Radiator Charlies Mortgage Lifter Tomato Plant

Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter Tomato plant is an heirloom tomato with fruit so large and delicious, they can pay off your mortgage! The story goes that M.C. Byles, also known as ‘Radiator Charlie’, developed the tomato in the 1930s. Radiator Charlie paid off his mortgage by selling these tomato plants, hence the name Mortgage Lifter. Now considered an heirloom variety, Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter Tomato is loved for its large, pink-red tomatoes that are meaty and flavorful on disease-resistant plants. Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter Tomato is an indeterminate heirloom with fruit weighing in at 2.5 pounds per tomato. 

Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter Tomato Plant Care

Plant this tomato outdoors after the last chance of frost when soil temperatures have reached 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter below the soil line; its roots will develop from any point of the stem under the soil line. This tomato performs best in loamy, acidic soil that drains well. Provide Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter Tomato Plant with adequate space and supportive cages or trellises to climb and lean on as they grow. Tomato plants love the sun, so choose a full sun location in your vegetable garden. 

Growing Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter Tomato Plant

Growing to a maximum height of 8 feet and spread of 3 feet, Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter Plant is a large heirloom variety that produces big beautiful fruit in 79 days. Grow the plant in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day. If grown inside, ensure that this heirloom gets at least 8 hours of bright direct light and that the surrounding humidity is high. 

Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter Tomato Plant is a large indeterminate heirloom tomato plant, making it a great thriller for any container. To grow this plant in a container, select a large pot of at least 18 inches in diameter. Containers tend to dry out more quickly than garden plants, so keep a close eye on the moisture content of this Mortgage Lifter Plant and water thoroughly when dry. Repot this tomato plant when rootbound.  

Watering Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter Tomato Plant

Tomato plants have high water needs. Water Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter Tomato Plant regularly unless weather conditions provide 1 to 2 inches of rainfall per week. 

Feeding Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter Tomato Plant 

Fertilize Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter Plant at the time of planting. After planting, apply a tomato fertilizer or a 5-10-10 fertilizer biweekly throughout the season depending on the nutrient content of the soil.

Radiator Charlies Mortgage Lifter Tomato Plant Information