Mortgage Lifter Pink
Solanum lycopersicum 'Mortgage Lifter Pink'
The legendary giant that supposedly helped its creator pay off his mortgage by selling seedlings, this pink beefsteak produces enormous fruits that can weigh over 2 pounds each. Known for its incredibly meaty texture, sweet flavor, and impressive size that makes each tomato perfect for feeding the whole family. A true heirloom success story that continues to amaze gardeners decades later.
Harvest
85-95d
Days to harvest
Sun
Blossom-End Rot of Tomato
Zones
10–10
USDA hardiness
Height
1-10 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Mortgage Lifter Pink in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 tomato →Zone Map
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Mortgage Lifter Pink · Zones 10–10
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April – April | June – July | — | September – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | June – June | — | September – October |
| Zone 5 | March – March | May – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 6 | March – March | May – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 7 | February – March | April – May | — | August – October |
| Zone 8 | February – February | April – May | — | July – September |
| Zone 9 | January – January | March – April | — | June – August |
| Zone 10 | January – January | February – March | — | June – August |
Complete Growing Guide
Light: Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Watermelon. Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. Water: Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Watermelon. Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.. Spread: 1 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: 3 feet-6 feet. Growth rate: Rapid. Maintenance: High. Propagation: Seed. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.
Harvesting
The fruits are smooth, shiny, glossy, and are classified as berries. The size, shape, and color will vary depending on the variety or cultivar. The color of the fruits may be red, yellow, orange, green, purple, or pink. The fruits may contain over 100 yellow to light brown seeds.
Color: Gold/Yellow, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple/Lavender, Red/Burgundy, Variegated. Type: Berry. Length: > 3 inches. Width: > 3 inches.
Garden value: Edible, Showy
Harvest time: Fall, Summer
Bloom time: Fall, Summer
Edibility: The fruits or berries of the tomato are edible. They may be eaten raw, cooked, dried, or processed. They are a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folic acid, and antioxidants. Lycopene is an antioxidant that gives the tomato its rich red color. Many plants will drop fruit when ripe or the fruit will come off easily. Tomatoes will continue to ripen once picked. Store them at room temperature.
Storage & Preservation
Store ripe Mortgage Lifter Pink tomatoes at room temperature for 3-5 days for best flavor. If harvested at pink stage, they'll continue ripening on the counter for up to a week. Refrigerate only fully ripe fruits, and only if you can't use them within 2 days — cold temperatures diminish their exceptional flavor.
For preservation, their meaty texture makes them excellent for freezing whole (remove skins after thawing) or as sauce. The low seed content and dense flesh create outstanding tomato paste and sauce with minimal cooking time. Can them using tested recipes for low-acid tomatoes, adding lemon juice or citric acid for safety. Dehydrating works well too — slice thick and dry until leathery for concentrated flavor. Due to their size, one tomato often provides enough fresh eating for multiple meals, making preservation less critical than with smaller varieties.
History & Origin
Mortgage Lifter Pink traces its origins to the 1940s when M.C. 'Radiator Charlie' Byles, a mechanic from Logan, West Virginia, developed this remarkable variety. Charlie had no formal plant breeding knowledge but possessed determination and an innovative spirit. He crossed four large tomato varieties — German Johnson, Beefsteak, Italian, and English varieties — creating what would become the original Mortgage Lifter.
The name comes from Charlie's entrepreneurial success selling seedlings for $1 each (equivalent to about $15 today) to gardeners amazed by the massive fruits. Within six years, he had earned enough to pay off his $6,000 mortgage on his house — hence the legendary name. The Pink variation maintains the same impressive genetics with the addition of the pink-fleshed gene that creates its distinctive color and slightly milder flavor profile.
This heirloom represents the American dream in tomato form, proving that innovation and persistence can literally pay off. Today's Mortgage Lifter Pink maintains the same genetics Charlie developed over 80 years ago, continuing to amaze new generations of gardeners with fruits that seem almost impossibly large.
Advantages
- +Attracts: Bees, Pollinators, Predatory Insects
- +Wildlife value: The plant is pollinated by bees, especially bumblebees.
- +Edible: The fruits or berries of the tomato are edible. They may be eaten raw, cooked, dried, or processed. They are a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folic acid, and antioxidants. Lycopene is an antioxidant that gives the tomato its rich red color. Many plants will drop fruit when ripe or the fruit will come off easily. Tomatoes will continue to ripen once picked. Store them at room temperature.
- +Fast-growing
Considerations
- -Toxic (Leaves, Stems): Medium severity
- -High maintenance
Companion Plants
Plant Together
Basil
Repels aphids and whiteflies, may improve flavor
Marigolds
Repel nematodes and other soil pests, reduce aphid populations
Carrots
Improve soil structure and don't compete for nutrients at same depth
Parsley
Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies and parasitic wasps
Peppers
Similar growing requirements and may help confuse pest insects
Oregano
Repels aphids and provides ground cover to retain soil moisture
Nasturtiums
Act as trap crops for aphids and cucumber beetles
Chives
Repel aphids and may help prevent fungal diseases
Keep Apart
Black Walnut Trees
Release juglone toxin that causes tomato wilt and stunted growth
Brassicas
Compete for nutrients and may stunt tomato growth
Fennel
Inhibits growth through allelopathic compounds
Corn
Both attract corn earworms and compete for similar nutrients
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #321360)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Limited disease resistance. Prone to cracking and blossom end rot due to large fruit size.
Common Pests
Tomato hornworm, cutworms, aphids, stink bugs
Diseases
Blossom end rot, cracking, late blight, early blight, fusarium wilt