Thanks. Tomatoes are a unique type of plant with some of the tricks you can use. There is a variation on your technique for a stronger plant with deeper roots. It will only work with potted tomato starts. Pinch off the lower branches. Then bury the roots deeper than you normally would...
This won't fix your current problems, but for future reference: You can greatly reduce the chance of tomato blight by two tactics.
Tomato blight is a fungal infection that lives in the soil. Overhead watering will tend to splash some of the particles onto the lower leaves where they start the...