Topsey Turvey!!

[dbjay417]

I saw this contraption on the TV last week and have been thinking about it ever since.

for those who have not encountered this thing, its like a bag with holes in it. Some of them have the holes on the side, and some have a hole on the bottom. there is some kinda containment barrier. i imagine some kinda rubber. And well, when your tomatoes etc are ready for transplant, you put them in these holes, and add soil to the bag. Then the bag can be mounted on a stand and the tomato plant and fruit develop suspended in air from this bag. According to the advert gravity makes water and nutrients flow easily to the plants extremities.

i was curious so i made my own for a test run, out of a plastic milk gallon. So far so good, but its only been several hours. I'm thinking that as the plant grows heavier the plastic from gallon might cut into and even severe the stem. I'm thinking a bit of duct tape and a wad of tissue might prevent this.

heres the addy to the product site if your having trouble assembling my description.

http://topsyturvys.com/

if anyone has any experiencewith this product or notes on potential difficulties i might face with my design, feel free to chime in.

 

[vfem]

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=22841

 

[Southern Gardener]

My sister actually bought my mom and me a Topsy Turvy - I won't use it until April. Seems a little weird, but I can't wait to try it out.

 

[dbjay417]

i did search it before i posted, Guess i should have used better key words. Thanks for the link, and for not locking this thread.

 

[vfem]

Oh I just wanted to show you everything I read in that thread.... copy and pasting the links and what others said was just too much work. I'm slack!

 

[dbjay417]

I use a lot of different forums, and some times forum admin and mods can be real NAZIs about threads on duplicate topics. Appologism has become a knee jerk reaction.

 

[smom1976]

I see how you can use a bucket.. that is wonderful.. But I dont have that many buckets and I planted a ton of tomatos this year.. (I dont have that much room in the garden) other than a bucket what could I use .. or Miss Prissy.. how did you make your own home made bucket?

 

[dbjay417]

I just butchered a plastic gallon container. the sort you usually find milk in at the grocery store or maybe the gas station. I dunno if it will have enough space for two plants to grow all the roots they need to mature, but we'll find out.

I cut off the top in such a way to widen the hole so dirt could be put in easier, but i left the handle in tact, thats where I'm going to hang it from. Then I used a box cutter to make an X cut into the plastic about a quarter of the way up the side on two opposing sides. I punched some holes in the bottom for drainage, put a thin layer of tiny rocks at the bottom to keep the dirt from running off.

Then i filled the container up with dirt just below the Xs. I then a took two tomato plants that were read for transplant, and I shoved them through the X cuts, and filled the jug with more dirt. up till it was almost full.

After examining my handy work i opted to cut the sharp points in the X cuts to prevent them from stabbing into the plant, but i foresee the need for additional padding as the plant grows. I'd post a picture but frankly the thing is ugly. if i can get it to flower and fruit and the harvest is reasonable then I'll post pictures and endorse the method.

I live where the drinking water tastes like... well its not good, so we have lots of plastic gallons from store bought water hangin around.

 

[smom1976]

I am really trying to picture this.. but I cant... so here is what I am thinking

would there be enough dirt in a one gallon milk jug like this one..

but I was just thinking .. the hole you pour out of would be a perfect hole for the tomato.. then just cut a watering hole at the other end... and then punch a hanging string from one end of the (now currently bottom of the container) through to the other and out.. giving it support and then same on the other side creating an x with the strings coming out and tied together in a knot creating something to hang it with..

but again would there be enough dirt??? it is a lot less dirt than a paint bucket..

 

[dbjay417]

excuse the mess. thats my work table(stack of defunct sliding closet doors) and i like it messy.

those are my cukes in the background. they are nearing transplant age rapidly.

I will hang it by the handle in a sunny spot once I am confident that the roots have taken well and recovered from any trauma incurred when being forced into the holes which are actually + and not x.

I do think X would have worked out better though.