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Mortgage Lifter is the name given to a cultivar of tomato developed by Willam Estler of Barboursville, West Virginia, in 1922. He registered the name in 1932, several years before "Radiator Charlie" and his "Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter". Robert Howard Estler, last remaining son of William Estler, died in October 2012.
- 85 days
- Heirloom
- 9 feet (2.7 m)
- Indeterminate
Jul 7, 2021 · Contents show. The Mortgage Lifter tomato. Mortgage Lifter is an heirloom tomato cultivar bred in 1930’s West Virginia by Marshall Cletis Byles, an amateur tomato enthusiast. Mr. Byles went by the moniker M.C. “Radiator Charlie” Byles, as he worked as an auto mechanic in a shop at the base of a mountain road where transport truck ...
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- How to Plant Mortgage Lifter Tomato
- Mortgage Lifter Plant Care
- Types of Mortgage Lifter
- Harvesting Mortgage Lifter
- How to Grow Mortgage Lifter in Pots
- Pruning
- Propagating Mortgage Lifter Tomato
- How to Grow Mortgage Lifter Tomato from Seed
- Common Pests and Plant Diseases
- How to Get Mortgage Lifter to Bloom
Tomato plants get off to a better start and yield fruit earlier when the seeds are started indoors 6 to 8 weeks before last expected frost. Hardened off seedlings when several sets of leaves are present before planting in the garden.
The big challenge growing Mortgage Lifter is managing the giant, prolific fruits and extremely tall vines. This is one heirloom tomato pretty easy to care for, with above average disease and drought resistance. M.C. Byles (also known as Radiator Charlie), who bred Mortgage Lifter, spent six years cross-breeding his favorite tomato plants to produce...
In addition to the classic, reddish pink Mortgage Lifter tomato, a second yellow variety goes by the same name. Another beefsteak type, the yellow Mortgage Lifter produce 1 to 2 pound, slightly flattened fruits with red to pink stripesin the center. The yellow variety yields mild, sweet tomatoes.
You can start to harvest Mortgage Lifter tomatoes around 80 days after transplanting, but some tomatoes may be ready a week or so earlier. Unlike many heirloom varieties that retain green or dark colored hips at the stem end, Mortgage Lifter more often develops a uniform reddish-pink color throughout. Use a hand pruner or snipper to cut the tomato ...
Due to the length of the vines, 9 feet and longer, it is inadvisable to grow Mortgage Lifters in pots. If you decide to try, fill a minimum 10-gallon container with a good soil and compost mix. Choose one with plenty of drainage holes and room for a sturdy support. Set the plant in a deep hole and be diligent about removing suckersduring the first ...
Indeterminate, vining tomatoesgrow rapidly. Heirloom tomato types like Mortgage Lifter will produce an abundance of suckers during early growth. Good air circulation helps prevent disease, so pruning it down to several manageable vines improves overall plant health. Remove suckers during the first several weeks of growth to keep air circulation at ...
Tomato plants can be propagated from suckers. This is done by allowing a sucker to grow to about 6 inches long, clipping it from the mother plant at the base, rooting it in water, and planting it in a new location. Since Mortgage Lifter requires 80 days to mature, the more efficient propagation method is to start with seed.
You can save seedsfrom your Mortgage Lifter crop to plant next year. The seeds are reliably long-lasting, so don't throw out those extras still in last year's seed packet. Seeds can be started six to eight weeks before the last frost in a heated indoor location. You will need a good light source once the seeds sprout. To get started, gather togethe...
Mortgage Lifter has good resistance to wilts. It is vulnerable to a number of other fungal and bacterial problemsthat affect tomatoes. Starting out with healthy seedlings and good growing conditions can prevent crop loss. Good air circulation and adequate spacing between plants helps prevent diseases. The pests that most often affect tomatoes are h...
This variety blooms early and reliably given adequate growing conditions. If blossoms seem insufficient, try a foliar spray of fish emulsion. Add compost tea or apply a fertilizer slightly higher in phosphorous such as a 5-10-5.
- Barbara Gillette
The name ‘Mortgage Lifter’ goes back to the breeder and avid gardener, Marshall Cletis Byles of Virginia. He cross-pollinated tomatoes until he came up with one of the biggest, most flavorful tomatoes in existence. He sold the plants for $1 each and would later say the profits paid the $6,000 mortgage on his house. Introduced in the 1930’s, ‘Mortgage Lifter’ is still one of the best ...
- Proper Spacing. Mortgage Lifter tomatoes really like to sprawl! Because of this, you must give them as much space as possible. This can prevent a wide variety of problems related to disease and airflow.
- Provide Extra Days to Harvest. On average, Mortgage Lifters take about 80-85 days to be ready to harvest. Although it’s not necessarily any longer than any other late-season tomatoes, which as a general rule require about 80 days to be ready to go, it is longer than early season or mid-season varieties.
- Set Out Stakes and Cages Early. It’s important to prune Mortgage Lifters just as it is all other types of tomatoes. Similarly, you also need to provide adequate support with cages, stakes, or trellises.
- Choose the Best Possible Location. Grow your Mortgage Lifter tomatoes in a location that will receive plenty of sunlight. These girls like full sunlight at least 6 hours a day, but ideally closer to 8.
Large, smooth, 1-pound pink fruit have a delicious, rich, sweet taste. This variety has become very popular in recent years, after being developed by M.C. Byles of Logan, WV. After crossing varieties for 6 years and selecting the best, he introduced this beauty that he named Mortgage Lifter in the 1940s after he sold plants for $1 each and paid ...
The Mortgage Lifter plant produces slightly pinkish tomatoes that are low in acid but big on flavor. But what really sets them apart is just how big they can grow. On average, the fruits can come in at 16 to 20 ounces a piece. But some can grow to 32 ounces (2 full pounds) or more!
