What a dynamite tomato season it’s been for me so far! My own Topsy Turvy® Upside Down Tomato Planter yield has yielded like a machine! Further, I couldn’t be more pleased with the constant flow of YOUR emails, letters and pictures (from all over the United States), sharing your own tomato successes with me.
Some of your pictures deserve a “DOUBLE WOW!”
Hey- let’s not forget tomato season is NOT OVER YET! My personal Topsy Turvy® Planter has yielded so far 20 big, ripe, delicious tomatoes and my Topsy Turvy Tomato Tree® (that grows THREE tomato plants simultaneously) has yielded over 60 delicious tomatoes so far with many more green tomatoes and blossoms forming on both! I expect to be growing, picking and eating red, ripe “Home Grown” tomatoes loaded with sugar and acidity all the way until the first frost.
We’re already furnishing our entire neighborhood with tomatoes. Suffice it to say, my beautiful wife, Joyce, and I are the heroes of our entire block! They have officially nicknamed me, “MaterMan”.
Take a look at the picture of tomatoes my wife picked JUST TODAY! And here is one of Joyce slicing into one of these tomatoes. LOOK AT THE JUICE dripping from this tomato! Slowly ripened in full sun over the last two months, this tomato quickly developed its sugar and acidity in a full “wet” content. (Remember, a tomato is 85% water!) The flavor is SO WONDERFUL! Literally melts in your mouth! I would share my tomato crop with each and every one of you if I could. (No need, though, your own Topsy Turvy will grow your tomatoes just as prolifically and just as delicious.)
Remember! Give your Topsy Turvy tomatoes FULL SUN, REGULAR WATERING and PLENTY OF TOMATO-TARGETED NUTRIENTS, as outlined in your Topsy Turvy instruction sheet. Also, regularly check out all the tips and recommendations on this website as we will be adding LOTS more good information to help you.
People have asked me “When is it time to pick my tomatoes?” This question has been debated by gardeners for years. The tomatoes I grew this season were perfectly ripened when picked, so here’s my opinion:
First, watch your ripening tomatoes closely. When they begin to reach a solid red color, touch them gently to see if they are starting to get too soft. It’s not a bad idea to start “touching” even before tomatoes achieve a fully red color. Don’t press! Just gently touch. Never let them go soft on the vine, it’s better to pick them a little early (before they reach a deep red color), bring them inside and place on a window sill to finish ripening. The window sill doesn’t have to have regular sun. Your tomatoes will ripen beautifully even with little or even no further sun at all. Best of all, they won’t lose ANY flavor this way!
EXCEPTION: At the Felknor household, letting tomatoes get over-ripe on the vine has never been a problem. My family and friends LOVE TOMATOES FAR TOO MUCH to wait that long to pick and eat.
I’ve also been asked the proper way to pull tomatoes off the vine. Some gardeners claim they never pick a tomato until it takes only a gentle pull to release. I disagree with this because I’ve found even with perfectly ripe tomatoes, it sometimes takes a little “twist” (along with the pull) to release.
Another important point is to NEVER refrigerate your fresh picked tomatoes. That sudden cooling off period will turn your tomato sugar content into starch. The incredible homegrown SWEETNESS of our tomatoes will fly right out the window, gone forever.
Let me close with a tip to DOUBLE your Topsy Turvy pleasure! Let your children and grandchildren help you with your Topsy Turvy® planters. Their ‘jump up and down’ excitement in watching a simple blossom turn into a big and beautiful red tomato, will warm your heart and award you a special blessing. These precious children will love you forever for sharing this special time with them, while also allowing THEM to help accomplish this miracle of growth. Trust me, I personally know this to be an absolute truth.
Have a question? Please don’t hesitate to email us through this website. I will try to get you an answer quickly as possible. Just remember, we’ve sold over six million Topsy Turvys so far this year and tens of thousands of Tomato Trees as well. (Hopefully all of you won’t write at the same time J !)
Next column we’ll discuss various ways to further enhance your tomato’s flavor and, the many different ways to serve them. Until then, may your Topsy Turvy Tomato Planters continue to bring you and your family that extra special enjoyment of growing your own food!
With all my homegrown warm regards,
Bill