How to Transplant Marvel Stripe Tomatoes

Loosen the soil in your garden to a depth of 6 to 8 inches with a garden hoe. Choose an area for a new garden that receives a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight per day. Cultivate the soil using a rototiller if you are planting a large garden.

Sprinkle 2 to 3 inches of aged compost on the loose soil if it is sandy or heavy, clay. Work the soil amendment into the loose soil with a hoe or rototiller.

Dig a hole in the garden with a trowel about 2 inches larger in diameter and 1 to 2 inches deeper than the pot size.

Squeeze the sides of the pot or container and pull the tomato plant out gently. Insert the marvel stripe transplant into the hole. Fill it with soil and pack the soil down with your hands next to the stem.

Place a wooden garden stake about 4 inches from the center of the plant. Press the tip down into the loose soil as far as possible. Strike the top of the stake with a hammer to insert it 1 to 2 feet deep.

Cut strips of an old sheet or other soft cotton material with scissors. Cut the strips about 1 inch wide and 12 inches long. Place one end around the tomato plant stem and loop the other end around the stake. Pull the end from the stake up to the end around the plant and tie it in a knot to form a figure 8. Add material strips around the plant and stake in the same manner about every foot as the tomato plant grows.

Plant and stake the remaining marvel stripe tomatoes in rows, spacing them about 2 feet apart and allowing 4 feet between the rows.

Irrigate the transplants with a garden hose, slowly and deeply. Turn the hose on a low-flow setting and add water until it pools on top of the ground. Apply 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water per week while plants are growing and producing tomatoes until production stops or a frost kills the plants.

Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of sodium nitrate around each plant, 3 inches from the stem after flowering to boost vigor and growth.