Grow Your Own Magazine

I've splashed out and bought 3 upsidedown tomato planters (not sure if I can use brand names here). They are called Topsy Turvy and look like chinese lanterns but when planted have a tomato plant suspended from the bottom. They are apparenly useful for courgettes and peppers too but as this is my first year of growing anything whatsoever, I thought I'd conduct an experiment and grow some tomatoes in the normal way and a couple in this way.

Has anyone else tried this method? The advert on the box says they ripen earlier and dont get eaten by pests.

Hi Parkysmum
I didn't know you could buy them "ready made" was going to make holes in some plastic buckets I got for free.
I saw this method in a gardening tips book and will be fixing brackets to my hen run so I can hang them up
We shall have to compare notes, I've got gartenperle growing ready to go in, what type are you trying?
Sue

Think we're growing them in tyres this year so we'll have to compare notes at at the end of the season & see which was best!

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I've had my weetabix...

Hi Parkys.

I tried this last year, I turned a large plastic plant pot upside down [filled with compost] and sowed straight into the drainage holes. All but one came up. When they were about 3 inches high, I turned the pot upside down and hung it up on string that I had already attached. I popped half a plastic squash bottle in the top to water it; like a funnel. I also put some kitchen roll in the funnel bit to stop the water pouring straight out of the soil.

I added a tagetes and no; no pests at all.

The one issue I had was I stupidly went away to a rainy Scarborough when it was actually hot down here and it dried out a little. After that I didn't get new fruit but the ones on there kept going red for a few weeks afterwards. I would put it indoors if going away again.

I'll be doing it again with a few - but still in cheap plant pots. Too tight to buy something special.

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Andrea :wavehello

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...logs/zazen999/

moon trials completed:
tomatoes
[46% increase in crop per seed sown and 10% increase in crop per plant]

currently underway:
calabrese
garlic

I also bought some - must have seen the same sale! But I want to put aubergines in as I eat so many. Last year got lots of flowers but no veg - what did I do wrong?

Bought some too - probably in same sale. But I want to grow aubergines as we get through so many. Last year (first year veggie growing) got loads of flowers but no veg - what did I do wrong? Also grew them in plastic greenhouse and this year want to put upside down planter on south facing wall.

Seem to remember Geordie giving an explanation on how to make an upside down tomato planter from a galvanised bucket? It will still hopefully be on here somewhere!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Here you go!

Trials on tomatoes in 2006

Thread number 24 on!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Can anyone tell what variety of tomato plant you should use in these upside down planters – bush or cordon? I've got gardener's delight growing from seed – would these do okay?

Has anyone got a piccie? What's the benefit of growing them like this as opposed to the usual way?

Click on the green writing 2 posts up.