No Cage

• All the fruit ripens at about the same time on the dense plants of the determinate tomato varieties. Indeterminate plants tend to vine and fruit continues to set until frost. A traditionally grown tomato, with either habit, will fall to the ground without support under the increasing weight of vines and fruit. By inverting the plant, the vines hang in a natural looking way that allows unhindered growth and maximum fruit production.
  
  

No Weeds

• Commercially produced dirt, enhanced with vitamins and nutrients necessary for healthy tomato plants, is available. Producers make a specific effort not to allow seeds of any kind into the soil. Without competition from weeds, roots grow so freely that new plants can sprout when the roots reach the top of the dirt.
  
  

Less Animal Access

• While squirrels and raccoons can gain access to almost anything they want, cats and dogs are not able to chew on the plant or choose the tomato bed as a litter box. Gophers cannot steal the plant entirely or burrow below to destroy the roots, leaving a mysteriously dead plant behind, nor can rabbits find a fresh, free meal.
  
  

Heavy

• The Topsy Turvy holds almost 75 pounds of soil, the weight of the tomato plant itself, and the daily required gallon of water adds even more weight. The plant and then the dirt must be in the planter before it is hung, and while the first watering can wait until it is hung securely, if the support is inadequate it will fall.
  
  

Height

• With proper watering and sunlight, a tomato plant of any variety will grow prolifically because of the Topsy Turvy's design. However, if the base of the plant is not far enough above the ground, the vines eventually reach the ground and need support to prevent fruit loss. Some varieties require being hung as high as a second or third floor patio.
  
  

Durability

• The Topsy Turvy is strong enough to support the weight of the wet dirt and a fully producing plant. However, even with proper storage during the winter the material breaks down and the unit will need replaced the following spring. This is an inexpensive and available product, but replacing it every year may be inconvenient.