Would everyone check this out and let me know ....

Ya'll I found this in a magazine, it's called "Space-saving Garden" and features this thing that says you can plant 4 tomato plants upside down with a whole garden right on top of it. It can be viewed at www.windandweather.com and then put in the item number under search PL3820. When you do that answer these questions for me if you don't mind, and see if you people are wondering the same thing that I am here?

Questions:
If you plant 4 tomato plants in the bottom and say peppers on the top, where do the tomato roots go? I mean, when I pulled up my old tomato plants there were lots of roots with just two plants, now this thing is supposed to have room for 4 tomato plants and a whole garden on top of that? Are they serious?

This looks compact and nice; but, will it work?

joy112854

Hi Joy:
This is an interesting concept, but at 25 inches square and not that deep, I just don't know where the tomato roots can go--especially intermingled with the herbs/veggies on the top shelf?

CapeCodGardener: I wonder what kind of tomatoes they are talking about here and it sure ain't peppers on top I would think, maybe cherry ones with spices on top? I like that little set up though, a lot of money though, if it doesn't work ya know?
joy112854

It's a lot of money even if it does work. I would think that a similar one could be made for a fraction of that. I agree that it would need to be a lot deeper as well to grow four tomato plants regardless of what you put on the top.

Karen

Karen: Thanks, being a beginner gardner, I thought the same as you two; but wanted to make sure.
joy112854

sure the device looks good but my gosh....at the better part of a hundred dollars.....wow
even if i lived on a roof top in nyc i could come up with something cheaper....but ...if you have the money to spend go to it....i am into gardening to feed myself and friends some great veggies for as little as possible....thank goodness for being grounded....i have 8 - 4' x 20' beds made of 2" x 10" rough cut hemlock......that can't be beat if one wants raised beds..inexpensive and simple

johnnierotten: I thought about raised beds for carrots and onions and will probably eventually do that when I have more gardener experience. Yes, it is quite expensive; but the fact that you would reuse it all the time, makes me think it might pay for itself in the long run, if it were to work; but, I'm suspicious that it won't as there are no space for roots that I could tell.
joy112854

Since it is 52" high and most of that is just "space" that the plant is hanging down into, it looks to me as if the growing area wouldn't be more than six or eight inches deep, plus it is only 25" wide. It might work for one tomato plant, but I just don't see four in that space. My one cherry tomato plant last summer was huge. I didn't stake it, and it took up an area approximately three feet in diameter and about two feet high. I've always heard to figure that there is as much or more plant under the ground as on top. You can get two EarthBoxes or the materials for several homemade EarthBoxes for that money. I would sooner go with that myself.

I have several raised beds and they work very well. I had to buy the wood for the frame and bagged dirt to put in them. I believe an 4'x8' one cost about $45.00.

However, what worked well for me, too, are lasagna beds and they were a lot cheaper, practically free. Last fall I put down cardboard over the grass, and just layered anything and everything organic on top. I was short on green stuff so bought a bag of alfalfa pellets, 50 pounds for $15, to use instead. I picked up the bags of leaves others put to the street, collected coffee grounds from the local coffee shop, and threw in any used potting soil, too. By spring, it was all nicely composted down. The veggies did very nicely in these beds. I'm adding about a 30'x40' space to my veggie garden this winter, using the same method. I did learn that one layer of cardboard is not enough. Need several layers. If you can dig up your grass and turn it over, that will add nice greens to the mix. I can't dig up the grass, though. In fact, can't dig up the soil at all, which is why I have to have alternative-type beds for everything.

Karen

Karen: I'm leaning towards an above garden bed; but, the reason I'm leaning that way is because I can plant carrots, onions and so forth in it that grows underground, potatoes too maybe. It will leave my EBs open for other things. Now, that I'm learning more about gardening though, I'm finding out that there is a winter planting season up here too! That is nice also, as now I can grow in the winter.
joy112854

my question is has anyone ever tried the growing tomatoes upside down thing?

redflowerpot, yes, I've done the upside down tomato growing. We had a thread here on DG a few years back on it. I used five gallon buckets and also some ten inch hanging baskets. The hanging basket worked but needed constant watering due to its small amount of root area; the five gallon bucket worked much better and more successfully. It was a fun experiment but I haven't done it since.

And by the way, Welcome To DG! You'll love it here!

Shoe

Somebody asked if potatoes could be grown in an EB. I'd like to know, too. Thanks.

Joy,

Sorry, I guess I misunderstood. I thought you were looking at that planter for tomatoes, so that's why I suggested the EB. I agree that for carrots and onions just a regular raised bed should be fine.

Gymgirl,

I doubt that potatoes would be successful in an EB because of the way potatoes grow. You would normally start potatoes in a trench, then fill in the trench and covering the foliage as it grows. The potatoes form along the stem that you have covered because they are actually a tuber. Since digging the potatoes for harvest involves a lot of work, people have been growing them on the ground and covering them up with leaves or putting them in large garbage cans or grow bags and filling the container as the vines grow up. Sweet potatoes, though, are a root vegetable and might be okay an an EB, but they are so easy to grow that they will grow in nearly any soil except hard clay and need hardly any care.

