However, the product is real and "old-timer" gardeners have been growing tomato plants upside down for years. The obvious question is: Why?

There are pros and cons of an Upside Down Tomato Garden:

Drawbacks include intense need for watering and lack of sunlight. Very heavy (up to 60 pounds) when full of soil and water (need's sturdy hook to hang from).

Cons of an Upside Down Tomato Garden

Weight - The containers require a lot of dirt, which is heavy. In addition, when you water it, it may be too heavy to move with ease.
Watering - To make the container manageable, it is relatively small for the plant. This means frequent watering. Very frequent.
Plant Size - Depending on the variety you get, the root system may not hold the plant when fully grown.
Applying Insect Repellent - Because the plant is upside down, it makes shaking the insect repellent dust onto the plant a bit challenging.

Pros of an Upside Down Tomato Garden

Early Harvest- Your tomatoes can be ready a few weeks earlier than normal because of how warm the roots are able to get. (Roots being heated from all sides allows faster growth.)
Very Few Weeds - You use potting soil, not regular ground soil, and there's no contact with neighboring plants, so no weeds!
Diseases from the Soil - Since you have 'fresh' soil, there are fewer diseases that can inflict your plants. The air circulation also helps keep the plant healthy. In addition, pests like snails or slugs can't reach the plants.
Easy to Prune - Pruning is easier when the plant is hanging down...and the plant can be suspended at a height that avoids the need to bend down to harvest or prune.
No Rot - Tomatoes rot when they stay in contact with the ground. When all of the tomatoes are hanging, you increase your harvestable yield.

Some people will try to improvise their own system rather than using a commercial product. This may be worth a try, if you're willing to lose your entire harvest. The challenge is in balancing the size of the container to get enough soil and water, with something that can actually hang. Many people who build their own upside down tomato garden end up with poor results.

The commercial products are not only worth while to avoid the hassle (and possible crop loss), but Time magazine voted the Upside Down Tomato Garden product "The America’s Best Invention" in 2005.

You can find the Upside-down Tomato Garden at Amazon.com.

Linda - http://how.best-free-information.com - The "How" Blog

Here are the details of the Wheel Horse repair, including the Wheel Horse parts that were needed to fix the mower: I replaced the front spindles, wheel bushings, manufactured heavy duty hood cable, repleced lightbar, new seat, new paint, new bearings in the deck, and 2 new rear wheels. I painted it cherry red w/clearcoat, flat black, and silver on the wheels. I had a guy make the decals, I liked the old Wheel Horse decals so I went with those, it was more of a personal restore than anything, not worried about any return on price if sold to a collector.

Wheel Horse 876 Tractor Steering Gear

US $74.99

15m

Wheel Horse 876 Tractor Kohler K181 8hp Engine Crankshaft

2 Bids

US $34.99

16m

Wheel Horse 876 Tractor Steering Spindles

US $34.99

17m

Wheel Horse 876 Tractor Steering Wheel

US $99.99

18m

Wheel Horse 876 Tractor Kohler K181 8hp Engine Bearing Plate

US $14.99

19m

Wheel Horse 876 Tractor Gas Fuel Tank Tray

US $19.99

20m

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In a recent, bad, bout with Poison Ivy, I learned something about controlling the itching.  Two friends told me about this treatment and it really works well!

Run HOT water from your tap over the rash.  As hot as you can stand it.  It will burn and itch like crazy for a few seconds, then it will go somewhat numb (if the water is hot enough).  When you remove your skin from the hot water, the itch will be gone.

I've read several instances of this working on the internet.  There are a few things to note:  1. this is assuming you've already cleaned the area of the oil from the plant that causes the rash.  When you first get exposed to the oil, wash thoroughly with soap and cold water...warm or hot water could cause your pores to open and the oil to make more skin contact.  The HOT water cure is for itching a few days after the rash has already developed.  2. this is not a medically professional recommendation.  This is just me sharing what works for me and some others.  If you have a bad rash, I do recommend seeing a doctor...some of the typical home treatments don't work or only provide minimal relief.

So, if the itching is driving you crazy, give it a try.  I'd love to hear from you when the poison ivy itching stops!

To get rid of ivy, such as English Ivy and make a new flowerbed in its place, follow the steps below.  It is best to start this process in either the spring, or during a dry winter:

1. Spray the ivy with brush killer.  Make sure that the spray is designed for woody-stemmed brush, not just plain weed killer/defoilater.  Make sure that you include a sticking agent in the sprayer.  Follow the instructions for the brush killer that you purchase.
2. Re-spray the ivy twice, waiting seven days between each application.  That will total three applications (first application, wait seven days, second application, wait seven more days, third application).
3. Wait for the leaves to turn shrivel up and turn brown.
4. If possible, mow the ivy once the leaves are brown.  Beware of hidden stumps or rocks in the ivy bed that could ruin your mower.  Set the mower to the highest level possible.  The idea is to reduce the amount that you have to remove by defoliating and destroying many of the vines.
5. Once defoliated, wait 14 days or so for the newly-exposed vines to dry up.  This will make them much more likely to break than to be flexible.
6. Either use a rototiller or a stone rake and pull the vine-roots up by hand.  The rototiller is best, but will tangle if the roots/vines are still too green.  Once they die off and dry enough, they will be more apt to break up and less likely to wrap around the tines.
7. Once the ivy is clear, test the soil to figure out what nutrients will need to be added, as Ivy tends to deplete many nutrients and thrives in poor soil.

source:  http://www.greenthumbmomma.com

Venus Fly Traps in nature are only found in swamps of North America.

The easiest way to take care of a Venus Fly Trap is to have it in a small pot with holes in the bottom. Fill the pot with sphagnum moss or peat moss, since they hold lots of water. Set the pot down into a slightly larger pot that is filled with water halfway up the smaller pot's sides. This will allow the moss to soak in the water through the holes below.

Place the Venus Fly Trap in an area that is warm and gets lots of light, but NOT direct sunlight. If it gets chilly outside, bring the plant inside.

Cut off any brown tips or 'jaws', just below the brown spot (so you are cutting into green plant). A new jaw will form eventually.

Enjoy taking care of one of the coolest carnivorous plants out there...the Venus Fly Trap!