled with soil and plants, so plan your hanging space accordingly. Overall this is a handy planter, and I like that it frees up space in my planter box for multiple tomato plants. I also like that I don't have to worry about using stakes to help the top heavy plants stand up straight, as this planter eliminates this need. My plants are flourishing in this planter and they grow upward toward the sun!To use, simply (and carefully) place your plant through the precut hole at the bottom, leaving the roots and dirt on the inside and the leaves on the outside. Carefully layer with soil and you're good to go!

I looked locally for these and none of our stores had them. I ordered them and they were here in 2 days, as promised. They were brand new and work like a charm. My tomatoes are happily growing right now!

I have planted tomaotoes in four of these planters and so far so good. They are growing well and have blooms and I am looking forward to fresh tomatoes right of the vine.One note. With potting soil and the plant and water it all adds to be VERY heavy so you need VERY sturdy hangers.

This product is of good quality, with easy-to-follow instructions. I am planting six, and expect to provide tomatoes to my entire extended family and most of the neighbors!

I used two Topsy Turvy planters last year with Rutger tomatoes. I planted the tomatoes in April and got my last tomato off in December!I live in the deep south and have always had problems with my tomatoes getting disease when planted in the soil. Not so with the Topsy Turvy. The tomatoes stayed disease free all year.Cons for the Topsy Turvy are that the tomatoes require frequent watering. The tomatoes each required about 3/4 gallons of water each day, and I used water soluble15-30-15 fertilizer every other watering. This was normally not a problem until vacation time.The other con is that the tomatoes become smaller and smaller as the vines become older. I can put up with this as my tomatoes are disease free.Overall, I am pleased with using Topsy Turvy. I plan on having three of them this tear!

This is the first season that I've tried these topsy-turvy planters and I'm extremely pleased. I would definitely recommend these to anyone who wants to try growing tomatoes. Perfect for the person that wants to grow tomatoes on on a porch or deck. Makes it very easy to water and fertilize.

I've grown tomatoes in these planters for years! Love em!

I purchased this planter because this year I decided to start a container garden on my patio because it is difficult to fine organic produce, at a reasonable price, in my area. I really like the design of this planter and it makes perfect sense when growing certain types of plants/fruit/vegetables. I purchased a cherry tomato starter plant and it is doing just fine growing upside down in the planter. Prep and planting time was minimum and extremely easy. The hardest part was finding the right spot (exposure to the sun) to hang the planter (my apartment/patio faces North getting minimum sun during the day). The planter came with a heavy duty screw in hook, so find a spot that is solid and will support the drilling of a 3/16th inch hole while not cracking/collapsing. The eyelet that hangs over the hook swivels, allowing you to rotate the planter so you can expose the shady side of the plant to the sun (i rotate the planter with each watering). I used a high-quality Miracle Grow Moisture Control potting soil, and after a week I can already see small fruit starting to develop. The planter has an attractive color/appearance and I have already received questions and comments from a neighbor walking her dog in my apartment complex.I rated the item 4 stars for now, but I will provide an update to this review at a later date. And I will then upgrade the rating to 5 stars if the harvest is as good as advertised.

I love topsy turvy planters, this is the 4th year I've used them. I planted tomatoes in the ground, in planters and in these. The ones in the ground just died out even though I kept them watered. The ones in the planters did fine but were hard to manage as they went everywhere, I had to keep propping the branches off the ground. But the ones in the topsy turvies grew like crazy, produced loads of tomatoes and one tomato cage under each one kept them off the ground. Water them twice a day when it's hot out or the roots will cook and your plants will die. I live on the MS gulf coast and my planters generally last two years. By the third year they're starting to disintegrate, so I cut the planter off the top ring and use the rings in craft projects.

