1. Just plant it and hang it up -- on a patio, balcony, terrace or tree
2. No need to dig holes, use stakes or cages, tie up tomatoes or get down on your knees to pull weeds
3. "Sucker" and harvest your tomatoes in a standing position
4. Eliminates cutworms, ground insects, and ground fungus
5. All the taste and freshness of vine ripened tomatoes without bending or getting down on your knees¿or even getting your hands dirty

Editorial Review :

Ingenious tomato planter turns gardening upside down! Thanks to a whole new direction in growing tomatoes, your crop will be bigger, better tasting, healthier, and easier to grow than ever before. You can water, feed, trim and harvest without bending or kneeling--and since your crop is upside down and will never touch the ground, staking, caging, bacteria, ground rotting, fungus and small animals become problems of the past. It's the perfect gift for any gardener. Great for those who live in apartments or who have small backyards. Water and fertilize through the built-in top funnel; trim and harvest at chest height! Also for cukes, peppers, flowers. Just add your soil and plants. Topsy-Turvy¿ Planter makes it easy to grow tomatoes and vegetables because it eliminates the need for a backyard garden plot.

Customer Review :

What a rip off, 10 dollars at Home Depot!

I bought two of these YESTERDAY and they cost me $12.98 each, TODAY they are under $10. I checked with Home Depot last night and realized they have them for $10. Dumb me, I should have read the reviews. We'll see how they work for me in our hot and humid summers.

Rating :

5 Gallon Bucket Works Better

Like other reviewers have said, you can make a better one out of one of those reusable grocery bags. There is a reason the new upside down planters have openings on the sides. The water drains down the plant causing rot. The cables and hardware rusted. The green printed bag faded in the sun.

Rating :

Terrible!

We planted 3 tomato plants and got 4 cherry tomatos from one of them. The planter itself completely disintergrated before the season was through. I won't even bother to plant the strawberries in the "free" hanging planter. This was a horrible investment. Also it needs to be watered very often. Certainly didn't work for us as advertised.

Rating :

topsy turvy is groovy

Had great results with both cherry and regular tomatoes last year, so going to only go upside down this year.

Rating :

2 Words ... Don't Bother!!

If you're thinking at all about buying this product, I strongly suggest you don't. I thought I would give it a try. Not having to stake my plants sounded great. Next year, I'm going back to planting my tomatoes right side up.

The planter itself is kind of a spendy investment. Especially if you plan to have more that just one plant. If you're like me and don't have the option of hanging them on your house or from your porch, you also have to invest in shepherds hooks. But the planters were so heavy that I ended up having to sandwhich the hooks between a couple fence posts to keep them from bending. Then I also had to buy bricks to try to keep them from coming out of the ground. And the first stiff breeze (or squirrel) that comes along, downs the whole thing, breaking the plants off at the base. Which means having to start over again with all new plants. In the end, I ended up investing a lot more money than I had ever intended.

Supposedly this planter helps you get bigger plants with higher yields. That is not the case. What plants I had that survived, looked terrible and produced little. Some never bore fruit at all. I think part of the problem is that they dry out too fast. The sun may warm the soil (which supposedly helps that plants grow better,) but all the moisture evaporates and escapes through the big opening in the top. The soil inside bakes into a nice brick. Which doesn't help the plant to grow.

The package says that you can use the Topsy Turvys for multiple years. Not so! They were so deteriorated at the end of the season, that when I went to pull them down, my fingers went right through the sides. All that money for 3 months.

Skip the Topsy-Turvy. They are too much cost for too little benefit. Buy a pot, a cage, and a spool of twine. Then use the money you save to take your family to the movies.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. Scarecrow motion-activated sprinkler for humane animal deterrence
2. Detects and sprays animals in a 1,000 square foot area day and night
3. Lightweight plastic shaft; metal sprinkler head
4. Includes sprinkler, mount, and motion detector; 9-volt battery not included
5. 2-year limited warranty

Editorial Review :

The Contech Electronics Scarecrow Motion-Activated Sprinkler presents an innovative, humane way to keep pets and wildlife from disturbing your yard and garden without the use of complicated traps or potentially hazardous chemicals. The sprinkler combines a surprise spray of water with unexpected motion and noise to create a safe, effective deterrent to unwanted visitors, helping keep your garden looking its best.

