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Hanging Tomatoes

11K views 29 replies 21 participants last post by  roadranger 
#1 ·
Anybody use them or tried them. looks like a nifty little setup for a boat. with four of them you could also have okra, squash, herbs, Zucchini, Cucumbers, yada yada. link
 
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#2 ·
I have a neighbor that SWEARS by them! I drove by for a couple of years, noticed them, then did a job for her and got the scoop.....

It appears they are THE way to go.....take up little space and you don't have to worry about them rotting on the ground.......

I'll most likely give them a go this year........and can't see why it wouldn't work for other veggies.....Peppers, Cucumber, and the like.....
I thought about them last year for Sailboats......since I've heard fresh tomatoes in the Carib are scarce........
 
#3 ·
Sound like a good thing for a boat... if you can restrain them from swinging and bruising the tomatoes.
 
#6 ·
I saw them on TV the other night; they look pretty nifty. I wonder what keeps the plants from pulling out of the soil from the weight?
 
#7 ·
We were looking at the Down Under Pot at a local garden center a couple years ago (any association to Aussie weed is unintentional), for planting use in our screened porch. I liked the glazed terra-cotta pots but couldn't warm up to upside down plants - ended up with a few of those iron cage, hanging baskets with coco-mat liners instead. The concept though has been proven to work and was used for a long time - probably the inspiration for the "Topsy Turvy".

I checked out the website anyway LINK, but was totally turned off by the marketing style (reminiscent of tacky infomercials) and the cheesy plastic film containers. I suppose the idea is good for people with very tight yards, decks or urban balconies.

But, I imagine this would make a real mess if used above deck on a boat. Since the planter bottom requires a hole larger than the diameter of the plant stalk - to allow for growth, whenever the plant is watered, soil will drain over the plant - making muddy puddles and streaks all over the deck and/or cockpit.
 
#8 · (Edited)
I've got to say that I share TB's skepticism about "as seen on TV" products (BTW, TB there is a link at the top of this page to as-seen-on-tv-products, where these Tomato thingies are sold!).

However, and I apologize for the hijak, I have seen an ad for this flat fold collander, and am curious if any of you have tried it:


I would think that this would be PERFECT for a boat.

Comments?

- Ed
 
#9 ·
Ed, looks like a good boat collander - don't know how durable it is though.

What we used for draining pasta is a folding food steamer - since it worked double-duty as a strainer/steamer for fresh veggies & shellfish as well. Just put it in the bottom of the pot before boiling and lift up to drain liquid.

 
#10 ·
I put two plants in a bag and they seem to be working great...except that there is alot of run out of some dark dirty water...not sure you would want that hanging over the white deck of my sailboat....grows beautiful tomatoes though.
 
#11 ·
I heard about growing tomato plants upside down, in 5 gallon buckets nearly 6 years ago. I have experimented with this system in a salt water environment and the growth was not as good as it is inland. For land lubbers it does have great advantages as opposed to planting in the earth. Critters and insects are not as much of a problem with a hanging plant system.

JW
 
#12 ·
Update

I just received two from the UPS driver. got them for 9.99 each plus 4.99 shipping. as it stands now, Nimfy has some (two plants) growing in a planter that have been there for two weeks with multiple small tomatoes. i will get a couple of plants tomorrow and put them in the hangars and monitor the progress between the two.
 
#13 ·
Ah...shoot, never mind...:p
 
#14 ·
update

heres an update for week one. all plants except for planter box (3 weeks in planter box)have been in for one week. when planted, they were 10" plants with no fruits. one small dose of miracle grow to all. and daily watering.

upside down week one a little wilted with four small fruits (i think it's trying to adjust to being upside down)


in ground planted same time as the upside down one. healthy and green with 4 bigger fruits (still small though)


three weeks old in planter box very healthy lots of fruits (i know this is a bit unfair for the others but its an experiment. and these are cherry tomatoes.

so far the ones in the ground and planter box are showing better results.

stay tuned for next weeks update.
 