We've gardened with the Topsy Turvy Upside Down tomato planters for several years and get great results every year. They work great for us because we have a small yard and we don't have to give up any lawn area for a garden. We never have to weed and we don't have to worry about any critters eating our plants or tomatoes. When filled with soil and water, they are heavy, so you have to have a sturdy place to attach them. They require watering nearly every day, sometimes twice a day when it's really hot and dry. It's a two person job to fill them - one to hold them off the ground and another to place the plants and fill the bag. The plants don't actually grow down, like shown in the picture, but grow up towards the sun. Every year, as the branches get heavy, we have to tie them up to keep them from breaking. We can usually reuse each Topsy Turvy for a couple of years, before the bag breaks down from exposure to the sun. I highly recommend, but just understand that gardening with Topsy Turvys is a little different than traditional gardening.

I was a little skeptical that the upside down planter was worth the money! I love it. I bought a tomato plant, filled it with dirt and it's growing. I only filled it half way with dirt because other wise it would be way too heavy when you water the plant. I like the fact the excess water just drains out of it so you can't over water it. I have little yellow flowers on the plant so soon I hope to have tomatoes. Great idea!

We have garden space, but we started growing tomatoes the topsy turvy way and I have to say, I just wouldn't try anything else because this method works so well. Our gardener friend always exclaims that we are 'cheating' and that it's 'not fair' how much yield we have vs. his in-ground method. I will say that the key to this method is twofold - first, you have to water basically every day if it's hot. Second, you need a lot of sun. This year I am going to try pruning a couple of my plants to see if it produces larger tomatoes.I did use the topsy turvy tree last year and I have to say I prefer the upside down planter to it. The sideways growth of the tomato plant from the planter will eventually cause stem breakage for the tomatoes as the plant gets so heavy it cannot support its own weight, and I spent a lot of time repairing broken and bent tomato stems last year. You don't tend to have this problem with the totally upside down method. The tree was amazing for growing herbs though - got a great harvest off of a rosemary and and oregano plant. Anyway I never review anything, so I wanted to stop by and give this thing my endorsement, because it's my absolute favorite gardening gadget.

I have used three of these for 5 seasons now to grow cherry tomatoes on our patio. Two plants per planter yield over 150 tomatoes per planter. Our location (short season and occasional high winds) has prevented us from growing larger varieties. I get at least 4 seasons per planter. Insect control is super easy and rarely required.

Wanted a new Topsy Turvy tomato planter this season, but have yet to find them in my local hardware or big box stores. Knowing that Amazon was my go-to source, I am now the owner of another of these amazing planters, which is planted, hanging, and showcasing a lovely tomato plant that is growing by leaps and bounds in only two weeks! Love my Topsy Turvy!

I've used these for 5 yrs, and always get great tomatoes. I actually bought this for my daughter, as I still use my older one. I think the people that have trouble are making a simple mistake by trying to grow BIG tomatoes. I grow plum or cherry tomatoes, and have tons of fresh produce well into the late fall- well after frost!

I need to order more! It is a great way to grow tomatoes when you live on an ant hill and the squirrels can't get to them.My last one lasted 5 years.

I use this every year and gets lots of use out of it so I'm just replacing my old sun damaged one.

I live in deep south florida. I've learned over time the do's and donts regarding tomato growing in my area but still consider myself a complete novice. One very important thing ive learned is heat, humidity and insects kills tomato plants over night in the region. The summertime moisture breeds fungus and mold at an alarming rate. I've learned that leaf miners and horn worms are gods little evildoers. I still struggle to get successful yields from ground grown tomatoes. This season i installed drip irrigation which minimizes the a lot of the ground water (ie watering from a bucket) and in turn minimizes the chances of mold and fungus production.Enter stage left the interesting Topsy Turvey...Well, so far I cannot complain. I did my homework before choosing the tomato plant (determinant) and read i think every review out there on this product. I want to recommend to anyone in the deep south to throw away the foam ring which is used to hold the plant and soil in place. This little foam ring will without a doubt rot your young tomato plant in a matter of days. If you live in the deep south dont use it. One reviewer said that they used a piece of window screen to hold the soil and plant in place. I can tell you that this method is the best way to go. I cut out a small piece of screen just smaller than the circumference of the turvey, made a slit in it to fit around the plant and dropped in into the Turvey before adding the recommended soil. What I find very interesting is that I have this Topsey Turvey hanging just next to my raised bed garden right next to my ground growing tomatoes. My bed planted tomatoes have the usual signs of the pesky leaf miners but for some crazy reason the TT tomato plant is untouched.. I read many reviews saying that tomatoes planted in the TT had no signs of insect related stress. I didn't really believe it until now. There must be some logical explanation for this. Im going to update this post with more pics as this plant starts to take off.Update: 4/18/2016 60 days later and my tomato plant is doing quite well, over 20 tomatoes beginning to ripen. see new pics. I have to disagree with the daily watering schedule. I water this plant maybe three times a week.

