I can’t tell you how excited I am about tomatoes this summer. Remember this post, when I got the actual plants from our friend who grows them in her greenhouse? Everyone has their method or favorite way to plant tomatoes, but what has worked amazingly well for us has been trench planting.

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First, lay the tomatoes out where you think they should be planted. Get a visual.

With this method, you dig a trench rather than a hole.

You remove the lower leaves of the plants, leaving the top leaf clusters. Lay the plant on its side in the trench and cover with dirt, up to the top leaf cluster.

The buried stem begins to form roots and within a day, the top of the plant will have righted itself.

This method produces more roots, and the underground stems are closer to warmth, rain and nutrients.

Why trench plant?
The advantage of trench planting is that the tomato plant will form additional roots all along the stem portion that is buried. The tomato plant will be able to take up more water and nutrients and get off to a quicker start.

Cover with compost, then straw.

Here’s a few of our favorites.


Cage the plants – because you want to give the plant a place to climb!

And pray for sunshine and warm weather! I don’t know about you, but our weather has been cold and rainy. It doesn’t even feel like Spring here in Oregon!

Oh, and did I mention … I try to think of others when baking, cooking, even planting in the garden! 12 plants for us and a couple plants for my friend Fiona! I put the good soil in a pot, the plants, cage, and off to another house the pot went! So she can enjoy her own varieties this summer!

I’m looking forward to some of these, in only a few short months!

Are you planting tomatoes this year? Do you have a favorite method? Or do you just buy them at the store or grower’s market?

If you are a new gardener, check out my post, New Gardener Part I: Get Started Now!

Or Part II: Water, Sunshine and Soil!

And don’t forget to link up this Wed. to Home is … and share about what’s on the walls in your home!