Growing tomatoes

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

So today I bought one of those Topsy Turvy tomato planters and a tomato plant to go along with it.

I was kinds lucky to get the planter. We haven't been able to keep them in stock when they've arrived.

So I've got the plant in the planter and hung up in a sunny spot, and I'm wondering what kind of fertilizer I should use on it, since the instructions say to fertilize the plant fairly frequently, yet my mom says that shouldn't be necessary with the kind of dirt I used (compost-y soil). What should I look for at the store?

Also, I purchased a green bell pepper plant to plant someplace else--would that require anything special in the way of fertilizer? Any kinds of pests I should be keeping an eye out for?

Thanks to anybody who can help!

[BookstoreEscapee]

My parents have a couple of those planters. they also have pepper plants, or have in the past. I sent a message and will let you know what they say...

Edit: They say:
He should use potting soil only in the upside down planter. Should not need fertilizer.
Other than that, Miracle Grow stuff for veggies
Compost soil is fine.

[draggar]

Yep - regular soil (maybe a special soil for vegetables at Home Depot).

Set up the topsy turvy HIGH - and i mean high. We had a different one - it was over 3 feet tall (including the wires to hang it from) PLUS the vines can easily reach 3-4 feet tall so you're looking at 8 feet high minimum - probabaly better at 10 feet *and* it needs to be secure since the soil (even dry) can be very heavy.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

How does that work? I've seen those, and they look cool, but one thing: Plants tend to grow upwards, right? So what keeps the tomato plant from looping around it's root ball and trying to grow upwards?

[Dave1982]

How does that work? I've seen those, and they look cool, but one thing: Plants tend to grow upwards, right? So what keeps the tomato plant from looping around it's root ball and trying to grow upwards?

The weight of the tomatoes, and the plant itself. Tomato plants are really vines, and as such have little strength of their own. When planted in the ground, they require wire frames to wend themselves around or they just fall to the ground, which will make the tomatoes rot.

Oh, and I got one of those for my mother for Mother's Day (she asked for it). Believe it or not, we actually sell the Topsy Turvy at Staples. Unfortunately, the plant she put in it wasn't too healthy to begin with and looks like it might die before producing any tomatoes.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Well, you know, that is true. I imagine if you get a type of tomato that ordinarily needs a cage, that would probably work.

Hm. Let us know how that works out, it looks pretty cool. I already have mine planted, and they are, predictably, in cages. (I don't even know what kind I have, they came up in my dad's compost heap as "volunteers" and I adopted them. )

[spark]

Huzzah for plants! I've never grown the topsy-turvey kind, but I grow tomatoes in regular old pots, and they like regular old potting soil just fine. I had a fertilizer enriched soil to start with, and never needed to fertilize them at all. My understanding is that's the point of compost in the dirt, is the soil is already rich, so you don't need to do anything to it.

[blas]

Actually Irv, thank YOU. I've been trying to think of a good Father's Day gift.

[sportsmom]

I put out 7 tomato plants earlier this year along my deck. I figured I could use the railing to tie them off to when they got that big. I've been using veggie fertilizer on mine, but I didn't use and special soil. They're just in a flower bed.

Aren't homegrown tomatoes the best? The uglier they are the better they taste, too.

[bookworm]

No advice on the Topsy-Turvy thing, though do let us know how it works out. My Mom wants one.

We planted 5 plants again this year in our plot in the yard. Went out to water this weekend and found some 10 additional plants growing that had seeded from last year. 4 in the tomato plot and 6 just out in the yard. We're debating now whether to try to move the ones in the yard or just pull the grass from around them and see what happens.

What I'm really wondering is, since we had 3 or 4 different kinds planted last year, what seeded and did we get any weird crosses? Should be interesting.

The 5 new ones we planted are already starting to flower. We should have tomatoes by the end of June!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Tomato plant is doing good. It's getting bigger and bigger and I'm watering it every day.

However, I noticed another plant starting to grow up out of the soil. I asked my dad what it was.

He told me it was a sunflower. The soil I used must've had some loose sunflower seeds from the bird feeders in it.

Imagine, if you will, a Topsy Turvy planter with a tomato vine snaking out of the bottom, and a big ass sunflower growing out of the top.

I tore out the sunflower seedling and threw it on the soil so it can decompose. I notice some other things may be growing in there though.

[Dave1982]

The Topsy Turvy I got for my mother seems to be working well. The tomato plant she put in it was dying, but is currently thriving. It IS trying to curve upwards, but as it grows, it mostly hangs down. Once the actual tomatoes start growing, I imagine it will straighten itself out.

On a related note, my co-workers and i recently caused Focker - out sales manager - to NOT buy two Topsy Turvys because we wouldn't stop giving him shit about using them to grow weed.

[Sarlon]

my parents have 2 of them as well...and they require ALOT of water...daily.

they are growing well though however and FINALLY starting to grow downwards after SEVERAL months of trying to grow up.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

The tomatoes are now starting to ripen (finally!)

I've got six of them on the windowsill ripening. Would've been seven but that one had a wormhole in it.

I sliced one and put a slice on a hamburger, and ate the rest of the slices with salt and pepper. It was delicious.

[MsCrankypants]

My mom plants tomatoes every year; this year, she inadvertently got cherry tomatoes. They're still delicious, but I miss last year's humongous tomatoes.

My favorite thing to do with tomatoes fresh from the garden:

1) Slice up 1-2 medium tomatoes.

2) Dice 1-2 medium-sized ripe avocados.

3) Very very thinly slice 1/4 to 1/2 small red onion.

4) Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar (plain white or red wine vinegar is what the recipe calls for; I'm partial to balsamic vinegar, so I use that). Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper.

5) Chill for a few hours.

6) Enjoy!