| Well, the time is here. You've been growing and | | | | root ball lands in the palm of your hand and pull |
| nurturing your little tomato seedlings the last six | | | | the cup off with your free hand. |
| to eight weeks and it's time to put them in the | | | | When you have gently removed the plant from |
| garden. Don't worry. You'll be fine. Transplanting | | | | its seedling cup, lay the root ball and the stem in |
| tomatoes really isn't rocket science. | | | | the furrow up to the true leaves. They're the |
| For those gardening in the upper two-thirds of the | | | | very first set of leaves that were produced |
| country, don't plant your tomatoes outside until at | | | | during germination. |
| least Memorial Day. In fact, when I lived in | | | | The best thing about this process is that |
| Vermont, we never planted hot season crops until | | | | tomatoes will grow roots along the stem as well |
| the first moon in June. Tomatoes are part of a | | | | as continue growing roots in the root ball. Planting |
| crop of what's known as "tender" annuals. | | | | tomatoes this way will ensure a stronger root |
| What makes them tender? The cold. Anything | | | | base and better fruit. Does this mean you can't |
| below about 55-60 degrees at night and tomatoes | | | | plant the traditional deep-hole way? No, you |
| aren't happy. Planting around Memorial Day | | | | certainly can. I've found, though, that my tomato |
| weekend will ensure that you won't lose your | | | | plants are stronger when they're laid in a furrow |
| tomatoes to a cold snap. No, you won't have the | | | | instead of planted in a hole. |
| first ripe tomato by Fourth of July. But you'll have | | | | Tomatoes are voracious eaters so feed them |
| a strong yield in August when the early bird plants | | | | every two weeks or so with a liquid fertilizer. |
| are starting to die back. | | | | Toward the end of the summer and into early |
| Prepare the bed in the garden before removing | | | | fall, keep your eye out for a nasty tomato |
| the seedling from its cup. You'll want a nice deep | | | | muncher called the tomato hornworm. They're |
| trough to plant them in. Instead of digging a deep | | | | clever and disguise themselves like the color of |
| hole, make sure you dig a furrow to lay your | | | | the plant so they're hard to see. Look for tomato |
| tomato plant down. The root ball lies in the foot | | | | plant green with white stripes. These pests will |
| of the trough and the plant goes at the head. You | | | | destroy a tomato plant in the time it takes to |
| may not need to secure the plant to a trellis or | | | | change your mind. |
| tomato cage right away but just be prepared to | | | | Well, maybe not quite that fast but I've seen |
| do so. | | | | them reduce a plant to stubs and half-eaten fruit |
| Next, remove any seedling stakes and plant ties | | | | in the course of a few days. When you see one ... |
| that have been supporting your tomato plants | | | | and you will ... clip the branch that they're resting |
| while they grew in their seedling cups. Next, gently | | | | on and kill them. I may get some comments |
| massage the sides of the seedling cup to loosen | | | | about killing a living thing but I can't imagine one |
| the soil. Place your hand over the top of the cup | | | | beneficial thing a tomato hornworm does. If you |
| with the stem of the tomato plant between your | | | | know of one, feel free to email me. |
| first and second fingers. Turn the cup over so the | | | | |