Information on Mountain Spring Tomato Plants
Mountain Spring tomatoes are fast becoming a mainstay in the produce section of grocery stores. Grown first in North Carolina, these luscious, round, bright-red tomatoes are a hearty variety that has done consistently well in sales. According to a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, during 2001-2003, the United States fresh tomato crop had an average retail value of more than $4 billion. Tomatoes are a heart-healthy food, and the Mountain Spring tomato can make a delicious addition to your menu. Does this Spark an idea?
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Development
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The Mountain Spring tomato project took Randy Gardner, professor of horticultural science of North Carolina State University, 17 years to complete. He developed this variety of tomato to propagate in the hills of North Carolina. His goal was to produce a firm, disease-resistant tomato suitable for home and market growers.
Characteristics
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The Mountain Spring tomato is a large, bright-red variety with firm flesh that is resistant to cracking. This increases the shelf life, making the tomato attractive to distributors and grocers. The yield time for growing is 72 days.
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Growing Tips
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The Mountain Spring tomato requires slightly acid, fertile soil. Well-composted manure works well as a fertilizer. Soil should be kept consistently moist but not so much as to be waterlogged. Morning is the best time for watering, and water should not go directly on the leaves. The Mountain Spring tomato requires plenty of sunlight.
Blight Resistant
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The Mountain Spring tomato variety was designed to benefit the North Carolina tomato producer. These tomatoes are resistant to "late blight," a condition that affects most tomato producers in North Carolina and reduces the market value of their tomato crop. Since Gardner developed this tomato strain, the tomato farmers of North Carolina are prospering.
Research
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In addition to the Mountain Spring variety of tomatoes, Gardner and his student staff are busy researching and introducing new varieties of tomato. The research is intended to produce varieties with more of the carotenoid lycopene, an anti-oxidant known to prevent heart disease. The added lycopene will also produce a tomato variety with a "brighter" red color, making it more appealing to consumers. Gardner is also researching another adversary of the tomato industry, "spotted wilt virus." This disease impacts not just the tomato industry, but the tobacco industry as well. Research and development will continue to benefit the tomato industry as well as other vegetable and fruit crops.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Morguefile free photo
