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The heart of the system is our patented self-watering planter with a 4-gallon reservoir, and we include a two-part stacking tomato cage, 40 quarts of our exclusive soil mix, 1 pound of Organic Tomato Fertilizer and a sheet of red Tomato Yield Booster Mulch.
Customers most agreed on the following attributes:
from Rehoboth Beach, DE on 11/19/2008
I get great hearty tomatoes since I've started using the tomatoe success kit. Love it.
from yarmouth port, MA on 11/14/2008
My adult children was astounded by my plants... I ordered three more kits (one for each of them) for Christmas presents.
from Harlingen, Texas on 10/6/2008
i ordered the trolley as well--as i have a bad back it is the perfect height for me--i am able to move it around to protect from weather or move it so my tomatoes will get the required sun--so easy to move--2 of the tomatoe plants already have buds which are about to turn into blossoms--i planted the second week of august--live in south texas
from Scottsdale, AZ on 9/30/2008
Our soil is not good and the garden has to compete with nearby eucalyptus shade trees. Therefore, I garden in raised beds and containers. It is also hot and dry in early fall when we start our tomatoes. This planter is the goods - it provides a constant water supply as well as support for the vines. Plus it is handsome and easy to set up.
from Chicago on 9/30/2008
I use the Tomato Success Kit to grow tomatoes. It's so easy to use, I almost forget about the tomatoes. They grow tall and full and I know they have the right amount of water. I'm getting one for my daughter for Christmas.
from North Port Fl. on 9/28/2008
The clip together cage stinks I ended up using plastic cable ties. The gauge of the metal used in the cage could be heavier, to suport a large crop. Could also use a 1/4 turn twist lock for the water tube and a better snap top. A very good kit with those exceptions.
from Renton, WA on 9/17/2008
Directions on assembly could be a little clearer. Great way to grow your 'maters. This was my first year growing them and they were awesome. I will now be a yearly 'matoe grower. Got one for my sis for a Christmas Gift too.
from Westport, CT on 9/16/2008
This was our second pot and while the plants did well for awhile, we had to pour water out when it rained and ultimately the roots rotted and it became a smelly mess. We liked the old pot better. Needs a drain hole on the side to prevent overflow - just like the old model had. Tough to spill overflow with plants in it, too bulky and heavy.
from Fox Lake, Illinois on 9/11/2008
Liked the first one so much hat I got a second one
from Washington, DC on 9/10/2008
I have four of the kits, they do very well and I am happy with them. However, what I don't like is the problem I have had with each kit over two years. And that is "tomato end blossom rot". I think this is an inherent problem with the kits and the fertilizer that comes with it does not resolve this problem. I need to buy yet another product to resolve it.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Plympton, MA on 9/1/2008
Please bring back the old model! It was much easier to water the planter through the hole (with cover) in the side than the new watering unit. First you have to reach the new unit through the cage and plants, and once you reach it you have to put the hose on a trickle or the water will wash back into the planter and splash soil all over. The water level indicator has never worked correctly. Also, we have had plenty of rain this summer, and the planter can get waterlogged. If the old model had too much water, it just spilled out that nice little hole in the side.
I have the old-style one-piece cage and like it. It folds up flat for winter storage. This was a product that didn't need to be "improved" (except the addition of casters was a nice feature).
from Long Beach, CA on 9/1/2008
I am useing the kit for, green beans, cummubers and zucchini. Just started them last month. So. CA Still have time to grow things.
from WHITEFISH MT on 8/26/2008
I HAVE MY 3 CENTRALLY LOCATED, THIS MAKES IT ABLE TO PUT AN ELECTRIC FENCE AROUND AND KEEP DEER OUT.
from Drummond Island, Michigan on 8/26/2008
This is my sixth self-watering planter -- and counting. It is my second Tomato Success Kit. I am now rotating crops with these planters and am having a wonderful time while growing wonderful, organic veggies I could not get otherwise.
I grow on a windy deck, and this year doubled-up on the plastic parts from the get go to make the trellis stronger.
from usvi on 8/26/2008
this works great
from Monterey, CA on 8/26/2008
A friend suggested this kit and so I gave it a try. Then I liked it so much I purchased two of them for my parents who love to garden. These kits will be perfect for them to use on the patio with ease!
from Half Moon Bay, CA on 8/26/2008
The box was really easy to set up and plant. We grew 2 large tomato plants and placed a basil plant between them. In 2 weeks, we were harvesting large, fresh basil, and a week after that had our first tomatoes.