My mother-in-law was happy with this gift. She grew a ton of tomatoes!

I have tried 2 plants and they both died pretty much right away from the water dripping down the plant. I seems like acid water. Not really acid but its thick and yellow. I planted two more and on of them i planted in the top. The other was a way bigger base so i had to force the plant down instead off through the bottom. That plant is doing ok since it was big in the first place. Any advice on the crusty yellow orange brownish substance that forms on the bottom of the bag would be very much appreciated. I try not to let the plant touch it because it seems to kill whatever comes in contact with the what i have decided to call the orange gunk. but the plant has a mind of its own and is growning up right into it. There are some flowers forming which is a good sign but they will grown right into the gunk. I wipe it off but it comes back. Again any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for any help.

I've used these for years on my 2nd floor condo deck. They work very well with just a few cautions.First, water very frequently. There's not much dirt and it provides good drainage.Speaking of drainage, it will drip, so beware, you might piss off your downstairs neighbors.Turn it frequently to give even growth. As the plant grows DOWN, it will tend to get entangled in the porch railing or anything else below it.I've found that they tend to last about 2 seasons. I'm just buying a replacement for my oldest one due to dry rot and tearing of the cloth.I do love fresh tomatoes just steps away. They frequently don't make it inside - I eat them on the spot.

This works pretty well. I was worried my deck wouldn't get enough sunshine for tomatoes, but my plant is thriving like a champ. (I haven't eaten the tomatoes yet, but there are plenty of green ones on the way). You'll need a bucket underneath to collect water that drains through it--which i recycle to water more plants. You might also need a ladder to water it--my plant is now so bushy that I cannot get close enough to water it without one. This is a good way for apartment or condo dwellers to grow tomatoes.

You can get some pretty good tomatoes if you use good potting soil, water the plants in time and make sure that they don't get burned by too much sun while young.Yield:Each planter can grow exactly ONE tomato plant so make sure that you choose wisely. At the peak, for a couple of months we could harvest 1, sometimes 2 large, usually perfect tomatoes on any given days.It IS possible to have some herbs growing on top of the planter.Care:Like I said, water frequently because all water follows gravity so not a lot of it is retained.Take special care not to choke the plant. There is some 'sponge plug' at the bottom of the planter through which the tomato grows. Make sure that it does NOT squeeze the stem or you may see a vigorous plant growing only to die later because the bottom opening wasn't wide enought.Durability:Six out of the 8 planters we used last year can be reused this year. The other 2 developed some cracks and we will not use them again.GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR TOMATOES!

There are some things you need to do to make this work.1. They are heavy, so get an old ladder to hang them on, I tied 3 on a ladder with some shoestring.2. use GOOD soil, with good drainage. DO NOT use clay type soil or it will not work.3. Water often4. Keep in the sun5. Use fertilizer on the top of the soil so it seeps down.I had great luck with tomatoes. not so much with the squash.. maybe because I grew them late in the summer.

I replaced 12 in-ground tomato plants with 4 Topsy-Turvy grown tomato plants and had almost as large a crop. Part of the reason for the high Topsy-Turvy yield is probably because the soil used in Topsy-Turvy is a higher grade of planting soil - MiracleGro - rather than garden soil. This year, I ordered several more Topsy-Turvys. It is so much easier to grow the tomatoes in Topsy-Turvys because there's no digging, no roto-tilling, no hoeing, no weeding -- and they are more protected from hail hanging underneath the planter! The tomatoes do require more watering in Topsy Turvys, especially as they get larger, the days get hotter and the tomatoes start coming in. This is the third year I'm getting out of my original Topsy-Turvys -- I clean them after each season and hang them in the garage. The $2.98/planter on the one's I purchased from ACE Hardware through Amazon were less expensive even with shipping than the $4.48/planter lowest price I found elsewhere. My only complaint about the Topsy-turvy is aesthetic -- they are a rather garish design and color and they fade badly. I just wish I had room to hang more as I'd plant all my pepper plants in them, too!

