- 1). Clear the ground in a part of your garden that gets at least six hours of sun every day in the summer. Remove debris, larger stones and weeds, making sure that you get the whole roots of the weeds.
- 2). Spread a 3-to-4-inch layer of compost on the ground and dig over the soil to a depth of 9 to 12 inches, thoroughly mixing in the compost.
- 3). Dig holes larger than the tomato seedling containers, each hole 3 or 4 feet apart. Remove the plants from the pots without damaging the roots and put them in the holes, covering them with compost. Give the plants a soaking, using a watering can with a fine-spray fitting.
- 4). Water the plants when the soil around them is dry to the touch. If you live in a drier area of Virginia such as the Shenandoah Valley, check the plants every day.
- 5). Support the plants when they reach 12 inches in height by tying them to garden canes with twine. Take care not to damage the plant's root system when you insert the canes into the ground. Staking is especially important if you live in a part of Virginia that gets high summer winds.
- 6). Start feeding the tomatoes with a liquid tomato feed when the first blossoms appear. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.
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