Time to Harvest a Flowering Tomato

Seasons

• Tomatoes are summertime plants and require frost-free growing conditions. You can plant tomatoes after the last spring frost and continue planting them until three months before the first fall frost. Longer growing seasons give the plants time for repeat blooming and harvests.

Maturity Dates

• Tomatoes vary in terms of maturity dates and fruit-bearing age. Maturity dates range from short -- 45 to 50 days - to long -- 80 to 90 days -- and indicate when the bush produces its first fruit. Quick cultivars include Quick Pick, Early Girl and Early Cascade while longer-season cultivars are distinguished by larger plants, such as Big Boy, Burpee's Big Girl and Supersteak. Plant quick cultivars for faster harvests and long-season cultivars for late summer and fall harvests.

Temperatures

• Tomato fruit grows and ripens more quickly in temperate climates. The University of Missouri Extension notes that tomatoes ripen to best quality at 75 degrees Fahrenheit and ripen too quickly in temperatures of 90 to 92 degrees. Temperatures over 92 degrees can damage the fruit. According to California gardener Tom Chester, tomato fruit stops ripening at temperatures below 55 degrees.

Tomato Harvest

• Allow your tomatoes to ripen on the vine, when possible, for more sugar production and sweeter, juicier fruit. Pick the tomatoes when they reach mature coloration and can be depressed slightly with thumb pressure. Ripe tomatoes separate easily from their stems. Pick all the tomatoes left on the vine in the fall when temperatures start to drop. The tomatoes stop ripening when temperatures fall below 60 degrees Fahrenheit and burn in frost. If the tomatoes aren't ripe yet, cut 3 to 4 inches of stem with the tomatoes still on and put the bunches indoors in a sunny window for continued ripening.