Grow Tomatoes Review: My Mortgage Lifter Beefsteak Heirloom Experience in 2009
Mortgage Lifter Beefsteak Heirloom Tomato Slices
Mortgage Lifter Plant is Green and Vigorous June 13, 2009
The Mortgage Lifter Beefsteak Heirloom Tomato Story Summary
Few tomatoes have such a wonderful story as Mortgage Lifter Heirloom Beefsteak Tomato. I had heard a vague reference to the story about “Radiator” Charlie, but was delighted to find more details on posts on the internet. It is a great depression era story and I have to admit to wanting to plant this heirloom tomato because of its name. If you are intrigued by the name, take the time to visit the referenced site and enjoy it.
MC Byles worked for seven years to develop this strain of tomato back in the depression days and sold the seeds to pay down his mortgage. He bred 5 tomatoes until he was satisfied with the stable strain that became “Mortgage Lifter”. It was not a fluke, but a good idea persistently pursued and a keen sense of business that gave us this beloved tomato to grow.
Mortgage Lifter Beefsteak Heirloom Tomato Flowers 13 June 2009
My Experience in Growing Mortgage Lifter Beefsteak Heirloom Tomato in 2009
This year, the tomato plant went in late in March and following the excellent advice of old-time tomato growers at the Fullerton Arboretum who volunteered at the tomato sale we stripped off most of the early growth and buried 80% of the Mortgage Lifter beefsteak tomato plant. It grew lustily and into a hefty vine, supported by 2 tomato cages and a number of bamboo stakes. What I have not understood is why that one particular tomato plant has not fruited well.
Disappointment in Flower Drop and a Lesson in Temperature and Mother Nature — It’s Not the Fault of my Mortgage Lifter Beefsteak Heirloom Tomato Plant
Lots of green growth, but the flowers did not yield well, unlike the rest of the row of tomatoes. I have been disappointed, because this tomato has such a good reputation. My speculation was that the pollinators were not so suitable ( honey bees have declined and the carpenter bees I had last year did not show up this year). Then, browsing garden advice, arboretum and horticulture sites, I discovered the real likely culprit was temperature.
There were temperature dips and rises (we had a pretty cold April with a funky few really hot days and with a weird hot spell in May. These must have been inopportune for this particular
Mortgage Lifter Beefsteak Heirloom Tomato Flower Drop
tomato variety. The flowers appeared later in the season than the flowers on the other tomatoes and showed a lot more drop. I wish I had paid more attention to the temperature, not just the soil conditions, because I am not certain. I did some more reading and verified that this plant must have tried to push its blossoms during the heat wave periods. It cooled down again and a smaller than desired number of tomatoes showed up. (This was tagged 75-85 days to maturity, though, I was not sure how the temperature had correlated with the plant maturity.)
Mortgage Lifter Beefsteak Heirloom "ugly" Tomato 19 July 2009
Mystery Solved and an Unexpected Surprise — and Another Lesson
I tended to ignore the Mortgage Lifter beefsteak heirloom tomato plant as I walked by, because the other plants and varieties were fruiting well. Suddenly, one day I noticed that deep in the plant there was a splash of color.
This is another story, because my 2010 tomato season resolution is to learn to prune my tomato plants for better growth and more even and pretty tomatoes and better visibility. Anyway, it turned out to be a kind of misshapen, but large tomato. I harvested and served it.
The Mortgage Lifter Beefsteak Heirloom Tomato Characteristics
Mortgage Lifter Beefsteak Heirloom Tomato Half and Slices
A beautiful deep pink or red-pink shade, my ugly baby weighed in at well over a pound (my kitchen scale more than bottomed out at its maximum of 18 ounces). The tomatoes are said to be 1-3 pounds. It certainly is an indeterminate tomato (I), growing vigorously, even as the flowers dropped. The interior is also a very deep pink, rich looking and meaty.
The flavor was mild, sweet, and rich. I did have to cut with its bumps, but each slice was delicious. It made a very substantial vegetable dish and it took three of us to finish it — which we did, at one sitting. We agreed that this tomato deserves a place in the garden and I hope to have another chance with this tomato next year.
By the way, fruit did start setting later; there are now some nice green tomatoes on the plant. Perhaps we will be lucky with some late season beauties. Bottom line, we will keep Mortgage Lifter Beefsteak heirloom tomato on our buy list again.
Aloha, DoT
Related Articles and References
- Pruning Tomato Plants and String Trellis Video
- Living on Earth: Mortgage Lifter Tomatoes
- Optimum Sowing Date in Relation to Flower Drop Reduction in Tomato
- Backyard Wisdom: Tomatoes Not Setting Fruit
Related Posts
- Grow Tomatoes Review: Knowns and Unknowns About Mamie Eisenhower’s Tomato Pudding
- Grow Tomatoes Review: Follow-Up Photo of Golden Pineapple Beefsteak Tomato
- Grow Tomatoes Review: Vintage Wine and Black Brandywine Heirlooms
- Review Basic Canning Tips for Beginners: An Inexpensive Reference
- Grow Tomatoes Review: Journal Entry – Early Tomatoes Were Hybrids in Pots
- Tip: Stake Up and Tie Those Stray Tomato Branches with Velcro
- Grow Tomatoes Review: Journal Update on Omar’s Lebanese Heirloom Beefsteak
- Grow Tomatoes Journal News: 2009 Late Blight hits East Coast
- Grow Tomatoes Journal: Review of Ingredients for 20 Cups of Salsa
- Grow Tomatoes Review: 18 Oz. Omar’s Lebanese Beefsteak Tomato
- Grow Tomatoes Review: Sugar Lump Cherry Heirloom
- Tomato Gardening Journal — Review of May 2009
- Grow Tomatoes Review: Orange Santa Grape
- Grow Tomatoes Review: Journal Entry – Pink Thai Egg Tomato
- First Tomato of 2009 — Pink Thai Egg
Tomato Growers' Store (Even for Growing Tomatoes Upside Down)