The Contech Electronics Scarecrow Motion-Activated Sprinkler: Uses a startling burst of water to deter animals Teaches pets and wildlife to avoid your yard and garden Is safe, humane, and environmentally-friendly

One Scarecrow can cover up to 1000 sq.ft. View larger.

The Scarecrow protects your garden without using any hazardous chemicals. View larger.

Safe, Humane Deterrent Helps Protect Your Garden
A huge amount of time and energy goes into keeping your yard and garden looking great, so it's only natural that you want to protect them from damage caused by hungry wildlife or local dogs and cats. But there are lots of reasons to avoid chemical deterrents, traps, and hazardous electric fences.

Whether you're a dedicated organic vegetable gardener or a parent looking out for the health of children and pets that play in your yard, you'll appreciate the simple, innovative, and effective water-based concept behind the Scarecrow Motion-Activated Sprinkler. It's also a great choice for neighborhoods where fences are prohibited and for people who consider wire fences and other visual barriers unappealing.

When the ScareCrow detects an animal it instantly releases a short but startling burst of water. The sudden spray of water and the movement and noise of the sprinkler scares animals away. Animals associate this negative experience with the area and avoid your yard in the future.

Versatile and Broad-Reaching for Maximum Effectiveness
The Scarecrow is versatile enough to keep deer, rabbits, and other foragers from snacking on plants and bulbs, to prevent dogs from digging up newly seeded lawns, to keep the cat from using your garden as a litter box, and to scare predators like herons and raccoons away from your fish pond.

The ScareCrow's motion detector is powerful enough to guard an area up to 1000 square feet of coverage with a single sprinkler. For added coverage, Scarecrow sprinklers can be linked in series to guard larger spaces.

Efficient Design and Easy to Set Up
Setting the Scarecrow up is fast and easy, and doesn't require any special tools. Simply install a standard 9-volt battery, connect the sprinkler to your hose, push the 17-inch stake into ground to secure the unit, and set the adjustable sprinkler arc to cover the area you want protected.

What's in the Box
Scarecrow Motion-Activated Sprinkler

Keep cats from using your garden as a litter box or prevent raccoons and herons from snacking in your fish pond.

Customer Review :

Saved my fish from the heron!!!

Product was fair priced and came very quickly. I am very satisfied and so are my fish!!!!!

Rating :

Over watering can be its own problem

Had a huge problem last year with racoons pulling up new plants to get at slugs and worms in my garden. I swallowed the financial pill to deploy the Contech Scarecrow, and it did the trick for a while, but the racoons started to get even more clever about how they approached their target plants, they didn't seem to mind the soaking, and that part of my yard turned into a serious bog over the span of a week. This didn't make the plants too happy either!

Finally gave up on the sprinkler and installed a FidoShock electric fence and have never had a problem since . . .

Rating :

Works well but needs more adjustability

The Scarecrow Motion-Activated Sprinkler works very well, however, it would be nice to have more adjustment options. Mainly the angle up and down at which it sprays. I don't have a huge backyard but it's not that small either and I had a very hard time adjusting the sprinkler head to keep the spray from going over my back or side fences and into the neighbors yards. I finally got the adjustment just right (after a couple of hours of trying) by changing the angle that the spike was pounded into the ground (or rock in the case of yards here in Phoenix). Other than that, it works exactly how it is described and I would recommend it to friends and family.

Rating :

Did not work as advertised

I was not pleased, the sprinkler head broke off within the first week. I bought two of these to deter cats from coming around the yard. No matter what the sensitivity setting was, they would go off with no provocation. When I would try to set them off deliberately, they did not want to function. I did not have success using this product, and can not recommend them to anyone else.

Rating :

Humane way to get rid of animals!

