Customer Reviews

Felknor Ventures 82506 Topsy Turvy Upside-Down Tomato Planter

5 star:		(101)
4 star:		(60)
3 star:		(31)
2 star:		(41)
1 star:		(113)

 

 

This product works as advertised, my tomatoes are doing very well. However, it is VERY heavy when filled with dirt and watered. You need a sturdy hook and place to hang it. I was having problems with it drying out quickly (granted, I live in New Mexico, where it is quite dry) even though I had added water absorbing crystals to the soil. I ended up removing the top 6 inches of soil and placing a plastic milk jug in the top. I punched some holes in the bottom of the jug and I fill this with water nearly every day. The water then slowly seeps in to the soil instead of running out the bottom, dripping is reduced and the plant gets the water it needs. I would give it five stars if some system were in place to keep it from dripping so I could use it indoors and if it were a little easier to plant.

I have used the Topsy Turvy Tomatoe Planter for 3 seasons now, and will never, ever plant my tomatoes in the ground again. This product is sturdy, simple to use, and produces beautiful fruit. Because the plants grow toward the sun and never touch the ground, the slugs and other critters cannot ruin or run off with your produce. As I have already stated, I have used the same bags for 3 seasons now, and have not had any problems at all. I highly recommend this product.

****Later Posting****
I used these for 4 seasons, and that was about the end the first pair...they do wear out eventually, and they were well worth the price I paid for them. So, I guess I need to replace them! Four summers' worth was pretty good!

To be fair, we have 2 turvy's and 2 potted.
I must confess the turvy's are in far better shape than the potted plants.
Our biggest fuss is that the position makes it awkward when keeping in full sun. We spent weeks turning the plant every other day. It's not that big of a deal though.

Requires lots of water. You must water every other day without fail if in dry, hot, humid areas.

WARNING:
DO NOT BUY FROM THE WEB ADDRESS topsyturvy.com/hangingtomato.com/ or any other redirects this company may send you to.
This company is deceptive. You've seen the commercial. Buy one get one free? Just pay extra shipping? They charge 31.00 for shipping, and it all comes in one box. It totals $71.78
If you return it, you are refunded on $39.99.
They do not refund the whole amount.

Instead of $71.78, which I am still fighting the company about through the BBB, I bought 2 on Amazon.com

I paid about $30.00, that includes shipping.
BUY AMAZON, NOT DIRECTLY FROM THE COMPANY.

Expensive, heavy, and over board! Just use a market bag you can obtain at any grocery store or Trader Joes for .99 cents. The handles are sturdier and the bag expands. Slit bottom center with an X, slip seedling in, add soil mixed with vermiculite and peat moss and hang on a sturdy pole. If your soil mix has vermiculite and peat in it you will water less often. I would use a gallon jug with top cut off to water slowly on really hot days. The whole set up with soil, plant, and bag cost me $2.50 each.

I have read most of the reviews before I bought the Tosy Turvy Planter. I have harvested tomatoes successfuly. I changed the planting procedure like this. To make it 'not so heavy' I layered the planter with potting soil, styrofoam peanuts and spaghnum moss. Each layer was about 3 inches in depth. This took away the weight problem. I hung them(3) from outside fence posts surrounded by sun. This took away the rot problem. It is a good product if you customize the procedure to fit the environment. Dave Kunkler, Rushville, Ohio.

I planted my tomato plant and gave it a good watering, as instructed. Unfortunately we had two days of torrential rain right after and I think the plant got water-logged and is now dead. In retrospect I should have covered the watering hole. Had the plant been thriving, I don't think this would be a problem but it was still quite small and had just been transplanted. I'll try again, but it's going to be a big hassle now that the container is filled with soil. Also, two foam-like discs came with this, but no instructions where to put them, I had to contact the company to learn one should be placed over 1/3 of the soil and the other over the next 1/3. Three stars for a good idea - if plant #2 does better, I'm hoping it turns out to be a *five*

I don't usually do me-too reviews, but I'll contribute just to bring some balance to the overall ratings. Bottom-line: Your first hint should be the "As Seen on TV" label. These are sold with the promise of pest and disease resistance. The only hookworms I've pulled off my tomato plants this season are on the Topsy-Turvy. You will need to set up a drip irrigation system and keep it running constantly or your plants will wilt. Otherwise, be prepared to manually water it at least twice daily. Water filters through the soil readily and exits the bottom near the stem. If it is hanging over a wooden or concrete porch, the constant drip of water will leave soil and mineral stains. On my patio, the tomato plant in the Topsy-Turvy is a spindly runt which will never produce, the one in the pot on the ground near it is bearing fruit. You will notice that many (I acknowledge not all) of the five star reviews on this page are from well-intentioned people who only just received the item but who have not had any actual experience with it as far as its efficacy as a planter. Believe what the negative reviewers are saying.

I was very intrigued by the Topsy Turvy when I saw the infomercial and heard the great reviews. I ordered 2 TT's, got the soil, fertilizer, and tomato plants and followed the directions. My plants wilted and died after 3 days. After reading some helpful hints online, I re-planted and now they are doing great. Tips that helped: First, pick a seedling that's only 6" tall or shorter, making sure the roots are white. (The one I originally got from Home Depot was about 12" high and too gangly.) Next, carefully feed the plant into the bag and the leaves out the bottom hole. (The first time I planted, I forced the big root ball thru the hole from the outside. I think it damaged roots.) Then, bury 3/4 of the plant in soil with only the top leaves out the bottom hole. Add extra soil and fertilizer. Cut a milk gallon container in half, poke several holes in the bottom and place it in the bag. Pour water in and it will slowly drip/drain to water. I water 2-3/day. Wrap the outside with foil if you live in a hot place (I live in Hawaii) to deflect some of the sun's direct light. Now it's been 3 weeks and the plants look full and green. I hope to have lots of tomatoes this summer for all my effort and experimenting...good luck!
P.S.-The shepherd's pole I got at Home Depot could not support the weight. It broke, so we ended up having to hang it from the eaves.
P.S.S.- With more detailed directions and tips, this could have received a 5 star. I had to research on my own.

Maybe these would be good in a more temperate climate, but we have had nothing but problems in Kansas. We had to replace 2 tomatoes because the stems sheared off at the base of the planter in spring storms. Now that it is the middle of summer I can't keep them moist. I water in the morning and by evening they are drooping. They seem to expend a great amount of energy trying to grow up like nature intended and they are a fraction of the size our tomato plants were when we planted them in the ground. Tonight I even found tomato worms on them which we never had in 6 years of growing them in the ground. Pest and disease resistant because they are off the ground was one of the big selling points. We are throwing these things away at the end of the season and going back to the ground!

Tried them. Plants die for either the pressure from too much water at first or not enough water the next day. Once the full sun hits the bag, basically it gets so hot inside the bag regardless of the outside air temp that the roots cook or the water dries up. I did not take an actual temp reading but when I finally gave up and dumped one out to feel the dirt, it was as hot as the decaying dirt in my compost pile. Heat that is part of why a compost pile destroys weeds, etc. Bad idea that is presented well on TV. Do not bother. Total waste of time. If you need to hang your veggies just get a hanging basket with peat moss etc., and hang them the right side up.