[3 of 3 customers found this review helpful]
from The Heartland of Ohio on 8/23/2008
I own 6 of these kits and plant ONE heirloom tomato plant per container. The plants grow large and healthy, but I have discovered 3 tricks to success:
1. ADD fertilizer to the soil. The container soil and fertilizer that comes with the kit is NOT sufficient to produce healthy tomato plants. If you don't add a high quality totmato fertilizer like "TOMATOTONE" or something similar, your tomatoes will suffer from blossom end rot (large, ugly black spot on the end of your beautifully ripe tomato!)
2. Forget the cage clips and permanently tie the cage together. (I personally use those heavy-duty plastic tie wraps). You can tie it to the pot through the summer, but then cut the cage off from the pot in the fall. Then tie the bottom back onto the pot in the spring. I know that makes it a pain to store over the winter, but it is a MUST. The first two years I had these, my precious tomato plants were ruined when the cages fell apart.
3. Trim and prune your tomato plants properly so you will get larger tomatoes. Without pruning, these containers tend to yield much small tomatoes due to the limited nutrition and space for roots.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Mountain Home, Idaho on 8/22/2008
I've taken great care to follow the directions regarding setup and fertilizing. Plants are very tall but they have very few tomatoes and seem to rot on the bottom while still on the vine. Disappointing!
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Corte Madera, CA on 8/18/2008
I bought two (2) as presents for my retired mother, and for my sister who has two kids. It may be a fuss-free planter for a retiree who travels on weekends, and a great starter tool to encourage very young kids to garden with their busy mom.
From the feedback I received from my mom and sister, this product looks like a winner. I will get one for myself.
I had seen coupons before, and hoping they would come by. A discounted price would help.
from Product used in Georgia on 8/12/2008
I bought this for my very busy daughter and grandchildren so they could enjoy tomatoes in a convenient place with minimal care and effort. They were amazed at how quickly the tomato plants grew and produced tomatoes. Some time around the middle of July their plants began turning brown and losing their leaves. Although they continued to get some fruit from them, they were somewhat of a disappointment. They tried it again a second year ordering the special soil for the container. The same thing happened again. Is there a secret to the success of this product or should they give up for another year? They live in Georgia. Could this be a factor? It is such a great concept, I really want it to work for them.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Arnold, CA on 8/11/2008
Success is for certain with this. I can't believe the size of my tomato plants...they are as tall as me (5'8"). The tomatoes are just turning red and there are tons already. I do need to fill the reservoir every day as it is on a very sunny/hot deck and the plant is huge.
The 2nd application of fertilizer (as instructed) was a bit harder to apply since I had the red sheet mulch in place. This is perfect for use on a deck or patio. Great product.
from Wolcott CT on 8/11/2008
On my deck at the entrance to my small "sunken" vegetable garden. Brings the garden up onto the deck and complements all the flowers I have on the deck. The four cherry tomato plants I planted in the base box have flourished, grown up beyond even the extension, so that I have to "twine" up the tops of the plants.
[2 of 2 customers found this review helpful]
from illinois on 8/10/2008
I have used these for years and love them. Only problem has been bottom rot on tomatoes and that is fixed by putting TUMS in water about once every 2 weeks. This adds needed calcium to water and stops the bottom rot.
from Chicago on 8/9/2008
I've used it for tomatoes and for herbs. Next year I am going to try some chard and kale early in the season. Never was able to assemble the cage and wound up tying it together. Even though I tested the gauge before putting it in, the water level indicator has never moved. I use it without opening the drainage as we cannot have draining containers on our balconies so it is great for that. I'm hoping that it will survive our Chicago winter outdoors.
Although I consider myself an avid gardener, my gardening for the past 30+ years has been restricted to a high-rise balcony. Yes, I would recommend but with the caveats listed above.
from Pitsburgh, PA on 8/8/2008
I get great tomatoes every year and it is very easy to set up and plant and maintain; no crawling through the garden to weed and fertilize. However, the cage is a disaster. The first year a folding, heavy duty cage was provided. It was very easy to setup and store away and it should last years. The next year a flimsy green thing was provided which I found difficult to impossible to assemble adequately. This year I made my own out of two levels of 3" tall border fencing and .032" Ø wire. Beats the supplied cage by a mile.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Suburban Massachusetts on 8/5/2008
I bought the tomator success kit for my husband for his birthday along with the casters. I picked up 2 4" cherry tomato plants and 8 little marigolds of marigolds at my local nursery to go with. It didn't take long to put the planter together with the cage and plant the plants. It was amazing to watch how fast the plants grew. We only have to water about 2-3 times per week and have been harvesting tomatoes for a month now with lots more green ones to harvest. I will buy at least 1 or 2 more of these planters for next summer so I can grow some heirloom varieties.
