Mortgage Lifter

Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter

Single source · Reviewed Sep 9, 2026

Values marked like this (estimated) are model estimates, not confirmed from a source.

Heirloom beefsteak from USA. Enormous mild pink beefsteak with one of the best origin stories in gardening. Ready in about 85 days from transplant.

  • Heirloom
  • 85 (estimated) days to maturity (from transplant)
  • Indeterminate
  • Large fruit
  • Challenging (estimated)
Buy seeds from $2.69
Mortgage Lifter tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover

At a glance

Fruit type
Beefsteak 16–32 oz (450–900 g) · Flattened globe (estimated)
Leaf type
Regular leaf
Plant height
6–8 ft (180–240 cm) (estimated) Tall
Spacing
24 × 35 in (60 × 90 cm) (estimated)
Sunlight
Full sun
Position
Handles open positions
Growing sites
Greenhouse · Polytunnel · Open ground
Container growing
Not suited to pots
Skin
  • Pink
Interior
  • Pink

Plant size and habit

Tall · Indeterminate

6–8 ft (180–240 cm) (estimated) · Regular leaf

Mortgage Lifter is an indeterminate plant that keeps growing and setting fruit until frost; it needs a stake, cage, or trellis for the whole season. Expect a plant of 6–8 ft (180–240 cm).

Flavor

Sweetness 4/5 (estimated)
Acidity 2/5 (estimated)
Intensity 4/5 (estimated)
Flesh density 4/5 (estimated)

“Enormous mild pink beefsteak with one of the best origin stories in gardening.”

Growing calendar

85 (estimated) days from transplant Mid-late
J F M A M J J A S O N D
  • Sow indoors
  • Transplant out
  • Harvest

Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost date.

Disease resistance

No documented disease resistances — protect this variety with good airflow and crop rotation.

Uses & tags

  • Fresh & salads
  • Slicing
  • Juicing
  • Heirloom classic
  • Gift worthy
  • High yield

Origin

Marshall Cletis Byles, "Radiator Charlie", ran a radiator repair shop in Logan, West Virginia. In the 1930s he planted a beefsteak, an Italian and an English variety in a circle around German Johnson, hand-pollinated the centre plant, and saved seed from the best fruit each season until the line was stable. Through the Depression years he sold seedlings for a dollar each, people driving up to two hundred miles for them, and the sales paid off his house. The fruit is enormous, one to three pounds, mild and low in acid. Several other strains carry the name, among them the Estler family's from Cabell County, so seed packets are not all the same tomato.

USA

Sources

Where to buy seeds

  • Botanical InterestsSeeds

    Packet size not listed

    Check availability

    $2.69Checked Sep 16, 2026
    Buy
  • Tomato Growers Supply CompanySeeds

    Pack (30 seeds)

    Check availability

    $3.35Checked Sep 16, 2026
    Buy
  • True Leaf MarketSeeds

    250 Mg Packet

    Check availability

    $3.39Checked Sep 16, 2026
    Buy
  • Eden BrothersSeeds

    Packet

    Check availability

    $5.49Checked Sep 16, 2026
    Buy

Links may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices checked Sep 16, 2026; not live.

All photos

  • Mortgage Lifter tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover
    Mortgage Lifter tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover
  • A truss of Mortgage Lifter tomatoes
    A truss of Mortgage Lifter tomatoes
  • Mortgage Lifter tomato plant in a garden bed with ripe fruit on the vine
    Mortgage Lifter tomato plant in a garden bed with ripe fruit on the vine
  • A ripe Mortgage Lifter tomato held in a gardener's hand
    A ripe Mortgage Lifter tomato held in a gardener's hand
  • Freshly picked Mortgage Lifter tomatoes
    Freshly picked Mortgage Lifter tomatoes
  • Mortgage Lifter tomato sliced in the kitchen
    Mortgage Lifter tomato sliced in the kitchen

Questions

How long does Mortgage Lifter take to mature?

Mortgage Lifter is ready in about 85 days from transplant.

Does Mortgage Lifter need staking?

Mortgage Lifter is an indeterminate plant that keeps growing and setting fruit until frost; it needs a stake, cage, or trellis for the whole season. Expect a plant of 6–8 ft (180–240 cm).

Can Mortgage Lifter be grown in a container?

Mortgage Lifter is better suited to open ground or a greenhouse bed than a container.

Is Mortgage Lifter resistant to disease?

No disease resistance is documented for Mortgage Lifter.

See also

Other beefsteak varieties people put next to this one.

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Better Boy tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Better Boy High-yielding red hybrid beefsteak with broad disease resistance. BeefsteakMidseasonIndeterminate
Black Krim tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Black Krim Dark Crimean heirloom with a savoury, almost saline depth behind the sweetness. BeefsteakMid-lateIndeterminate
Brandywine tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Brandywine The heirloom benchmark: huge pink potato-leaf beefsteak with dense, sweet flesh. BeefsteakMid-lateIndeterminate
Cherokee Purple tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover Cherokee Purple Dusky purple-red heirloom beefsteak, prized for its rich, smoky-sweet flavor. BeefsteakMid-lateIndeterminate

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Indeterminate, mid-late, full sun. Same support, same calendar.

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