yes, plant ASAP and fertilize with a good tomato fertilizer!
First, prepare the planting hole/trench by working in:
dolomite, an organic rock calcium source (Espoma Garden Lime)
a balanced fertilizer specifically formulated for tomatoes (TomatoTne is an organic fertilizer that has ALL the macro- and micronutrients tomatoes require)
Have you noticed that the stems are hairy?? That'ss actually baby roots: burying the stem leads these tiny hairs to grow into roots - increasing nutrient uptake and helping anchor the plant. The advice I was given and still follow years later, is:
nip/pinch/cut off the lowest set of leaves
bury the transplant up to the new lowest leaves
And if the transplants are leggy (like yours):
dig a trench
remove the lowest set of leaves
lay the transplant in horizontally, with some of its upper stem and its "head"/top out of/beyond the end of the trench
fill in the trench, burying the plant roots and lower stem - but not the top of the stem and the "head"/top
gently bend the exposed stem an inch or two (be careful not to force or the stem will break!)
the plant will right itself naturally, reaching upward to the sun
water the newly planted plants in well, to settle the soil snugly and eliminate air pockets
Most importantly, come on over to the thread 2023 Tomato Gardening (in the Vegetables and Fruit forum). There you'll find us tomato heads, willing to help beginners and experienced grower alike with growing problems/challenges. . . and especially some Texas tomato growers! One of them might even be able to id that curious mold/fungus!
