Jeff gave me an upside down tomato planter for Christmas - we were deciding if it was a novelty, a useful way to grow tomatoes, or a plant torture device. On Boxing Day I bought a little tomato plant and some potting mix, and planted Planty. That's its name, you see.Planty noticed straight away that he'd been planted upside down, but he didn't complain. By the end of the first day, he'd turned most of his leaves around to face the sun. That splash of red in the photo is a bought tomato in the window. Just to encourage the little guy, you see. He added more leaves, and looked quite content. Then some flowers arrived (and there was much rejoicing) and they were followed by (the botanists amongst you know already) actual tomatoes!
Planty kept growing up and up, and adding new sprays of flowers (about 11 sets of flowers, I have counted - I figure that means around 66 tomatoes).
Today was a special day in Planty's life. He dropped! His top got too heavy to be held up, and he reached the point where, had he been planted in the ground, he would have needed a stake to grow up. But instead he gets to use his height to keep him off the ground. He has about 10 small green tomatoes!
Cool! Might have to get one of these for John
ReplyDeleteWell, $10 at a little shop at Forest Hills. Probably in lots of other shops too!
ReplyDeleteMmmm Fried Green Tomatoes??? I've got a recipe in one of my American cook books. They are meant to very nice....
ReplyDeleteIve tried that upside down planter and had no luck...was really tough keeping it watered properly.
ReplyDeleteThe best way to support your tomato plants is with The Tomato Stake.
Easier to use than metal cages or upside down planters, stronger than bamboo and won't rot like wood stakes.