Tomato 'Mortgage Lifter'

'Mortgage Lifter' tomato is a moderate to high producer of large, reddish-pink beefsteaks that average one pound. The flesh is solid and meaty with few seeds. The flavor is mild and balanced. It performs best in the South.

This American heirloom is famous for its story: In the 1940s, a man in West Virginia named Charlie Byles, nicknamed Radiator Charlie, developed the 'Mortgage Lifter' tomato by crossing four other large-fruited tomatoes. He sold the resulting plants for $1 each and paid off his $6,000 mortgage in six years. (We can't make any promises that this plan will work for you.)

Sowing Tomato Seeds

Start tomato seeds indoors 8 weeks before the last frost date. Sow 1/8" deep. Transplant outside 1-2 weeks after the last frost date. Full sun. Spacing 30-36".