Tomatoes are tricky - bareroot can work, but there is risk (I've seen them come that way healthy as well as dead). I now use the Fusion technique (he of GW fame). Seedling in a 4 inch pot, sturdy box with "wine dividers" with the same dimension (so pots fit snugly inside) - I use wide tape over the top of the pot on either side of the stem to keep the soil ball inside the pot. Then the key modification that I discovered last year - make thin wood dowels that are exactly the height of the box. Push one into each pot - when you close up the box, the top of the box secures the top of the dowel, which keeps the pot stationary. As long as you have the pots taped to secure the soil, this will ensure success even if the box is tipped on its side or upside down. I shipped 16 plants to my dad this way (be sure the plants are well watered, and place a sheet of Saran Wrap under the pots to prevent the box from becoming soggy and disintegrating.). The only downside is that this is somewhat expensive when you ship lots, paying for the weight of the wet soil. Still - it works like a charm.
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Craig
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