Here in Kalifornia's Coachella Valley (Palm Springs area), we plant tomatoes sometime after mid-September, and they're pretty much totally harvested by late January.
I yanked ours around February 1, and planted some watermelon and cuke seeds immediately....the seedlings are around 4 inches tall as of now.
I'm into my second round of tomatoes (pulled first in January here in LA county).
But, I've always just let them grow as they want...I've been told to pinch off the 'suckers' to limit unnecessary vines and such.
Sadly, I forgot how to identify a sucker from any other growth.
Can anyone out there set me straight?
Also harvesting radish, onion, several type peppers, and turnips while Cukes and green beans develop.