When I bought this I was skeptical, but hopeful. I had a problem with my neighbors cat not only using my front yard as a litter box, but afterward it would scratch, like a dog, to cover it's business. And it returned frequently, which left very large patches of dead grass in my lawn. This took care of the problem in a humane way without causing discourse between neighbors. It takes a little adjusting to get it just the way you want it - spraying the cats but not everybody coming up the driveway - but overall a great product.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. Access the EasyBloom database of 5,000+ plants (U.S. only)
2. Find plants to thrive in every area of your home and garden, based on algorithms developed by leading plant horticulturalists and botanists
3. Diagnose ailing plants and bring them back to health
4. Keep inventory of your own plants for one-click plant care
5. End the discouraging cycle of trial-and-error planting. Saves you money and time!

Editorial Review :

The EasyBloom Plant Sensor helps you grow a perfect garden without the guesswork. Is this corner too hot, too dark, or too dry? Instead of wondering which plants will thrive where, know for sure with EasyBloom. This ingenious in-ground sensor reads and analyzes growing conditions in specific spots inside your home or yard, including sunlight, temperature, humidity, soil moisture and drainage. It even uses the same technology used on NASA's Mars mission to measure the soil. Plug it into your computer and watch as it turns readings into recommendations, listing plants sure to flourish in your exact environment. Narrow your search more by specifying desired bloom color or season, plant height, drought tolerant, deer resistant, and other features. EasyBloom puts expert plant help in the palm of your hand: * Access the EasyBloom database of 5,000+ plants (developed with the largest growers of plants and flowers). * Find plants to thrive in every area of your home and garden, based on algorithms developed by leading plant horticulturalists and botanists * End the discouraging cycle of trial-and-error planting. * Diagnose ailing plants and bring them back to health. * Keep inventory of your own plants for one-click plant care. The ultimate "why didn't someone think of that sooner" invention, EasyBloom is like having your own personal team of botanists on-call around the clock. The result? You spend a lot less time working in your garden, and a lot more time enjoying it. A perfect gift for novices to experienced gardeners, EasyBloom is completely reusable and works with your PC or Mac.

Customer Review :

Planting decisions are easier

The EasyBloom Plant Sensor has come in quite handy for making (or breaking) some of my gardening decisions. When I use recommend mode, it will tell me what kind of water levels, sun exposure, and temperatures that area is getting. When I review these results, I can also click on links to view other plants that would grow well in the environment it found.
The monitor mode gives you suggestions to improve the growth of whatever plant you've told it is growing there, prior to it's data collection. I used this feature at the end of winter, even though it was too cold to actually plant anything, just to see what it would say if it really thought I was. I told it I was planting peas, and it gave great feedback. It didn't just tell me the soil was too wet, it gave me tips on how to improve the moisture levels of my soil - by using it's water monitoring feature or what to use in my soil to encourage drainage. For temperature, it gave me suggestions of other locations I could plant where the sunlight would be warmer.
I haven't used the water monitoring feature yet.

Rating :

Love it, but one tiny thing I would change.

I think this is a great product. Genius actually. There's just one tiny thing I would change. I was hoping it would give me exact temperature measurements. Instead it gives the average and shows a line graph that shows temps as (Moderate, Hot, Very Hot, Below Freezing, etc.) I was hoping to use this for plants that I protect in the winter time, placing it under the protection to record how effective the protection was. I guess I would know if it went below freezing, so that's good. It's still going to be useful and I think I will be using it a lot to record all the microclimates around the yard. Maybe they can update the temps feature with a software update? hint hint ; )

Rating :

Useless

It does nothing more than tells you if the plant is getting enough sun and water. It does not take a rocket scientist to know that!


Rating :

Disappointed with EasyBloom sensor!!

The sensor is not water proof so it is not suitable for unattended data collection outdoors. Also the sensor has to connect to the Internet to change set mode, download data, change mode which means I can not buy the additional sensors and collect data outside which makes it worthless to me. I am very disappointed there is no software I can use on my netbook or PDA. If the company goes out of business, the sensor is useless!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rating :

Great Product

Love it and its so easy to use i would definitely recommend it for the green thumb

Rating :

More reviews...

