The country seems to be falling in love with Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter and its siblings:  Topsy Tree and Topsy Turvy Strawberry Planter.

And it’s easy to understand why:  before Topsy Turvy made the process easy, people used to (and still do) hang tomato plants upside-down out of milk jugs and coffee cans to help tomato plants grow better. My grandmother even tried to hang one upside down off of my basketball hoop in the back yard.

Speaking of family, I myself got a Topsy Turvy Strawberry Planter for my mother and I’ll be sharing our experiences with the planter - do’s and don’t’s and the like - in the coming weeks. But from our experiences, as well as the common questions I often hear asked, As Seen on TV Network decided to give out (unofficial) tips on how to use your Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter.

1)      A Tomato Plant Does NOT Come with the Plant and Soil (and Be Thankful). This is a common question. You’ll want to pick a nice seedling from your local gardener. And for us, we decided to use pay a little extra and go for the fertilizer / soil combination.

2)      The Topsy Tree and Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter Get HEAVY. When the instructions say to hang it onto something secure, they’re not joking. You’ll be putting over a cubic yard of dirt into each Topsy Turvy Planter bag and saturating the soil with water. The Topsy Tree bag will hold even more. And that’s before the plants grow to 6 feet tall while bearing ~ 15 tomatoes off of it.

3)      Topsy Turvy Planter - Hang It High: The Topsy Turvy Planter bag measures 15 inches tall when assembled. The hanging wires account for another 9 inches. Now factor in the length of the hook or nail used and that’s over 2 feet of down hang. Then figure that a tomato plant can grow to 6 feet tall and you’re looking at hanging the thing over 8 feet high to keep it from dragging on the ground when it reaches full growth. Luckily, not all the tomatoes grow at the tip of the plant so the overwhelming majority of the plant will be safe from dragging on the ground, but you get the idea. I wouldn’t recommend hanging it off of a porch railing or a picnic table.

4)      Topsy Tree -Look for Stable Ground. The Topsy Tree isn’t something you’ll want to place on rocky ground. Find a place level and flat to evenly distribute the weight. The tree can hold the weight, but if you place it on unsecure ground then one of the legs will have to do more than its fair share of the work. I would think twice before place a Topsy Tree on the side of a hill.

5)      Be Gentle with the Plant - the plants are gentle living creature that are being moved from their homes. Put the plant in from the bottom gently. Also be careful with the sponge.

6)      Be Gentle with the Dirt - If you pour the dirt in to fiercely you run the risk of popping the plant and support sponge out of the bag.

7)      Remove the Plant from the Dirt it Came with Before you Place in the Planter - just in case some weeds are in the store’s dirt.

8)      You Can Place 2 Plants in the Planter. It’s even a tip in the Topsy Turvy instructions to grow more tomatoes. They will grow out the same hole.  For the Topsy Tree, I believe you can put two out each hole for 6 in all.

9)      Topsy Turvy Might Grow them Quicker, but It Doesn’t Do all the Work! Follow the instructions. Water regularly. Make sure you put in a fair amount of fertilizer. Keep the plant trim.

10)   Water It Even when It Rains! The lid does a better job than you realize in protecting the dirt from the elements. I’m learning this tip the hard way.

a.       And when watering, water SLOWLY. I started to implement a brewing technique called sparging where we spaced the water off a wooden spoon and spread it around. This way, the water spreads in gently and doesn’t create tunnels. The spray on a garden hose might have a similar effect but with sparging the effect will be easier to control.

b.      And Water with Frequency! Otherwise calcium gunk and rot will build up around the plant at the hole and you’ll have to get a new plant.

And most importantly, have some fun.

Where to Find Topsy Tree and Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter

As Seen on TV Network is your home for all things Topsy Turvy. You can find The Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter, Topsy Tree, and Strawberry Planter on As Seen on TV Network-hosted sites as well as at the shopping cart site on AsSeenOnTVNetwork.com. And remember if you want all three, pick the Topsy Turvy Planter from its cart site page and you get a second planter FREE (just pay for the second’s S&H). And then when you get the Topsy Tree, you’ll get the Topsy Turvy Strawberry Planter FREE (just pay for the second’s S&H). That way, you won’t have to order a Strawberry Planter separately unless you’re like me and simply want one.

Prepare to enjoy the fruits and vegetables of your labor.

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