Okay, so I saw the ad on tv this weekend for something called a "Topsy Turvy", basically a collapisble 3 gallon bucket with a hole in the bottom and a wire tri-hanger on top. They want $20 on their website, so being the frugal man I am, I went on a cyber-quest. After checking out a number of different you-tube sites on the subject, I decided that we won't go waste $50 a unit on those stand type upside down garden containers. Instead, we will buy up a dozen or so 3 liter pop bottles at the local dollar store and build them into upside down hanging pots. We will be planting zuchinni, regular and cherry tomatoes, and three types of pepper plants.

Many of the sites showed people using 5 gallon buckets, but I think that is overkill. The plants don't need that much soil to grow in, and 3 liter containers seem a lot easier to handle anyways. We will put the primary plants out through the spigot opening, which will be the bottom once it is hung, and plant herbs or some such small growing plants in the cutaway base section which will become the top. I can put eyelets in the eaves along the southern wall enough for a dozen containers, and I have plenty of copper wire to use as the hanger on the bottles. If we get a nasty wind storm or something, the containers will be easy to locate using the roof rafters in the garage as alternate hanging stations until the storm passes.

Not quite as prolific as what I had in mind earlier, but big enough for us, and plenty clandestine as well, in case someone wants to look in on us, it won't be a typical garden footprint.

I tried this last year with little success, but I think I know exactly what I did wrong.

I used 1/2 gallon milk jugs, and these let TOO much light into the root area. Walmart is now selling their own version of the Upsy Tomatoes ($7 here), and I thoroughly examined their set up. Sure enough, that and every other I've looked at online are pretty solid, not letting much if any light get to the roots.

I plan to repeat the experiment again this year, but will shield the roots from any potential sunshine. Haven't decided if I will paint the outside or newspaper the inside.

jane b

Jane brought up a good point about the clear containers causing problems. Roots don't like light, but they like to stretch out. Most potting soils are dark and will absorb heat, and most roots don't like too much heat -- enough, but not too much.

Three liter containers may provide just enough soil, but it had better be GOOD soil with a good bit of compost, because what is in there is all the nutrients there are. If you have to water it a lot to keep the soil moist, a lot of the nutrients will be washing out with the extra water. A pint or so of Worm Tea from an organic gardening source is fine, about one tablespoon of it mixed into one gallon of water, fed to the plants once a week. If you have your own homemade compost, put a couple of handfuls into a bucket and fill with water, stir well and feed weekly. Or the same thing with composted (not fresh) manure.

I wouldn't use chemical fertilizers here, as they would be running over the fruit, which they wouldn't ordinarily be doing if the plants were right-side-up.

By the way, if you see wilting in the afternoon but the containers are damp, they don't need more water; they've just had a little more sun than they need. If it keeps happening, try moving them to another spot that has a bit more shade. I've seen this with zucchini more than anything else.

I would really like to know how this idea works out, if you think of posting the results this summer/fall. What worked, what didn't.

Sue

Oh yes, I am starting with a superb organic soil, and I will amend it regularly to make sure the plant has all it needs nutritionally to go. Doing 3 liter pots I think will help with economics, as the volume needed won't be like building a full blown garden bed.

I wasn't aware of the sunlight on the roots issue. I will definitely take that into consideration. Most likely I will line the inside of the container with something, maybe newsprint if I can find any these days.

We will see how the experiment goes.

Interesting. Keep us posted. Photos would be good too.

Pictures, doh!

Any reason they need to be upside down? Why not just use a pot?

"Why not just use a pot?"

Hanging, they will be less at the mercy of ground-dwelling predators of all sizes, you wouldn't have to support them with stakes or a trellis, and the dog won't pee on them.

If you're using real compost, it will break down the newspaper long before the tomatoes are finished growing. Some of that black landscape fabric might do very well, however.

Sue

I think (I am just guessing really) that three liters would not hold enough moisture for a good sized plant.
You might end up watering it three times a day.
It might also not allow enough root to grow and stunt the plants, as most plants seem to grow almost as much root as they do greens.

Again it is just a guess and your idea might work fine.
The only thing we ever planted in baskets was fuchsia for the humming birds so they would buzz around the house.

Actually I was thinking of recycling all those used up dryer sheets I seem to collect. They don't seem to break down, and are highly malleable.

In looking for something else, a while back I ran across something about the stuff they put on those dryer sheets that is toxic or something. I don't use them so I didn't pay too much attention.

You might want to do some research before you use them. But the only sheets I've seen are small and would be time-consuming to put in place. Also, they aren't going to cut out any light to the roots.

Sue

Yeah, they have some potentially toxic components before use, but if you put them through the washing machine a couple times, they are fairly well neutralized.

I was thinking of using them by the handful as wadding around the base where the stem comes out, but yes, they should help decrease the amount of sunlight on the roots as well if they are run up the sides.

Or I could just recycle some of the weed fabric from the flowerbeds that the dog keeps ripping up.

I'll force zuchinni on no man, unless he truly deserves it.

Definitely got to get some pics up when you get this built.

I'd be a bit concerned about the support for holding up the 3 liter bottles once the bottoms are cut off. Since that's the strongest part of the bottle for support if you go nozzle down, I'd be afraid that over time the weight of the dirt and plant and fruits would pull wire up through the plastic, especially if they get waving really nice in the wind. I'm sure you can MacGyver something though. Maybe just cut holes in the bottom for a few herbs or suspend the whole thing in rope netting?

Sadly I have nowhere really good to do this - though I may have to think about that... (don't tell the wife!) Any thoughts on making these look less makeshift and more "decorative"?

Yeah, I considered that. I was thinking of rigging up a three line yoke to tie around the neck of the bottle and the base. My wife knows macrame, so maybe she can help me figure out something functional. She seems to think it would be simple, and Lord knows she's tied up enough hanging planters to know.

The plastic should be thin enough to set three grommets around the perimeter.

Bill

I had considered that as well. I think I will go with the macrame idea. Gives the wife more buy in to keep her supportive as well.

what's an alternative gardening take to materialize? im having problems with my garden growing those kinds of flowers i have in the backyard seemed impossible. me and my wife had invested too much for it.