To make sure your tomato plants reach their full potential, water them thoroughly about an hour before planting time, as you would do with any transplants. Try to put them in your garden on a cloudy day or in early evening – to prevent rapid drying. And dig a hole so that the plants sit a little lower in the garden bed than in the container. If a tomato plant is tall and spindly, you can bury the main stem in a trench. The buried stem will develop roots and help the plant grow thick and strong. Remember to add fertilizer to the soil and water often. If your plants get weighed down with big ripe tomatoes, simply stake them upright with wooden or metal poles, or use tomato cages.