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
Full sun
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 |
| Zone 1 | May – May | July – August | — | October – August |
| Zone 2 | April – May | June – July | — | October – September |
| Zone 11 | January – January | January – February | — | May – July |
| Zone 12 | January – January | January – February | — | May – July |
| Zone 13 | January – January | January – February | — | May – July |
Complete Growing Guide
This giant heirloom demands a longer growing season than standard tomatoes, requiring at least 85–95 days of warm weather, so start seeds 8–10 weeks before your last frost date to ensure mature fruit development before season's end. Plant in full sun with rich, deeply amended soil high in organic matter to support the massive fruits and prevent nutrient deficiencies that commonly plague heavy producers. Mortgage Lifter Pink is particularly susceptible to blossom-end rot and cracking due to its enormous fruit size and thin skin, making consistent, deep watering critical—aim for 2 inches weekly with mulching to regulate moisture. The plant's vigorous indeterminate growth requires sturdy, tall support structures (stakes or cages at least 6–8 feet high) and aggressive pruning to maintain airflow and prevent fungal diseases like early blight. One essential practice: prune suckers aggressively and limit fruit sets to 4–6 per truss, which concentrates energy into fewer, larger fruits rather than spreading resources thin across excessive production.
Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day). Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. 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
Mortgage Lifter Pink reaches peak harvest readiness when the entire fruit develops a deep pink to rose hue throughout, rather than retaining green shoulders, and when it yields slightly to gentle pressure while still feeling substantial and dense. These massive beefsteaks typically weigh 1-2 pounds or more at maturity, signaling their full development. For continuous harvests, pick fruits as they reach this soft-ripe stage rather than waiting for all tomatoes to mature simultaneously, which encourages the plant to produce additional flowers and extends your growing season. A crucial timing tip: harvest in early morning when fruits are coolest and firmest, as the heat of day softens them and increases cracking risk on these already delicate giants.
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
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
Harvest Mortgage Lifter Pink tomatoes when fully colored but still slightly firm to minimize bruising on these large fruits. Store at room temperature away from direct sunlight—refrigeration dulls their exceptional flavor and meaty texture. Ripe tomatoes keep for 3–5 days on the counter; use within two days for peak taste. Because of their substantial size and low acidity, these tomatoes excel at freezing whole or in chunks for winter sauces and soups; simply thaw and the skins slip off easily. Canning works well using tested hot-pack methods with added acid for safety. For those with surplus, slow-drying produces concentrated, sweet tomato chips that rival store-bought versions. Given the prodigious yields and generous fruit size, consider sharing fresh—these tomatoes are natural crowd-pleasers before preservation becomes necessary.
History & Origin
The origins of Mortgage Lifter Pink trace back to M.C. Banna of Logan, West Virginia, who developed the original Mortgage Lifter variety in the 1930s through careful cross-breeding work. The legend holds that Banna sold seedlings of this giant beefsteak to pay off his home's mortgage, though precise documentation of his breeding methods remains scarce. The pink sport emerged later as gardeners selected and preserved plants bearing pink fruit rather than the traditional red coloration. This heirloom has since become a staple in American home gardens, perpetuated through seed-saving communities and heirloom seed companies, though detailed records of when the pink variant was formally documented are limited.
Origin: Peru
Advantages
- +Enormous 2+ pound fruits provide exceptional yield per plant
- +Sweet, mild flavor with meaty texture ideal for slicing
- +Legendary heirloom status with proven track record for decades
- +Massive size makes impressive garden centerpiece and conversation starter
Considerations
- -Moderate to difficult cultivation requires experienced gardener attention
- -Highly susceptible to blossom end rot in inconsistent watering
- -Prone to fruit cracking when exposed to heavy rain
- -Extended 85-95 day season demands long growing regions
Companion Plants
Basil is the obvious neighbor, and plant it 12–18 inches from the base rather than right at the crown — that spacing lets you harvest leaves without disturbing the tomato roots. Its volatile oils (linalool, eugenol) may confuse aphids and thrips, though the research on that is genuinely inconclusive. Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) do more provable work: their root secretions suppress root-knot nematodes in the soil, and around here in the Georgia Piedmont, nematode pressure on heirloom tomatoes with no built-in resistance can quietly tank a crop before you notice. Carrots and parsley fill the lower canopy without competing for the same root depth as a sprawling indeterminate vine.
Fennel releases allelopathic compounds from its roots that stunt tomatoes — keep it at least 10 feet away or out of the bed entirely. Black walnut trees are a hard stop: juglone toxicity will kill tomatoes planted within the drip line, and that zone extends well beyond where you'd think to look. Brassicas are less chemically aggressive, but they share soilborne pathogen pressure with tomatoes, so stacking them in the same bed just concentrates your disease risk heading into next season.
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
Troubleshooting Mortgage Lifter Pink
What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.
Blossom end rot — dark, sunken, leathery patch on the bottom of fruit, usually showing up on the first flush
Likely Causes
- Calcium deficiency in developing fruit caused by moisture fluctuations (inconsistent watering), not always a lack of calcium in the soil
- Overly fast vine growth from excess nitrogen early in the season, which outpaces calcium uptake
What to Do
- 1.Water on a consistent schedule — deep and even, not feast-or-famine; drip irrigation at the root zone helps a lot
- 2.Mulch 3–4 inches deep with straw to buffer soil moisture swings
- 3.Cut back on high-nitrogen fertilizers once plants are flowering; side-dress with a balanced 10-10-10 or compost instead
Fruit cracking — radial splits from the stem end or concentric rings around the shoulder, appearing after a heavy rain or deep watering following a dry spell
Likely Causes
- Rapid water uptake after drought stress causes the flesh to expand faster than the skin can stretch
- Leaving ripe or near-ripe fruit on the vine too long in hot weather compounds the problem
What to Do
- 1.Keep soil moisture steady with consistent irrigation — Mortgage Lifter's large fruit size (some specimens top 2 lbs) makes it especially prone to this
- 2.Harvest fruit as soon as it reaches full color; don't wait for it to soften on the vine
- 3.Mulch heavily to slow the swings between wet and dry at the root zone
Plants wilting suddenly during the day — leaves droop even when soil is moist, and the plant doesn't recover overnight
Likely Causes
- Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici) — a soilborne fungus; cut the main stem near the base and look for brown vascular discoloration
- Southern bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) — cut the stem and submerge it in a cup of water to look for milky bacterial streaming
- Heirloom varieties like Mortgage Lifter carry no built-in resistance to soilborne diseases, as NC State Extension notes — making them more vulnerable than most modern hybrids
What to Do
- 1.Dig up and destroy affected plants, roots included — don't compost them
- 2.Rotate tomatoes out of that bed for at least 3 years; both Fusarium and Ralstonia persist in soil long after the season ends
- 3.If your site has a history of wilt problems, grow in containers with fresh potting mix and make sure container soil never contacts native garden soil
Frequently Asked Questions
How big do Mortgage Lifter Pink tomatoes actually get?▼
Can you grow Mortgage Lifter Pink in containers?▼
How long does Mortgage Lifter Pink take to grow from seed?▼
What's the difference between Mortgage Lifter Pink and regular Mortgage Lifter?▼
Is Mortgage Lifter Pink good for beginners?▼
Why do my Mortgage Lifter Pink tomatoes keep cracking?▼
Growing Guides from Wind River Greens
Where to Buy Seeds
Sources & References
External authority sources used in compiling this guide.
See the Methodology page for how this data is sourced, what's AI-assisted, and known limitations.