Planting Tomatoes

All Farmer Phil’s transplanted tomato plants tell growers to plant deep. What, exactly, does this mean? For most Farmer Phil’s plants, the pre-grown plant is supposed to be level with the ground and the root ball in the hole with packed soil around. But, while these techniques are helpful to most vegetables and herbs, some exceptions, of course, exist. One exception are tomato plants, regardless of variety.

Transplanted tomato plants should be placed in the ground or an appropriate-sized pot so that two-thirds of the plant is buried. If a nine-inch plant is being added, six inches of the plant should be buried, in this case. While this may sound harmful, this technique gives tomatoes a better root system, which, then, results in better fruits. Additionally, tomatoes once planted should be watered well.

Typically, any transplanted tomatoes by Farmer Phil’s should be added to a hole five to six inches deep in the ground, assuming the earth beneath isn’t hard or mostly rocks. Hard or rocky soil like this indicates that it won’t drain well. In this case, the best technique for tomato plants is to create a raised bed by making an eight-inch hill at ground level with high-quality soil. After the bed is created, the five or six inch hole can be dug and the tomato plant and root ball added. Filling up the hole simply involves packing in the dirt with some compost to prevent any air pockets from forming.