Transplanting Tomatoes and Early Season Care
Tomatoes | Part 3
You’ve babied your seedlings and watched them grow strong — now it’s time to send them out into the big wide world of your garden beds. Transplanting is a critical stage. Get it right, and you’ll set your tomatoes up for a season of healthy growth and abundant fruit.
1. Timing Is Everything
Wait until nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50°F and the soil is warm. Cool soil can stunt young tomatoes or lead to disease. In USDA Zone 7a, this usually means planting out sometime in April or early May.
2. Prepare the Soil
Tomatoes love loose, fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8. Amend your soil with compost or aged manure a few weeks before planting. If you're KNF inclined, consider pre-treating your soil with JMS or LAB.
On my farm, I’ve found that tomatoes especially thrive when planted after pigs — specifically, Kunekune pigs. Unlike traditional pigs, Kunekune do not root aggressively. I mulch future garden areas deeply with wood chips, pig manure, and myco washes, and allow the Kunekune to graze and gently root. They stir just enough to integrate the mulch layer — no more than I could do myself with the toe of my boot. The result is beautifully textured, biologically active soil, ready for tomatoes once the pigs move on. If you're KNF inclined, consider pre-treating your soil with JMS or LAB.
3. Deep Planting Technique
Unlike most vegetables, tomatoes can be planted deep. Remove the lower leaves and bury the plant so that only the top 4–6 inches stick out above the soil. Roots will develop along the buried stem, giving the plant a stronger foundation. Not only does this deep planting method provide stability, but it also gives the plant greater access to biologically available nutrients deeper in the soil.
4. Spacing & Layout
Give each plant room to breathe:
Indeterminate varieties: 24–36 inches apart
Determinate varieties: 18–24 inches apart
Row spacing should be about 3–4 feet to allow airflow and easy access.
This spacing is ideal if you're growing determinate tomatoes or indeterminate varieties without heavy pruning. However, if you’re sucker pruning heavily and using string or single-vine trellising methods, you can reduce plant spacing by half — maximizing yield per square foot while maintaining airflow and accessibility through vertical training.
5. Initial Support
Install cages, stakes, or trellises at transplant time. Trying to stake later often damages roots and risks breaking branches. Train indeterminate varieties as they grow.
I’m currently in year four of using cattle panel hoops for trellising — and I love them. The arched design lets me reach everything easily from either side while giving the plants plenty of vertical space to grow. They’re durable, reusable, and provide excellent airflow and support, especially for sucker-pruned or single-stem systems.. Trying to stake later often damages roots and risks breaking branches. Train indeterminate varieties as they grow.
6. Water Wisely
Give each plant a deep watering at transplant, and then let the top inch of soil dry out before watering again. Water early in the day to prevent fungal issues. A mulch layer helps retain moisture and reduce splash-up onto leaves.
7. First Feedings
About a week after transplanting, begin weekly applications of fermented plant juice (FPJ), LAB, or compost tea to help the plants adjust and thrive. Be mindful not to overfeed during this adjustment period.
8. Watch for Transplant Shock
It’s normal for plants to look a little droopy for a day or two. Avoid fertilizing immediately after transplant and make sure your plants have some wind protection in those first few days.
In Part 4, we’ll talk about maintaining your plants through the season — from pruning to pest control and keeping those vines productive all summer long.