1. Seedling heat mat for better veggie, herb, and flower seed germination
2. Warms root area 10 to 20 degrees over ambient temperature
3. Increases the success of seedlings and cuttings
4. UL listed, waterproof construction retains moisture for optimal safety
5. Includes 6-foot power cord, instructions; UL listed

Editorial Review :

The Seedling Heat Mat uses 17 watts to warm root area 10 to 20 degrees over ambient temperature and improve seed germination and increases the success of seedlings and cuttings. UL listed, waterproof construction with six foot power cord.

Customer Review :

So hot!

It is sooo totally hot, sleek and shiny, I will pour oil over it and... oh, wait, sorry, that's another review I hope to do someday... this review is for a plastic heating mat to get your seeds asproutin earlier and, hey, there seems to be no other brand out there to buy. This sure does make it an easier purchasing decision.

The mat is the right size for one of those seed sprouting kits, but beware that some of them are made of amazingly cheap plastic and leak. It is not a good idea to submerge this pad, although it seems to be sealed up and safe for the typical spills.

It seems to work in getting the seeds to sprout, in April on the west coast. My only goal is to have tomato plants going earlier this year.

Another reviewer mentioned putting an insulating pad underneath and that would make sense, especially on a concrete or metal surface.

But, you ask, how can you give a simple device that actually works only three stars? I bought one of these a few years ago at a box store and it failed in only one season. I also think the price could be better. That is one demerit for every displeasure.

Now, about that fun review...

Rating :

Works as it States

Helped my seedlings pop up about 7 days ealier than expected. maintains a constant temp.

Rating :

great mat great price

This is a nice large mat that I can easily fit 4 flats on, my seeds are popping up like wild and I got a thermostat for it that works like a charm (even though they aren't the same company). Love it!

Rating :

Great product, performs satisfactory

This is my first experience using this type of product. The mat required a bit of time to begin delivering heat and I had hoped it would generate more heat than it does. The manufacturer claims the product should increase the temperature by 10 or more degrees above the ambient temperature; I seriously doubt it delivers that much more of an increase. Price was a factor when I purchased this product and this was the best deal at the time. Next time I may try another manufacturer and see how another similar product performs.

Rating :

Gets Hot

I wanted one of these for a long time. It works, but you really need a heat regulator with it because it gets hot. If the day warms up the pad will get your seedlings pretty hot.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. 12 Amp electric blower/vacuum provides power and versatility to tackle every clean-up chore
2. Leaf shredder reduces 16 bags of leaves to 1 bag
3. Rugged metal impeller and infinite variable speed motor
4. Exclusive cord-lock system holds power cord firmly in place
5. Powerful handheld blower delivers up to 235 mph of air flow

Editorial Review :

Powerful and effective, the Toro Ultra 3-in-1 Blower, Vacuum, and Leaf Shredder makes completing yard work fun and easy. With air speeds up to 235 mph, this electric blower nevertheless is lighter, quieter, and cleaner than similar gas blowers. And with a sleek, ergonomical design, it's a tool that is easy to use and will grab your neighbors' attention.

The Toro Ultra 3-in-1 Blower, Vacuum, and Leaf Shredder: Is electric so it is lighter, quieter, and cleaner than similar gas blower. Has a variable speed motor. Features a metal impeller for mulching debris.

Convert from blower to vacuum without tools.

The metal impeller shreds leaves into a mulch.

The impeller can reduce up to 16 bags' worth of waste to one bag.

Match the Power to the Task for Better Results
Tackle big clean-up jobs the right way with this powerful blower vac. A variable speed 12 Amp motor lets you select from an infinite variety of speeds between 112 mph and 235 mph. This means that you can use low speeds to clear off hard surfaces and clean up tight areas without making a mess and without sacrificing the blower's high-speed functionality.

