Things You'll Need:
- Topsy-Turvy planter
- Hanging hooks
- Hanging rod, optional
- Chain, S hooks optional
- Topsy-Tree, optional
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Step 1
Use the provided wire hook that comes with your Topsy-Turvy system and hang it on a plant hanger hook you have already installed. This is for when the plant is small. Plan ahead for mid-summer when your Topsy-Turvy has grown into a large, heavy tomato plant. When the soil is wet and the plant is mature and carrying fruit, it will easily weigh 70 to 80 pounds. Make sure your hooks will support that much weight.
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Step 2
Use two or more heavy duty hooks secured to a beam across the top of a porch, carport or patio. Several Topsy-Turvy planters hung in a row make a good hanging planter privacy screen. From each of the heavy duty hooks, extend a section of chain with a large S hook at the end. Support a length of sturdy rod or metal pipe by slipping it through the S hooks. Hang several Topsy-Turvy planters along the suspended rod. This lowers your planters so you can reach them for watering and harvesting. A closet rod is a good size; curtain rods are too lightweight.
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Step 3
Use a large hook and section of chain for each Topsy-Turvy for a variation of the plant screen. Vary the lengths of chain to vary the height of your planters, but keep them low enough so you can reach the top of the planter easily for watering.
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Step 4
Construct a free-standing frame from wood or pipe to hold the Topsy-Turvy planters or to mount hanging rods on. It may appear sparse at first, but after a few weeks your plants will fill it with vegetation and tomatoes. Alternatively, the Topsy-Tree is a commercially available plant stand that will hold several Topsy-Turvy hanging planters.
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Step 5
Provide support for the heavy-laden branches, such as long ties from a hanging rod, or long ties from hooks in the ceiling. The branches will grow upwards towards the sunlight, but when the fruits become heavy their weight can pull the branches down and break them.
