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Centennial Colorado

Has anyone ever grown the mortgage lifter variety? It claims 2.5-4lbs.

1/4/2021 10:08:15 PM

Savage, MN

I have grown it before. Consistently get over 1.5lbs with multiple fruit and no fertilizer, just compost. Its my favorite eating tomato variety. Very good producer.

1/4/2021 11:07:58 PM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

I have grown this before. It is tasty but will not get you a giant tomato if that is your goal.

1/5/2021 9:40:05 AM

Centennial Colorado

Interesting. That would explain why domingo was selected.

1/5/2021 9:54:03 AM

Grittyville, WA

I know there are multiple strains of mortgage lifter (some improved ones that are bigger and tastier might have been given this name tag) but the strain I grew split easily and was not very tasty and had no chance if getting much over a pound. Either I got the strain that was was all hype and very little substance or it just didnt do well in my soil/climate... My guess would be it probably does better in the south. Some other strains may be way better than the strain I grew.
Try it but certainly dont bet your house on it :)

1/5/2021 12:24:36 PM

Lakewood, WA

Sounds like a tremendous volume of them would be necessary to actually lift someone's mortgage, lol!

Have fun!

1/5/2021 5:39:45 PM

Thomas wv

So, on to the history.  'Mortgage Lifter' is one of the most famous heirloom tomatoes around.  A few different stories exist relating how they were developed and who they were developed by.  One source claims that the cultivar was developed by William Esther of Barboursville, West Virginia in 1922 and that Esther registered the name in 1932.  However, the best-known and best-loved story involves M.C. Byles of Logan, West Virginia, who developed this tomato in the 1930's.  He was known to all as "Radiator Charlie" because he ran a radiator repair business at his home, which was situated at the bottom of a steep hill. When logging or mining trucks laden with goods labored up the hill, their radiators often boiled over and they rolled back down to Charlie's house for repairs. 

Mr. Byles had no formal education, having worked in the cotton fields since he was 4 years old; however, he loved to garden and grow vegetables, especially tomatoes. As it was the Depression, he worried about the mortgage on his house. He decided to develop a tomato that he could sell. He wanted a large, beefsteak type tomato, so he decided to crossbreed four of the largest-fruited tomatoes he could find. He chose a 'German Johnson' to plant, and in a circle around it, he planted 3 other varieties: another beefsteak, an Italian variety, and an English variety. He hand pollinated the 'German Johnson' with a baby's ear syringe, and after 6 years of trials, he had what he felt was a stable plant that produced large, tasty tomatoes. In a Living Earth interview with M.C. recorded in 1985, he says that he sold plants for $1.00 apiece (pretty pricey for Depression time) and that people came from as far away as 200 miles to buy the plants.  In six years, he made enough money to pay off his $6,000 mortgage, so he called the tomato 'Mortgage Lifter,' but tomato-loving folks called it Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter.

1/5/2021 10:54:22 PM

Colorado

Kerry,thats a great story.

1/6/2021 1:27:39 AM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

Kerry, your story is backed up by a lot of history and it is a great story.

1/6/2021 8:39:37 AM

Lakewood, WA

Interesting, for sure! Thank you for sharing!

1/6/2021 2:34:11 PM

Centennial Colorado

Interesting

1/6/2021 2:51:03 PM

I met a guy from Virginia or West Virginia. He saw my pumpkin and we got to talking. I gave him some seeds. He stated that a relative was Radiator Charlie told me the story and he had some original seeds that were in his freezer. I grew a 2.25lb tomato with no special care. I gave a few plants to some growers close by. I've been ML's every year since.

6/21/2021 3:48:07 PM