Germination 60-85 F For Growth 70-75 F Fertilizer Fertilizer 1 week before planting. Avoid high N and K at blossom time.< Too much leaf growth may indicate too much N or too much water Fertilizer formulas such as 5-10-10 are good. Bone meal or ground rock phosphate are also good. Harvest Season Tomatoes require from 50 to more than 90 warm days to reach harvest depending upon variety. Leave your tomatoes on the vine as long as possible. If any fall off before they appear ripe, place them in a paper bag with the stem up and store them in a cool, dark place. Never place tomatoes on a sunny windowsill to ripen; they may rot before they are ripe! The perfect tomato for picking will be firm and very red in color, regardless of size, with perhaps some yellow remaining around the stem. A ripe tomato will be only slightly soft. If your tomato plant still has fruit when the first hard frost threatens, pull up the entire plant and hang it upside down in the basement or garage. The skins will lip off when they defrost.