Air Speed and Air Volume to Get Yard Jobs Done
Unlike some manufacturers, who simply reduce the size of their blower nozzles to achieve higher air speed ratings without increasing the practical value of their tools, Toro gives this blower vac the ability to balance between air speed (measured in mph) and air volume (measured in cfm) to ensure maximum power and performance. This Ultra blower vac offers air speeds up to 235 mph and air volume up to 255 cfm, allowing you to move a substantial volume of leaves and debris with ease.

3-in-1 Versatility Makes Managing Tasks Easy
A convenient quick-release latch lets you convert your blower into a vacuum in seconds without any tools, while a metal impeller makes it easy to mulch debris.

The magnesium serrated metal blades on the impeller shred leaves and other unwanted debris into a fine mulch that you can use around your lawn and garden, saving money and recycling important nutrients. It also makes it easy to dispose of unwanted yard waste, since the impeller can reduce 16 bags’ worth of leaves to one bag.

Clean and Efficient with Electric Power
Compared with gas blowers, electric blowers are quieter, more eco-friendly, and require less maintenance. They start up instantly without requiring you to master a finicky pull cord. There's no messy gas-oil mixture to worry about, and you don't have to contend with noxious fumes to get a job done.

This high-powered blower also weighs in at a very manageable 7.5 pounds, making it easy on your back.

This blower/vac is backed by a full two-year warranty.

What's in the Box
Power unit, blower tubes, vac tubes, vac bag, and operators manual.

Even a large yard is easy to clean up with this blower.

Customer Review :

It's a leaf blower

Blower strength is probably to much. I'm using it on gravel and it blows gravel away on full strength. Only con is that it takes time to switch from vac to blower, and you have to have your vac/blower bits and pieces handy to do that.

Rating :

Works great

I purchased this leaf blower/vacuum/mulcher about 3 or 4 years ago after I did a great deal of research into leaf blowers. I have a 50'x250' hill, full of trees, bushes and ground cover and an unbelievable amount of leaves in the fall that need to go somewhere. This blower makes it easy to vacuum and mulch the leaves in one quick process. I generally mulch the leaves a second time and spread them around my plants, thus eliminating having to drag them up the hill to dispose of them. My husband uses the blower function and can quickly clean out around the house. The mulcher is a bit ackward to use and the bag that fits over the sholder is bulky but manageable. I would definately puchase another one. I have had no problems with it and we use it a lot (2 houses, many trees).

Rating :

Little disappointed

I've had this unit for a while and bought it based on consumer reviews. I've owned a lot of blower/vacuums and the Toro is average. It's a little heavy, makes a lot of noise and picks up leaves and debris when you place the tube directly on top of them which is slightly better than picking it up by hand.

Rating :

Better than I expected!

Well I had debated about a leaf blower and I was in the midst of comparing this with the WorxGT. Then I began to see reviews about the GT that made me quickly change my mind. Well I just got through cleaning off the patio and I'm still in shock. I only had to put the Toro on the speed next to turning it off and it pratically blew the leaves off in one swing. I also didn't have to work hard in corners, etc. I was still skeptical about buying this because I saw alot of complaints about the mulching and the bag. But I'm happy I didn't let that deter me from buying this blower. Its perfect for my yard. I'm especially happy it came with a metal impeller because we have a couple of trees in our yard and we have small twigs everywhere sometimes. I mulched a decent pile of leaves and I thought I had filled the bag. I came to find out it was only halfway full. This leaf blower has very good suction to say it has to travel through such big tubes. I almost sucked up our outdoor area rug into it and it usually takes a act of Congress to get that thing to move. Also I'm blowing leaves not to long after it rained and I put the blower on about the 3rd click from off and it even moved wet leaves. Thanks Amazon!

Rating :

Lawn and Garden Cleanup

With this tool it is a pleasure cleaning up the leaves and other debris in AND AROUND my garden hedges and flower beds. The variable speed allows you to "suck or blow" with appropriate power so you don't disturb the bedding material.

With a small amount of training and experience you are able to adjust the sholder strap and catch bag to allow access around (and through) your beds and hedges.

The mulcher really reduces the trips to the dumpster.
(BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVER FILL THE CATCH BAG.)

Rating :

More reviews...