If you'll buzz over to the Tomato Growing forum here you'll find discussions about Topsy Turveys. I linked one of them below. Unfortunately I fear you will be greatly disappointed as they seem to be one of those things that sound good in theory but don't work in real life.

Most all the reviews on them are quite negative so keep your expectations in check.

The only varieties recommended for them are the small dwarf varieties. Even the smaller determinate varieties quickly out grow them and the small amount of soil they hold will require watering several times a day especially in your zone.

You'd do better on your balcony with a 18-20" container tomato plant.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Topsy Turvey discussion

Thanks Dave,

I saw that thread and was hoping that over time some people may have found more success with trying different things. I picked up a young Celebrity Tomato (the picture looked nice) and the vines looked healthy. I'll give it a try and post the results.

-Andy

The biggest problem is that the sun is.. up THERE, and the planter is upside down. The leaves are going to have the undersides shone on, and they will want to flip over.

The growing point of the tomato will never grow down, It will always try and grow around the side and upwards. The topsy turvey pepper planter might works, as well as the through the sides strawberry planter, but even then, You're fighting gravity.

I tried growing in one, and I realized how they got the tomato to grow like you see in the commercials.... They grew it right side up, and then flipped it for filming. The biggest problem is that the feeder roots will grow to the "top", but when you water, all the water will sit and collect near the main stem.

A friend of mine gave me one of these (I have 5 raised beds dedicated to tomatoes and she gives me this??) anyway, has anyone tried just using it as a hanging tomato and not upside down?

I've heard people say they flipped it over correctly and it worked fairly well, it just becomes a normal deep container at that point.

I picked up a young Celebrity Tomato

Celebrity is normally a quite big plant, much bigger than the average determinate variety. Instead try one called Patio - it is usually available where plants are sold.

Even right side up you still have the problems of too little soil and the high water and feeding demands. If you are growing to grow one right side up then anything other than a small flower pot will give you much better results.

I realized how they got the tomato to grow like you see in the commercials.... They grew it right side up, and then flipped it for filming.

Yeah it sure is a rigged commercial. In previous discussions many pointed out that they must have tied ripe tomatoes on it too since no plant ripens and holds at perfect all that many tomatoes all at one time. *wink*

Dave

I think mine will be repurposed.

Thanks so much for the feedback! Really appreciate it. I was just looking at the area I think we're going to set up to for our garden. There's probably space to try a couple approaches and see what we end up getting the best results with ;-)

The best small patio tomato I have grown is the sweet and neat cherry tomato. Awsome tomatos, fairly prolific for a plant that size-but mostly the tomatos just tasted really good.
The plant will grow in a one gallon bucket and never gets more then 2 feet tall.

I have used the planter for different herbs as well as annuals, and both times it looked very pretty and was useful with the herbs. The one time I tried an actual tomato plant in it, it just limped along. Whatever you plant in the top, make sure it likes alot of water!