Wait until fear of frost is over before planting. Putting them in the ground early, when the soil temperature is below 55 degrees will not get you tomatoes any earlier unless you use supplemental heat. The typical month for beginning to harvest tomatoes is August. Do not over fertilize or over water as the plants will need a little stress to produce. In fact you can stop watering for the most part once fruit appears. Harvest when hungry.Plant 18 inches apart and stake plants if you don’t want them to fall over. Cherry tomatoes are more prolific than other tomatoes. Determinate varieties mean that the fruit sets all at once while indeterminate varieties set over the course of the season. Harvest when you are hungry.Tender, cannot tolerate frost. Determinate (Det) bush varieties may be staked, should not be pruned. Indeterminate (Ind) climbing varieties are customarily staked and pruned.