Watering newly set out plants

[mensplace]

I have heard two theories re watering. Obvoiusly one has to water sufficiently to keep newly set out plants alive, but I have heard that beyond that minimal watering it is best to cut back a little to force the plants to set out deep roots, essentially to find and reach for the water in the soil around them. There is plenty of moisture down in the clay. Your thoughts.

[TZ-OH6]

I water once when I set out the plants to settle the soil and give the damaged roots adequate moisture until they get going again, but after that I don't water unless it is to save the plant's life. I deep dug my garden to below the clay layer so that roots can get moisture all year. I'll be danged if I'll to treat in-ground plants as if they were in containers.

[nctomatoman]

I let the plants tell me what they need - so certainly water them in well, then back off and let mother nature take her turn. On really hot days if the foliage is drooping, definitely water well from the bottom. The most important part, I've found, is keeping the plants well watered once they've set fruit - I've found out that uneven watering or allowing plants to get really dry enough to visibly wilt can not only bring on blossom end rot on developing fruit, but stressed plants also seem more susceptible to disease such as Fusarium or Bacterial Wilt.