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Home > Home & Garden > Topics:  Gardening/Landscaping
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Make Your Own Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter

Submitted by: Kathy D.  07/09/2009 3:27 PM
 
I love to grow tomatoes, but we RV. I saw the "Topsy Turvy" on TV, liked the idea, but they wanted $20.00!!! I saw in another newsletter, that you can accomplish the same thing if you do the following:

green soda bottle

1. cut the bottom off, I cut at the mold mark on the bottle.

2. punch 4 holes, so you can hang it at the level you want.

3. put the tomato plant through the neck add soil.

*Save the bottom of bottle:
Use the bottom of the bottle as a saucer for an existing plant. I understand that if you use a clear soda bottle, that the roots will burn.

Not only is this a "Green" project, but you can get the soda bottle cheap. This is recyclable.

I have 2 Tomato plants this way, and will take them when we RV.

Editor's Note: This tip was originally submitted as a comment in response to the tip Container Gardening for Small Spaces. Click to find more ways to save.

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Comments:
 
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You can use clear bottles, just cover them with colored paper or cloth. You can even be creative or decorative. Consider using old gift wrapping paper. Use cloth or foil for a longer lasting cover.

I did see this elsewhere on the net. They suggested, and I recommend, to heat the funnel portion with a hair drier (slow) or heat gun (quick) and push the neck down into the bottle making it flatter. Using a heated nail, punch a few holes around the "moat" that you create. Also, put some coconut coir around the tomato plant before inserting it to prevent washing out of soil.

Instead of just punching holes for hanging, try again heating a nail to make the hole. This also makes the hole stronger as the plastic thickens around the whole. I actually have a cheap electric soldering iron just for this as I also use it to make drain holes and holes near the top of pots to pass through drip irrigation line.
 
Posted by anonymous on July 19, 2009 3:51 PM
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Great Tip. Recently saw a Clorox jug spray painted with bronze and touches of other colors that was hung in a simple macrame twine hanger, very effective and attractive. The handle makes it easy to tilt it for watering.

Tip for people with relentless sun: Line the bottle with bubble wrap to protect the roots before adding soil. Thanks. Good job, Tiphero.
 
Posted by peggy greene on July 23, 2009 3:35 PM
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I made mine out of milk jugs by cutting a hole in the bottom to insert the tomato plant. A greenhouse owner suggested putting a piece of household sponge around the plant to prevent it from washing out. I also poked holes around the bottom for drainage

I cut away the spout portion of the jug, leaving the handle intact for hanging. Then I hung them on my washline poles. They are doing great!
 
Posted by bonniew on July 24, 2009 7:00 AM
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I bought 2 of the topsy turvy planters and haven't gotten NOT EVEN ONE SINGLE EDIBLE TOMATO FROM EITHER ONE!! I've got 2 huge tomato vines but NO TOMATOES!! It was a total wast of money! I did everything according to directions and I still am waiting for my FIRST tomato--I am way beyond ticked off! I could have BOUGHT enough tomatoes for the summer from the money I spent on these worthless things!
 
Posted by Teri Davis Newman on July 27, 2009 1:43 PM
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My husband made some out of planter buckets that did better than the actual topsy turveys you buy from the store because we bought two of those also to see which one was better.

but to be honest I think that next year we will just plant them in the ground. Most of our tomatoes are small or have split tops or black bottoms it wasn't that good of a deal... I think that they do better in the ground!
 
Posted by Crystal on July 28, 2009 8:03 PM
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