Mountain Magic

Description

(69 days) F-1 hybrid. Compact Indeterminate. NC State University’s emeritus professor Randy Gardner would be at the top of any list of elite plant breeders. Gardner, who “retired” in 2008 after 32 years, is still adding to his impressive oeuvre of 22 superb tomato varieties, most bearing his signature prefix ‘Mountain.’ He was among the first to take up the heirloom challenge to breed flavor into his hybrids, and he is among the first to combat LB. Mountain Magic, with grape tomato in its parentage, does both. Even in CR’s unstaked unpruned overcrowded tomato jungles, his unblemished round crack-free two-bite red fruits stand long. Almost all were marketable, growing in clusters of 7 or 8, 10–11 to the pound. As for production: rousing. During a 15-day period beginning Aug. 31, 2012, he harvested 106 fruits—all but three perfect—from a single plant. Juicy with a rich sprightly flavor that greatly pleased and refreshed me. Bryan O’Hara sums it up: “Holy winner! Great vigor and disease resistance, high yields, great sweet flavor…you’ve got a great one.” Ultra-expensive seed sold by count. Resists LB, V, F1-3 with tolerance to EB.