The realities of modern life are fast pushing gardening out of reach of many Americans - from apartment dwellers and senior citizens experiencing reduced mobility, to folks who simply don’t have the time or space to devote to a full-size garden. Ironically, even as our ability to garden shrinks, news of gardening’s health and spiritual benefits continues to grow.

“There’s no denying that gardening is good for you on so many levels,” says Bill Felknor, inventor of the Topsy Turvy Upside Down Tomato Planter (recently named “America’s Best Garden Product” by Reader’s Digest). Felknor’s invention revolutionized tomato growing in modern America by eliminating much of the work and space requirements of traditional tomato growing.

Now, Felknor has done it again, this time creating the Tomato Tree, a vertical metal planting stand that allows gardeners to grow a veritable tree of vegetables and herbs in a space no larger in diameter than a common patio floor planter. Primarily designed to grow a 6-foot high “tree of tomatoes,” the Tomato Tree can be used for a host of different plants. “Tomatoes, peppers, squash, herbs – virtually anything you could plant in the ground can be grown in a Tomato Tree,” Felknor says.

The Tomato Tree draws on the vertical Gro-bag technology first employed in the Topsy Turvy. The Tomato Tree features an oversized Gro-bag with three side-planting ports, mounted on a central metal stand and supported by three wrought-iron-style legs. Easy to assemble in under 15 minutes, once filled with common potting soil and plants, the Tomato Tree provides a sturdy, stable growing environment. The plants grow out of three different sides of the bag, and the built-in stand eliminates the need to find a high hanging point or use any hanging mechanisms.

Felknor hopes the Tomato Tree will help nourish the vertical gardening revolution under way in America. For years, many would-be gardeners – apartment dwellers, senior citizens in residential centers or living with mobility challenges, homeowners with small lots or subdivision restrictions – have tried growing their own produce in pots. The success rate has been spotty at best. “Plants can be very difficult to grow in pots,” Felknor notes. “It is much easier to grow vertically up in the air, where you can water and feed and tend much more easily.”

Planting your vegetables or herbs in a Tomato Tree provides the plants the room they need to grow well without sacrificing any valuable deck, patio or yard space. Further, plants thrive in the Tomato Tree’s growing environment because the elevation eliminates ground-based pests, fungus and bacteria.

The contained Gro-bag helps the plants retain the water and nutrients you put on them. In traditional gardens, up to 85 percent of the water and fertilizer you give a plant never makes it to the roots, Felknor notes. With Tomato Tree, 100 percent of these critical elements are directed straight to the roots. When growing a tomato or vegetable in a pot, you have to take care not to over water the plant and cause root rot. The Tomato Tree’s unique drainage system makes it impossible to over water.

The Tomato Tree also eliminates the need to weed since the plants are contained in a closed environment. Watering, fertilizing and harvesting can all be done standing up, eliminating uncomfortable bending, kneeling or crouching. Plants that might need to be tied and staked for support in a traditional garden need no such special care in a Tomato Tree.

“While this is an advanced design planter, it remains just a planter,” Felknor says. “You will still have to water, fertilize and tend your plants properly. If you will, the results will amaze you. By growing your plants up in the air, you’ll find they produce more and yield much faster than those on the ground.

“In fact,” continues Felknor, “a vertical Gro-bag will completely fill up with roots, creating a much better system for delivery of water and nutrients. Further, your plants will be able to receive excellent and constant exposure to the sun.” Felknor says tomatoes grown this way will mature and ripen up to a week or more earlier.

“When the season is over, the Tomato Tree is very easy to care for and clean. Just cut the plant stems, dispose of the used soil, wash your Tomato Tree and store it inside somewhere. By doing this, you’ll extend the life of your Tomato Tree and ensure additional seasons of great gardening,” Felknor says.

To learn how to grow beautiful tomatoes, vegetables and herbs with less work, visit www.topsyturvys.com, or call (865) 671-6035.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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Editor’s Note: The Tomato Tree and Topsy Turvy Upside Down Tomato Planter are registered trademarks of Felknor Ventures.

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