Planting Tomatoes - Two Techniques Depending on Soil

In Upright Deep-Planting method, 5-gallon bucket with holes in the bottom and buried 6" deep is filled with water every time plants are watered. This assures that entire root balls are fully moistened.

Brugmansia 'Charles Grimaldi' is a rich orangy gold and has a wonderful scent at dusk.

Cane begonia.

Brugmansia double white.

Brugmansia 'Shredded'.

First camelia.

Paperwhites double white.

Reblooming bearded iris, exquisite purple.

With our continuing daytime temperatures in the 70s and low 80s, and nighttime temperatures in the 60s, these conditions are excellent for starting seeds and planting transplants.  Besides the cool-season varieties like lettuces and greens, tomato plants are also good for getting planted now.  (However, tomatoes are the only warm-season plants that will get growing now; other warm-season lovers like beans, cukes and squash will just “pout” if sown or planted now – so wait at least a month of more daytime and nighttime  warmth before adding them to your garden.)
 
Two main tomato planting techniques will encourage roots to form along the length of the buried stem. Again, tomatoes are the only plants that will do this; other plants must be planted at the same depth that they’ve grown.
 
Upright, Deep-Planting
The upright deep-planting method is generally chosen by gardeners in areas with warm springs and summers and those that have loose soils in raised beds. The root ball is a good 4-8” deep, so with regular watering it’ll remain moist through the hot summer.  Set the plant and its entire root system upright into an eight-inch-deep hole deep enough to bury the plant up to its top set of leaves. Fill in the hole with soil, and pull extra soil into a circular berm about nine inches out from the plant.  This will become the watering hole to fill weekly or twice weekly according to the weather.  Immediately after planting, fill the berms with water three times to make sure all the soil is thoroughly moistened. 
 
Horizontal Planting
The horizontal planting method is more useful for gardens with cooler springs and summers and soils that are heavy and don’t drain well. The root ball remains more shallow, so it won’t fall victim to drowning.  Turn the plant on its side so it's laying down sideways in a three-inch-deep trench long enough to accommodate the entire root section and half of the plant stem. Gently bend the plant's top two leaves up above the soil surface.  Remove the remaining leaves, fill in the hole with soil and pull extra soil into a circular berm several inches out from the plant.  This will become the watering hole to fill weekly or twice weekly according to the weather.  Immediately after planting, fill the berm with water three times to make sure all the soil is thoroughly moistened.