Penny Carnathan

Penny’s a Nurture And Hold (NAH): Nah, I won’t pull that out yet, it’s still got a green shoot. She likes dragonflies, lady bugs and new stuff only after weeding, pruning and fertilizing.

Kim Franke-Folstad

Kim’s a Want It Now (WIN): Everything pretty, everything now. She will resort to full-spectrum insecticides in desperate situations, and believes it’s her duty and right to buy new plants every weekend.

Both advocate Plant Choice (SOMEthing besides crotons. Please!), lots of color and low maintenance. We don’t agree on everything, but we’re smart enough to learn from each other - and from you.

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In search of the upside to upside-down tomato planters

Posted Oct 22, 2009 by Loren Omoto

Updated Oct 23, 2009 at 10:58 AM

I admit, the more yellowing leaves I clip off my struggling yellow pear tomato plant, the more I’m tempted to try one of those Topsy Turvy planters.

Even after reading the mixed reviews in the October/November issue of Florida Gardening magazine (one of my favorites.)

The advantages are many, No. 1 being no earth-borne pests. There’s also no staking, no sloppy sprawl, no weeding, and no big space issues for those with big space issues.

But as Florida Gardening readers pointed out, in response to editor Kathy Nelson’s request for feedback, they have some problems, too.

“They don’t work in Florida. I bought two and both promptly disintegrated,” wrote Jack Hoskins of Melbourne.

“The same fungus that attacks tomatoes in the ground made it up the pole” on which her planter was hanging, wrote Sue Connelly of Ocala. “The worst part was my battle with the wind; the thing became very top heavy.”

Two readers gave positive reviews, though one warned they do, indeed, get very heavy, and the other said they require daily watering, even when it rains.

With that knowledge, friend, colleague and adventure-gardener Jeff Scullin took on the Topsy Turvy challenge.

His neighbor had bought one, but his tomato plant quickly burned out. Seeing Jeff’s patio garden of peppers, herbs and other healthy plantage, the guy offered up the planter last month in exchange for a cut of whatever it produced.

(I love the retro leaf design! And check out the robust basil hanging out in the background.)

Jeff picked up a Sweet 100 hybrid cherry tomato plant (one of the Florida Gardening readers recommended smaller-fruited varieties) and some Miracle Gro.

“There’s an opening on the bottom, and you feed the plant in there, upside down, so that the shoot grows out the bottom,” Jeff says. “You dump in your dirt up top, which has a removeable plastic cover. The cover has a small round hole, which is where you pour your water.”

Jeff hung his planter on the patio. This is what it looked like, freshly planted, at the end of September.

He’s been watering, generously, daily. No flowers yet, but it’s growing. Though it gets plenty of sun, he can see the vine is curling back on itself, like it’s reaching for rays.

And here’s what it looks liked now.

Will it flower? Will it fruit?

Jeff promises to keep us posted.