I did that tomato planting technique last year with my self watering containers. It worked well for me.

As for tomatoes in SFG beds, they would most probably work in 6 inches, but they like deeper soil. Of course I'm talking about full plants, not the single vine Mel suggests.

Others may have had better experience in SFG beds. How deep are yours?

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure

I was planning to use Mel's sfg concept so I guess I am going to use a single vine because I am planning to run the plant up a trellis. With that thought I suppose I should just stick to the single plant as Mel instruct. I just thought I might have space in the sfg section to lay the plant down and maybe give it more root structure.

I just planted two of my Tomatoes in my little SqFt box on Saturday. I planted them "sideways".
Strip off all but the upper leaves, dig a trench and lay the plants in. You'll obviously need to pack soil around the stem and such.
I used a little piece of 90*PVC to rest the upper stem on to start the plant upwards.
By the end of the day, the plants were growing completely vertical.
I will be growing them up the trellis and won't prune.

This picture was taken a couple hours after I planted them. The bottom of the plants root ball are on the far right and left of their respective boxes.
You can see how they look like they were planted nornally after only a couple of hours

I'm a dummy. I did this to mine, but I didn't strip off the bottom leaves. Do you think it will matter? they are looking healthy. My Early Girl has blossoms on it. Should I dig them up and try it again?

How long ago did you plant them?
I'd say leave them as is.

Leaves don't matter. I leave mine on then I pot up and transplant out.

Great pics!

I left most of my bottom leaves as well. I didn't lay mine on end, just burried them to the top.

I left the bottom leaves as well last year. I grew mine in 1/sf last year and I would say you have to be VERY diligent about pruning, which I wasn't. I'm doing all the tomatoes & Peppers in swc's this year. Maybe eggplants, too...we shall see.

glad I don't have to pull them up, again! I already had to transplant them once, because what I thought was North really wasn't.

I am happy to see the response. Do you think it really matters if you pull off leaves to keep one stalk? I haven't decided yet. I had my 10' x 16' space tilled and leveled today. I plan to make four boxes tomorrow and put the Mel's mix into the boxes on saturday. Can I plant now or wait until May 1st.

Lowrain
Cant answer when you should plant as I dont know where you live :)

Also, when you write
"Do you think it really matters if you pull off leaves to keep one stalk?"

I dont understand what your asking?
Regarding keeping one stalk...thats pruning where you pinch or cut off the suckers on the plant. Suckers are the growth you see that developes in the nodes(armpit) of leafs and the main stem. Your tomatoes have their main large center stem and leafes coming off the sides. Eventually you will notice what looks like new leaves forming in the "armpit" of those leafes and main stem. Those are whats called "suckers". Basically suckers are secondary "stems". If left they will basically be secondary stems that grow leafs and eventually flowers and Tomatoes. With suckers, Tomatoes become not only tall but bushy.
What Mel talks about, and shows in the drawings are Tomatoes with all those suckers removed, so all you have is the main stem, leafs, and blooms(that turn into tomatoes)
I dont favor pruning, but if your trying to grow one Tomoato per sqft, youd better prune.
If you decide to prune, its not a one shot deal. You will need to constantly prune thoughout the season

dbobs, I am in NC. My plan is to plant my tomatoes in a sfg one per space and plant only two plants which will be on a trellis wall along side two cucumber plants. I want them to go up that wall and for those two plants to produce lots of tomatoes. Two questions, one, will be two plants produce enough for two people with some left over for sharing and two, should I prune them for better production and to insure that they grow well for this sfg?
My questions also apply for the cucumbers and straight neck squash which will be growing along that same trellis wall? thanks

bdobs, I like the fence you put up around your bed there, but how to you get in to tend the plants? Do the sides come off somehow? I've been struggling with this issue myself, and eventually came up with a makeshift solution, but I'm always looking for new ideas.

Here is a link that might be useful: Luke's SF Victory Garden

Lowrain
Two very well could be enough Tomatoes for you two. If they are good producers then you should get a good number of fruit. Tomatoes are wierd sometimes though. I've had a plant that pumped out fruit all season, and another give me one all season :)
By the way, two Cucs should give ya lots of Cucs. We couldnt eat our Cucs fast enough last year...even though I am growing 4 this year, but I have no idea why :)

I dont grow squash, so I really dont know, but I'm pretty sure that squash dont grow up, I think they spread.

You will definetely need to prune your Tomatoes since you are planting one per sq. Pruning wont give you any more fruit than not pruning, but you will need to control them for space

Here is an example of why you'll need to prune
See the Tomato plant on the left...
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Here is another exapmle of two non pruned Tomatoes in a 4 foot wide box
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Here are my two Cucs growing in my self watering container last year
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They get big too

Hi Luke
That just some plastic fence stuff I bought in a roll at HD. Its just attached to the trellis with little rubber coated twist tie things. I just untwist and roll the fence back. Its mostly to keep my cats rom using the box as their royal litter box