Karen

Karen: hmm, I would have thought that potatoes would have done pretty well in an above ground garden perhaps?
Redlfowerpot: I have two topsy turvys and 4 revolutionary planters (Garden Supplies' version of the topsy) and 3 hanging baskets. I haven't used them yet; but intend to this Spring/ Summer. I want to plant things such as beans, pickling cukes, peppers and tomatoes and eggplants in them, freeing up my EBs for more of the same. LOL
joy112854

Joy,

For potatoes you have to cover the vine up as it grows. The potatoes grow along that covered-up vine. I've seen on the Internet reports of good results from planting potatoes in an old tire, then adding soil and additional tires as the vines grew. I tried that last spring -- total failure. However, I have seen several people here on DG report good success with 30-gallon trash cans. Here is doccat5's article on how she grows them on the ground and covers them with leaves: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/435/ I have also thought about digging a trench about six inches deep, then laying the vine down in the trench and covering it up as it grows. You can also mound the soil up around the vines as well. So, yeah, I think potatoes can be grown in a raised bed, just not an EB.

My grandmother's potato growing method was to dig a trench about 16"-18" deep, put the seed potatoes in the bottom of the trench, and cover them with a couple of inches of soil. Then as they grew up, she would gradually fill in the trench. She would mound the soil up several inches high as well once the trench was filled. Digging them up is quite a chore, which is what we are all trying to avoid by working out alternate methods.

Karen

Karen: My only problem would be leaves as I don't have any trees. I plan on getting a three rail raised bed for the potatoes and carrots.
joy112854

Do your neighbors have trees? I drive around and pick up leaves other folks have bagged and set to the curb. I've picked up over 40 black plastic garbage bags full of them in the last two weeks. I just watch out that I'm not picking them up from folks who have pine trees. Pine needles don't compost very well. Doccat gets hers from the curb, too. You can also contact landscapers in your area to see what they do with the leaves they bag up for their customers.

Karen

Karen: I check last night with my neighbor, he has maple leaves! Will those work? He has oak trees also. I'm going to be planting a crepe myrtle tree in March/April, will those work?
joy112854

Joy,

Yes, anything but pine needles. Pine needles wouldn't do any harm as such. It's just that you want them to compost up in a short period of time, and pine needles take forever to degrade to compost. I suppose that's why I see so many landscapers using pine needles here as mulch -- it lasts much longer so it doesn't have to be replaced very often. As you pull old plants, flowers and veggies, out of your beds you can use that stuff, too, if it's okay with you that you will get some volunteers. I just tuck them up under the top layer. I don't use weeds as I don't need any volunteer weeds. LOL Don't forget grass clippings, eggshells, and kitchen veggie trimmings, as well.

I tried to get the veggie trimmings from the local market here, but they wouldn't let me have them. You might want to try in your neighborhood though. If you can get them, you can layer them with the leaves. I use alfalfa pellets for greens since they are cheap, and I have a hard time getting enough green stuff.

Karen

Karen: Maybe some bags of compost might do the same trick? Seems easier anyways? LOL Plus I can be a bit lazy at times?
joy112854

Compost mixed with soil would work -- but it's expensive. The leaves and stuff are free. It's not really hard to do. You just dump it where you want it and leave it sit all winter. My granddaughter and I spread about 20 bags of leaves in less than an hour and that included dumping in pots of used potting soil as well. I expect to have maybe 10 hours tops invested in this by the time I am through. Lazy? I think I have a corner on that. We have leaves all over the yard from the trees behind us. There's a whole forest back there. But it's much easier to get them from the curb where nice folks have already raked them up and put them in bags for me. LOL.

Karen

[my question is has anyone ever tried the growing tomatoes upside down thing?]

Redflower - I received one of those upside down thingies as a gift 3 years ago, the exact same item as shown on that web page. I had no luck with tomatoes growing under it. The tomatoes tried desperately to get some sun light but am sorry to say they just gave up. Maybe upside down is against some law of nature.

I did have some good looking periwinkles growing on top. Cannot recommend it for anything growing under or anything that gets any larger than periwinkles (vinca).

fiddle: Ah ha, so that would have been a waste of money after all.

Karen: I will scout out some trees ahead of time and maybe the neighbors will say yes, I think they will. LOL
joy112854

The "nays" have it! Save your bucks. As someone said it could be built...........I say out of rough cut inexpensive five quarter green saw mill wood. Cost maybe ten - fifteen bucks and would look nicer too. Still I think it should have a lid on which sets a pot to grow the top plants. One matter would make my limit and the root supporting box should be twice that deep....minimum. Look at the upside down plastic bag planters for an idea about root volume.

Docgipe: I've decided to do just that, and spend it on EBs instead. LOL
joy112854