Absolutely Montpelier. Bury the stems up to the top tuft of leaves and the plants will root all along the stem so it won't matter that they are root bound.

Some people lay them down, I just dig them deeper. I don't think it matters.

Linda

Very interesting and definitely helpful. Thank you both.

For a differing opinion from a place a bit different than Vermont, don't think you can ignore a plant bring root bound, and I don't think you can fully plant your way out of root binding effects. I transplant toms in waves to try and game the last-frost date, and when I put in a plant that's become more root bound in its styrofoam cup than its creche mate that went into the ground ten days earlier, the second one always seems to have inferior growth and productivity. Sure, when you pull them they both have tons of roots, both the originals and the newer (finer) stem roots, but the "stunting" effect is pretty consistent when you get to compare them both side to side, even accounting for the different length of time in the soil.

At least here...

I find little to no roots along the buried stem at the end of the season so it does zero good.

root bound is super bad. best to throw out the plant. it will not grow or not grow properly. waste of time and simply introducing virus into your soil. better not to contaminate your soil. let the soil rest is better for next year or grow something else in the soil.

just my experience. I once bought 2 dozen good looking root bound tomatoes and got maybe 2 tiny tomatoes out of the entire batch. none grew. it was a total expensive flop.

maybe you will get lucky but root bound tomatoes are not recommended by me. I always transplant my tomatoes into larger pots before putting them outdoors. I have very large root balls of nice roots and the plants grow super well.

buying those root bound tomatoes at discount was the worst mistake I ever made in gardening. they were a very strong growing Mountain variety resistant to disease but not when rootbound. plants do not grow without roots. forget it.

I always break up roots and root-prune root bound plants. It does help them.

As a counterpoint, Carolyn says she intentionally rootbinds her plants. Interesting.

I dig a trench about 3 inches deep if that will accommodate the root ball or just enlarge the end where you are putting the root ball and lay the rest of the stem in the trench and cover with soil. Of course you can dig the trench deeper if you'd like but at least 3in deep. The top of the plant should not be covered, of course, and I prop up the top with a small nursery pot until it starts growing, usually a week or so. I got a great deal on a bull's heart which was pot bound in a tiny pot and so leggy and tall the stem could not support it, I planted it as I described and it is now healthy and has several beautiful tomatoes on it, not yet ripe. You do have to be careful where you dig after you plant a tomato this way and I water this tomato differently then my others, making sure I water over the whole stem area. I always mark the area with something to remind me where the stem is to I don't forget and dig a hole and ruin the tomato. Yeah, it is a good technique for the really tall and spindly tomatoes.

> I find little to no roots along the buried stem at the end of the season so it does zero good.

that's only if you don't keep the surface moist, i bury my tomatoes cuttings deep and about 4 inches of the stem has no roots.. in a few weeks i have roots practically coming out of the surface.

i think if you mulch it helps the plant build a huge root system from top to bottom of stem because the mulch tends to keep the soil surface very moist. if i pull back all the mulch around my plants all you see is roots poking out of soil.

OP, tomatoes are one of very few fruit/veg plants that prefer to be buried deep. even the toms i have say in the instructions to bury stem deep. it most definitely does help make a much stronger plant.

In my post-hole planted tomatoes, when planted in decent soil, well mulched, I've had tomato roots stretching out two to three feet in all directions from the stem, and at the base the stem about three inches across. Usually 6 to 7 feet tall (trimmed to stop hanging growth) supported by concrete reinforcing wire cages, and each plant four feet across, producing lots and lots of tomatoes. If you don't plant them deep, you can never produce enough root mass to support a plant that size. After only two years in this new house, my soil may be starting to get good enough to make those kinds of plants, and sometimes I fear I've planted them too close together. One year, in a place with very good soil, I found what happens when tomatoes that grow well are too close - I could have taken out every other plant, and they still would have grown to fill the space. It was a jungle.

yes I was thinking about that after I posted. I dont keep the soil wet. My soil tends to be very dry and I never water after the first week or few days. I force the plant to grow big roots in search of water and I never fertilize or water. my tomatoes always have excellent flavor.

If I were to keep that stem wet under the soil I am sure it would develop a lot more root system. I guess I learned something today.