from Southern Maryland on 8/5/2008
The product is very good and I am producing large quantities of tomatoes is a relatively small space. My only complaint is the cage - it is not nearly big enough to contain the tomato plants height. Gardeners used to sell the additional cage to add on to the top, but has discontinued the product, so I had to construct one myself which is not as good as their product.
from Boca Raton, Fl. on 8/5/2008
It was a present for my parents, easy on their back and worthwhile project!
from Denver, CO on 8/5/2008
This self watering pot takes considerabley more effort to keep the plants healthy. I have two tomato plants in it and find that I need to fill the reservoir everyother day to keep the plants from wilting. Other self-watering containers from Gardener's Supply , window boxes, Cortina planters and hanging pots go 4 - 5 days while keeping the soil moist. Plants include tomatoes, zucchini, flowers and herbs. The tomato plants in other planters produced before the plants in this conatainer. I purchased this planter so that I could take weekends off to cool off in the mountains, but I find that I have to have neighbors look in on the plants. Certainly not the reason that I purchased the pot!
from West Chester, OH on 8/5/2008
"Tomato Success" is a technologically sound system for maximizing the growth of patio tomatoes. It is well engineered, generally quite sturdy, easy to assemble, and performs as advertised. One drawback: I fear that the plastic clips provided to hold the cage system together may deteriorate over repeated use.
from North Reading, ma on 8/4/2008
best tomatoe plants ever without any effort other than adding water every few days
from Midland, TX on 8/4/2008
The self-watering container lived up to its advertising. It supplied my plants with water uniformly and kept them going through several weeks of 100 degree heat. The only improvement I would suggest is a change in the plastic corner clips for securing the top of the cage. The set that came with my kit were difficult to install and didn't stay in place. I resorted to using zip ties on the top of the cage. The "c" clips for the middle connections worked very well.
from Atlanta, GA on 8/4/2008
Being a complete novice to gardening, I planted two indeterminate heirloom tomato plants in this container. Much to my surprise, they both grew to over eight feet tall and four feet wide - and produced lots of delicious tomatoes! I also purchased the tomato cage extension, which was invaluable. My only complaint was that the cage was a little bit tricky to assemble - I needed more than two hands to complete the task. I am very pleased with this product and will most likely buy another one for next season.
from Ashburn, VA on 8/3/2008
The tomato success kit is easy to setup and use. I planted 4 plants in it and they are growing out of control! Might want to limit it to 2 or 3 plants. Getting enough tomatos to eat everyday. The self watering feature works well, but still having to water every other day or so in my hot climate. Have it sitting on my back patio; it's perfect for small yards or patios where you don't have room for a garden. Pot could be a bit bigger to accomodate 4 plants.
from Johnstown, PA on 8/2/2008
I bought this product as a replacement for another planter that is no longer made. I wanted to buy a planter to plant Impatiens as a way to remember the love my late father had for these flowers. I bought this planter plus the casters, wich made it is easy to move even when full. The planter exceeded my expections. I bought small impatiens but grew into flowers that covered the water filler! My father would of proud of these Impatiens. I only had to water the planter once this season. I LOVE IT!!!
from Woodbine, GA on 7/31/2008
My only complaint is the new watering system. I have two of the type with the outside watering hole and now two of the new ones. Since I use the systems outside I find getting to the watering "spout" on the inside difficult around the tomato plants.
from Wellfleet MA on 7/30/2008
We have installed 8 containers on a flat roof. The results are fantastic! No weeds, few insects and pests. We setup a timer and a drip into each watering tube to keep the containers filled with water when we are away.
This is a great product that I would highly recommend. The cages are sturdy. We have attached the cage extensions to increase the height.
from Center City, MN on 7/29/2008
The Tomato Success Kit is awesome. I put 2 tomato plants in the container that were approx 6" high and within 6 weeks they were over 5 feet tall. My friends and family were very impressed. I also ordered the casters so I could easily move the plantere around my deck to follow the sun. There were no locks on the casters to keep the planter in place after moving it. We had a storm that included wind gusts and it blew the planter off of our deck. The plants were broken off and the cage was bent beyond repair. So I highly recommend the planter, but would not use the casters.
from Campton, NH on 7/27/2008
I love using this growing kit to grow not only tomatoes, but all my vegetables on my enclosed porch. The wheels make it easy to move the planters that are on the floor around. I also use several of the planters with the roll around cart to bring the shorter vegetables up to waist level.
from West Chester, Pa. on 7/27/2008
Despite the lack of full sun, and starting late, the tomato success kit is going gang busters. The critters have a hard time getting to the plants, and that alone makes it worth it.