So far, so good. We planted a 'Better Bush' tomato plant and followed instructions. Fed at planting (early May) and a month later. Watered every day it didn't rain. We have nearly 20 green tomatoes now (June 21) and expect them to ripen by July 4th here, in coastal NC. Another 15 yellow buds have formed at this point. We also have a patio pot 'Big Boy.' That's doing well too, but I think the topsy turvy will do best.

Hard to find item at local stores.Works great, i have used these for years.

easy peasy, more tomatoes pleasy.

I've been using these Topsy Turvy Tomato Planters for about 10 years. I've always had great success with them. I usually get two seasons of use out of them, which, to me, indicates they are durable and a good value. And I always get lots of tomatoes. Over the years I have planted many varieties, sometimes cherry tomatoes, sometimes 'regular' size, and all have produced very well. But you MUST follow the planting directions and make sure they are thoroughly watered every day!

about a month ago, i built a sturdy wooden frame, and hung seven topsy-turveys, plantedwith 'better boy' tomatoes, in my backyard garden. the area gets about 6 hours of goodflorida winter sunshine per day. so far, i'm very pleased with the results. the plants have grown well, have good andhealthy looking foliage, and lots of blooms. at this point...a high percentage of the bloomshave set as fruit, the biggest of which is now about 1' in diameter. i read many of the reviews, took note of the problems that were experienced, and workedaround them. yes, a filled planter is heavy--the solution, build a sturdy support, it'll lastyou for years. yes, you can break a stem when loading the plant--the solution, follow theinstructions, and you'll avoid that problem. to be honest...filling the planters is easy, ifyou have someone help...support and protect the stem as you're filling the dirt. there was one complaint about tomato horn worms--the solution, google those nasty critters,and learn about them. a moth lays eggs on your leaves, and the hatched-out worms do the eatingon your plants. BELIEVE ME... the offending moths can't tell the difference between plants thatare in topsy-turveys, as opposed to those in the ground. they're just not that smart!!! yes--you do need to water frequently. tomatoes need a steady supply of water... if youvisit 'the land' at disney world, and take the backstage tour of the hydroponic gardens, you'llsee that most plants receive constant watering. this is the 'world capital' of gardening, withplants, and yields enough to make any gardener jealous. they had one tomato plant, that producedover 30,000 tomatoes!!! in this case...there's nothing wrong with being a 'copy-cat.' BEST OF ALL...the biggest advantage to the topsy-turvey is that there's no tying of branches.the time savings, both during growing, and at the end when you're clearing your garden, is verysubstantial. these planters do require a little more work upfront...but in the long run, it'sreally worth it. i have just built a second support, and added seven more planters, this time with cherrytomatoes...and am looking forward to changing over my other tomato plantings to this sameplanting method. please see the photos in the customer-photo section on the front page.

like I said in my head and you wouldn't believe what I am growing in my Topsy turvies in my Topsy turvies with the orange flower on it it is Italian Zucchini I'm growing in it and the vine is started from the topsy-turvy all the way down and it's going along the edge of my railing also too it's going up above the topsy-turvy that's the first thing the second thing on Topsy Turvy I courses my tomatoes in those are the Roman tomatoes in one and another topsy-turvy I have early girls going and I will give you pictures I hope they come out for you I will turn around and say this to you on your planting in your topsy-turvy don't fill your dirt up all the way maybe halfway that's it that's your waist in your soil that way and that's what I have done and I hang it up on the the rafters of the beams outside on my decking and I'll turn around the Sun is beating down . Some of my plants like my zucchini they were germinated in the house first I did not buy plants they're from seeds and one of my other plants my early girls and big boys are from seeds and then one plant is not from seeds from an all of them are topsy turvies I have no complaints whatsoever from this my first year growing with the topsy-turvy and I won't put anything in the ground anymore I've been doing this for years and I'm tired of everything getting in it worms everything you can think of I do it on the decking and I have no issues like I said you can turn around and hang it from the beams to your house and some of it looks real pretty people admired it when I when they drive by my place they can't believe how nice it's growing one of the ladies up the street says she can't get her garden going at all because all the deer and everything else eats it. Mine is been growing for since well what the germination I started in February and this is June now on one of my Topsy Turvy for tomatoes and that's the Romans I have already 10 Roman tomatoes on it Ps I am real sorry if some part you cant read right . I have a lot of problems with my wrist . If you need to ask please send a note an I will tell you on how I did others if you dont have the turvy. There are other ways as well an I have did it

