Henk van der Velde at Burpee NL is the plant breeder who we can thank for breeding the tomato known as ‘Bliss’.

‘Bliss’ is a superb tomato.  I find that ‘Bliss’ tomatoes take a little longer to produce a harvest than many of the other tomatoes I grow, but the plants more than make up for this, as they are productive and reliable, with the real bonus that ‘Bliss’ plants produce the most delicious tasting tomatoes!  This variety really exceeded my expectations, as I hadn’t heard of ‘Bliss’ as being noted for the taste of its tomatoes, but I can tell you that this is truly a fantastic tomato with an exceptionally sweet flavour.  I believe many gardeners are harvesting ‘Bliss’ tomatoes too early – picking them when the fruit have started ripening and taken on a pale yellow colour with green stripes but the tomatoes haven’t developed their full flavour and aren’t fully ripe at this stage; consequently anyone who tastes a ‘Bliss’ tomato at this point gets a nice but fairly average tasting tomato and therefore misses out on discovering just how tasty, sweet, and flavourful ‘Bliss’ tomatoes really are when they are ripe and have turned a golden bronzed colour, as you can see in my photograph above.

When growing tomatoes, it’s important to remember that tomato plants are tender – frost will kill tomato plants.  We need to time our sowings to make the most of our summer months and ensure we allow our plants sufficient time to grow and mature so they can produce and ripen their fruits before the frosts arrive in autumn.  In the UK, in order to successfully generate a harvest of tomatoes, we need to give our tomato plants a head start and to do this we sow tomato seeds in pots inside polytunnels or greenhouses, porches or conservatories in February, March, and April; alternatively, if you don’t have a greenhouse or conservatory, you can sow tomato seeds in pots on bright and sunny window sills.  If you only have a window sill available for growing tomato plants it’s better to wait and sow tomato seeds on window sills later on in March and April, as without a light source from above, the light levels will be too low indoors earlier in the year and your seedlings will struggle.  Tomato seeds need warmth to germinate and these plants will need continuous protection until the frosts have passed.

Once all risk of frost has passed (which in the UK can be anytime from the end of May to the middle of June -late spring to early summertime), tomato plants can be gradually hardened off by moving the plants outside in the daytime and then bringing the plants safely back undercover at night.  Repeat this every day.  Hardening plants off may seem like an unnecessary hassle or a waste of time, but I promise you it is worth it, as your plants will repay you by more rapidly adjusting to their new environment, thanks to your investment in them.  I’d recommend spending a minimum of two weeks (but ideally four weeks) to harden off your plants and ensure they’re fully acclimatised to their new outdoor space before you make it their permanent residence.

After being hardened off tomato plants are ready to be planted outdoors in garden beds and borders, or in containers filled with good quality composts or self-watering containers.  Alternatively, the tomato plants will be delighted to remain where they are and grow to full size inside polytunnels or greenhouses – this is often a preferable option for gardeners in colder areas.

It’s important to provide a good support system for tomato plants.  The best support system I’ve found so far has been the various homemade support frames that we have made from wood.  I like to use a wooden support frame that sits alongside and above my tomato plants.  I take long lengths of strong twine and gently (and loosely) tie the twine under a pair of my plant’s lower leaves (remember not to cut the twine to size until the end).  When tying the twine, ensure there is adequate room for your plant’s stem to widen and grow larger in size as the plant matures, and then carefully and gently wind the twine around your plant’s stem and tie the twine to the top of the framework; as your tomato plant grows taller you simply twist the twine around the stem to continue supporting your plants as they grow.  I find this method is easy, quick, and very effective (providing the twine you use is strong enough).

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