Will probably buy another next year.
from Rockport, Ma. on 7/25/2008
Water level indicator broke early in use.
from Oklahoma City, Ok on 7/24/2008
I received this as a mother's day gift and was astonished how quickly it produced tomatoes. It is still putting on beautiful tomatoes in July and we love it. It is perfect for small spaces or just in a space close to the kitchen for convenience. I have it placed right next to my pot of basil and parsley. One thing people need to be aware of in very warm climates: you must water these every day! I was inconsistent at first and lost the first few tomatoes. The container dries out much quicker than they would in the ground.
from Philadelphia PA on 7/24/2008
Tomatoes are much happier than in a shallow raised bed-much lusher.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Des Moines, IA on 7/23/2008
My first attempt with tomatoes!! It was easy and the plants grew so fast I had to order the cage extension. I just came home from vacation and found red tomatoes! I wasn't sure how we'd move it to store it because it will be heavy, but when we had a storm with near 100 MPH winds and it didn't tip over or break off like the trees did, I was impressed. It was in a corner of the deck with railing on two sides, tho.
from Lehi, Utah on 7/22/2008
purchased because of soil problems (virus and fungal infections) in my garden. Great solution, convenient.
from Denver, CO on 7/22/2008
I have tried to grow tomatoes on my patio many times but I never have had the production I have this year with the tomato success kit. I am able to keep the plants evenly watered because the planter holds plenty of water for my arid climate. The plants really like the organic fertilizer that comes in the kit; It smelled like fish when I first set up the planter and my dog thought he would like it too. If you have dogs, I recommend getting the first section of cage put up right away to keep pets out of the planter.
from Clinton WA on 7/19/2008
We use the product on a west facing deck next to the kitchen to utilize the reflected heat. I top off the reservoir daily to keep the soil moisture level high. I have not used the plastic sheet to reflect sunlight up toward the plants, it is obscured by the tomato foliage, and prevents adding the tomato fertilizer as recommended in the instruction book. Attaching the upper cage to the lower one is difficult using the clips supplied, the design of the clips needs improving.
from Gurnee, IL on 7/19/2008
The kit has everything needed. Recently we had several people over for a party and they could not believe the tremendous results we are having with this product. The two plants we put in are huge and are producing more fruit that any of our previous efforts. The unique water reservior is keeping the plants watered all day long despite hot and dry conditions. The optional casters are an extra nice touch and are well worth it. At first I did not think the extension would be needed but I am we ordered that too.
from Atlanta, GA on 7/18/2008
I was doubtful, but decided to try the tomato planter. It is great. The water indicator works perfectly. I bought the optional casters and recommend them.
from Hoffman Estates on 7/17/2008
Compact and complete package for growing. Just add a tomato plant (and hope it DOESN'T grow too tall or big).
from Hartland, Vermont on 7/17/2008
The red plastic that is tucked around the dirt may be causing the plants to stay too wet, which is causing a fungus on the leaves. I don't know that for sure, but I have since cut the plastic away to let the dirt dry out a bit. I will see if that helps.
from Friendship, Wisconsin on 7/16/2008
We were able to start our tomato plants 4 weeks earlier than usual. Planter is on wheels so we just wheeled it into the garage at night until the night time temps were safe to leave out. This gave the plants time to really thrive at a much earlier date. This means we will have tomatoes much earlier in the season than we usually do. Everyone that sees the unit and the size of the plants plus the number of tomatoes on the plants are amazed. Several people have asked how they can order the setup. We give it an AAplus.
from Baltimore MD on 7/16/2008
Only problem was water overflow after heavy rain because I didn't clip off the points on the drain towers. Very important to follow the directions!!
from Libertyville IL on 7/16/2008
I am growing tomatoes in the Tomato Success system and I can't believe how far ahead in growth the plants are in comparison to those in a regular pot.
from Lake of the Woods, Virginia on 7/16/2008
Lugging water daily was very difficult for me. With this system, you can water every third day which decreases the time spent watering.
from Milwaukee, WI on 7/16/2008
This is the best way to grow tomatoes - after growing in the garden for years, I am having the most success with the kit!
from Birmingham, A: on 7/15/2008
I have an inherited green thumb and can grow anything without a lot of help. A friend has been trying to grow tomatoes for several years without any luck. I had read about the tomato success kits and decided to give her one as a present. I took it over, set it up on her sunny patio and, planted tomatoes. She now has little tomatoes and is so excited. I plan to plant winter crops for her also.
from Mechanicsburg, PA on 7/15/2008
We got this for my father who loved to garden but can no longer do that because he needs to use a walker. With this he can garden on his deck and he is thrilled to be growing tomatoes again and has plans for bringing it inside this winter to try other things. So far things are thriving in it.
from Suffield, CT on 7/15/2008