Great for new home farmers!! Should have bought this before moms 5 attempt to grow the tomatoes in ground at the backyard with no sun light. Now she can move it anywhere through out the day to where sunshine is!!!

I thought I'd give the topsy turvy a try this year after last year's disasterous crop (both in the ground and potted). This year, we planted two TTs with tomato plants meant for patio growing. We also planted tomatoes in pots. The plants in the TTs thrived and gave a high yield. The fruit was ready far earlier than the ones in the pots. In the beginning, the plants did grow up the sides of the planters but, as they matured, they grew down. I had no bugs, no slugs, no rot, and the squirrels couldn't get at them. My husband built a contraption out of leftover 2x4s with a heavy-duty metal garden stake across the top to hang them from. It all worked quite well. I will buy more of the topsy turvy planters for next year and am going to try growing peppers as well as more tomatoes in them. Be forewarned, they must be watered every day. I find that mine take about 1/2 gal of water. I also fertilized a couple of times during the season using miracle grow for tomatoes.

Definitely works. I grew several handfuls of cherry tomatoes this summer with little effort, and had no issues with land critters stealing my veggies.

This takes a little more effort than the hype would lead you to believe, but hey, what else are Marketers for? One of my plants TOTALLY died, the other is thriving. I hang small weights strategically on the up-growing leaves and stems to keep it from growing UP until the tomatoes can pull it down. I read somewhere that if it grows up, when heavy tomatoes hang on the UP vines they will break the as the tomatoes pull it down. I'm excited for my first harvest!

I would have bought more if they were still in stock. This saves me so much space and water with my cherry tomatoes. I've heard they work great with Basil too, but I'm not going to pay $15 for a plastic bag even if it lasts for two seasons. $9 for two seemed reasonable.

I live in a mountain community that has warm daytime temps in the summer but can suddenly drop into temperature areas that tomatoes dislike. This has allowed me to start far earlier in the growing season and bring the plants in when the temperature dip at night. The result is happy tomato plants that are producing. Great for me and for them.

Fantastic way to spread out the gardening. I do alot of container gardening and have limited space. This is a easy way to spread it out. I have two for different types of tomatoes and a different one for strawberries. Its easy and simple to set up and use. A good carefree way to do tomatoes no trellis or cages needed.

This is our second year doing tomatoes in the Topsy Turvy. We've grown tomatoes in the ground for years and have excellent soil here in central Pennsylvania. Tomatoes grow to about medium size, very few are larger since they fall off when they get too heavy. That's not a problem for the Jet Star and Roma's that we grow.Pro's:- Very, very few bugs, slugs and other disease issues.- Easy to use as long as you are careful and seat the tomato plants correctly (follow the directions)- Kind of funCon's:- It takes a massive amount of water per day. Don't even try this if you are not committed to two heavy waterings a day, or installing an inexpensive irrigation system like we did. Total cost was $30 to handle all the pots and boxes on our deck and it was really worth it, but took some doing to order and install.- Not really attractive as the summer goes on - all tomato plants get a little scraggly and fried and these are no exception.Also, the hanging pepper plant really didn't work for us. We followed the directions and loaded eight various hot pepper plants but only the jalepeno's seemed to do very well. I understand cucumbers love it.Don't bother saving the planter for next year - if you've done it right it should be pretty frayed by the end of the growing season. Amazon has a great price on them when you buy them as an add on, just start new-