#20 ·
I have 6 topsy turveys I got last year. Really great as when the tomatoes grow, herbs grow, cucumbers etc I don't worry about rabbits, slugs etc wrecking them like before. I see no reason why they wouldn't work if you have a spot they won't get salted and disturbed.

I planted my new batch a few days ago and the plants grow quick. Keep them fertilized every two weeks and watered as needed and WOW!!!!!!
 
#21 ·
I have a silicone collapsable collanders on the boat. It's wonderful. Folds FLAT, easy to clean, soft... now the upside down plants on the boat. I keep thinking of the birds they would attract and those droppings.
 
#23 ·
I wouldn't do it.

Having grown tomatoes indoors in a house I can tell you it's really not that practical. Yes, you might get some tomatoes, but by the time you go to all the trouble you'd be better off to just clean the cushions and look for spare change to buy some tomatoes on shore. Why ? Well here are some things a lot of people don't know about tomato plants ...

- They need a LOT of water
- They STINK. Yes, the foliage smells bad, especially if you brush against it.
- They ITCH. The foliage will make your skin itch
- It's a LOT of trouble for very little payoff.

Plants like this are really better left to those on shore who can grow them outdoors. It can be done, but I can think of about a thousand things I'd rather be doing than trying to grow tomato plants on a boat. Better to sprout seeds, or grow some basil or something, at least basil smells nice.
 
#28 ·
My father-in-law made his own "topsy turvey" He took a 5 gallon bucket and drilled holes in it. He then planted 6 small tomato plants in it. He did get lots of tomatoes, but a couple of things that I would do differently are 1. Use only 2 or maybe three plants and 2. put a lid on the top of the bucket. I think the lid would help with the water evaporating. I don't know how it would work on a boat getting salt spray all over it. He did have to water it daily.
 
#29 · (Edited)
is difficult at best to grow anything on a cruising boat that is actively cruising---either the plant dies of salt water or it falls overboard in a goood blow--the only thing i grow on board is regular lawn grass for my kat---i use a 18X18 piece of cheepo grass from homely depot----works great but the places the salt water hit die faster than i can keep up with---goood thing is 18X18.....

the steamer is a good tool as it is multi functional----
i use a regular colandar for my pasta....fits well with other kitchen/galley items of similar shape
 
#30 ·
A perfect container for upside-down 'maters is the large 3 gallon kitty litter container. It has handles just like a 5 gallon bucket, but is just a bit smaller, will weigh less when filled, and is more convenient.

Drill a 1.25-inch hole in the center of the lid and another in the center of the bottom. They do not have to be perfectly round.

Turn the container upside down and place your starter 'mater plant up through the bottom hole of the container. I prefer the little sweet-100s or similar cherry or grape size tomatoes.

Turn the whole thing over and hang it by the handle for the next step.

Fill it completely with Miracle-Grow potting soil.

Duct-tape a coffee filter over the hole in the lid (on the inside). Then snap the lid onto the hanging container.

Now you can turn the whole thing over, again, and let it grow bigger, for a while, before you hang it upside down, again.

The 'mater plant will try to grow upward, t'ward the sun, so you should let it grow right-side-up for a while until it gets buds or flowers on it. Then turn it over and hang it upside-down (lid-side up), again. Now the plant's own weight will prevent it from growing upwards... mostly.

Leave the lid on and water it every day through the hole... about 10-12 fluid ounces a day should be enough, unless it is very hot out. The small hole and the coffee filter that you taped on the inside of the lid will prevent heavy rain from flooding your plant (and dirtying your deck).

If you buy one large starter plant and one small starter plant then you can stagger your harvest and have several vines of cherry 'maters for 6 months.

It worked well for us... in Michigan... in our back yard. It should work well on a boat, and take up a little less room than the 5 gallon bucket. It is much cheaper than purchasing the kit from T.V. And, if you don't have a cat, you can use the kitty litter as oil-dry.

It's a good thing ;~)
 
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