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Growing Mountain Pride Hybrid Slicer Tomatoes in the Vegetable Garden

Begin seeds indoors a month and a half to two months before your estimated final spring frost date. Use a well-draining potting or germinating mix to start the seeds. Plant two seeds per cell and cover the seeds. Water them in with a gentle stream such as a mister or spray bottle to avoid rinsing the seeds away. Water regularly and use a clear plastic dome to increase humidity and moisture. As soon as the first seedling emerges, ensure the tray receives full sun via a sunny window or with grow lights positioned a few inches above the tray. If using, remove the greenhouse dome once the seedlings have developed true leaves. Thin the seedlings to one per cell by removing the weaker seedlings when they have reached two inches tall. Fertilize once they have two sets of true leaves. Transplant the seedlings into larger, 4 or 6-inch pots once their root systems have developed beyond the starting cell’s capacity but a few weeks before they can be moved outdoors. Using biodegradable pots will make transplantation into the garden quicker.

Practice crop rotations to avoid soil-borne diseases and resource depletion. Before transplanting into your garden soil, the seedlings should be hardened off gradually to acclimate to the sunnier, windier conditions. Transplant the seedlings into the garden once the danger of frost has passed. Bury a calcium supplement in the soil beneath the seedlings. Bury most of the stems to encourage more root development. Leave at least one good set of leaves at the top. Remove the lower leaves that can’t reach the sunlight or might be buried and any suckers growing in between fruit-bearing branches. Fertilize with compost, worm castings, or another granular fertilizer when planting into the garden. Prune the bush periodically throughout the season to remove suckers and bottom leaves. Fertilize once more in mid-season. The best soil pH is between 6.2 and 6.8. It's important to water Mountain Pride tomato plants so that the soil stays evenly moist. This helps prevent fruit cracking as well as blossom end rot. Limit disease spread by avoiding water or mud on the leaves. Protect the plants from any cool weather; they are not cold-tolerant. Garden quilts or other protections can be used if cool weather below 50 F is expected.

Harvesting Mountain Pride Hybrid Slicer Tomatoes

Tomatoes are ready to harvest when entirely red with no green left on the fruit. Gently clip or twist the fruit off the stem. Mountain Pride Hybrid is a determinate bush with fruit ready to harvest once or twice before the end of the season. No matter the timeline, they will cease producing at the last frost, and all remaining fruits should be picked before the frost falls.

About Mountain Pride Hybrid Slicer Tomato Garden Seeds

Mountain Pride Hybrid tomato plants are wonderful for various growing locations, including raised beds, large containers (at least 10 gallons), fields, greenhouses, and more. Ensure they get full sun and regular watering patterns. As a standard round red tomato, the Mountain Pride hybrid tomato has a classic tomato flavor that makes it ideal for salads, slicing, salsa and stews. The firm fruit also holds up well to canning.

This variety is resistant to Alternaria Stem Canker, Bacterial Speck, Fusarium Wilt, Fusarium Wilt 1, Fusarium Wilt 2, Gray Leaf Spot, and Verticillium Wilt. Mountain Pride hybrid tomato seeds produce round, red, crack-resistant tomatoes weighing approximately 8 oz. apiece. The firm, flavorful fruit develops and ripens all at once on bushy, determinate vines that are well-suited to row gardening.

Determinate tomatoes are easier to grow in smaller spaces. They grow to one set size during the season, while indeterminate varieties continue to grow until the frost. This results in just one or two large harvests from determinate varieties. Perfect for home preservation or sharing with friends and family.

Mountain Pride was developed by North Carolina State University to be grown in higher elevations and mountainous areas. Each plant yields six to eight flavorful and firm tomatoes. A great choice for any high-elevation home or market garden.

Tips From Our Gardeners

"Avoid high nitrogen levels in the soil. Tomatoes do not like it. Check any fertilizers you have that the nitrogen levels (the first number in the three-number sequence) are not the highest."

- Lara Wadsworth, True Leaf Market Writer

Other Resources

• Guide to Tomatoes

Mountain Pride Hybrid Slicer Tomato Seeds Per Package:

• 250 mg - Approximately 60 Seeds
• 0.25 oz - Approximately 1,875 Seeds
• 1 oz - Approximately 7,500 Seeds
• 4 oz - Approximately 30,000 Seeds
• 1 lb - Approximately 120,000 Seeds

Non-GMO Mountain Pride Hybrid Slicer Tomato seeds are available for Fast Free Shipping on qualifying orders.