Dorothy, Marcy lives in Grove and Mortgage Lifter has been her best producer this year, I think. She posted a good picture of it in this thread, and it's about half way down the thread.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mortgage Lifter from Marcy

Dorothy,

Your description of your MLs sounds like they are producing the expected fruit. Mine generally look just like Marcy's. ML is one of the best late-season tomatoes I've ever grown here, and Bradley Pink does almost as well in the late-season. I think a person here could have a perfectly wonderful late season with only three varieties: Mortgage Lifter, Bradley Pink and Arkansas Traveler.

Want to drool? Check out all the ML photos on the linked Google photo page.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Images of Mortgage Lifter tomatoes

Dawn I'm surprised to see it has done so well for you. I've tried it at least twice and no fruit to taste yet. I grew Radiator Charlies Mortgage Lifter from a commercial source and then the Estler ML from a granddaughter of his. Neither produced here. May have to try them again after reading your experience. And again it might be the difference in our climates humidity wise. I assume you have grown both of these strains. What is your opinion. Many say there is a difference. And a few say they can't tell any. I also have a selection that a grower sent me to try. I haven't grown it yet. May try to grow all 3 to see how they compare.

I'm doing a comparison grow out this year between a Cherokee Purple plant I bought from a local nursery and one I grew from my saved seeds from Craig. Haven't tasted either yet. Should within 7-10 days. By looks of fruit and plants there is some differences.

Back to your post. I have seeds for Bradley Pink that I planned on growing this year. Have you grown the Traveler 76? Many like it also. The Arkansas Traveler's I've tried in the past have never set well here. All were plants bought. This year from my transplants it is setting better although a little later and not as heavy yet as my Gick's 18 and Amish canner. Will see how they compare in the end. Next year I plan on growing Bradley Pink and either Traveler or Traveler 76.

After reading all these good reviews for ML sure I will be trying at least one strain next year. You enablers make it impossible for an addict to stay on the wagon. Jay

Jay,

For some reason I do not understand, Mortgage Lifter loves me, and I love it in return. Most years Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter only sets a late crop, but every now and then it sets a good early one, then we have a nonproductive early summer spell, and then it sets fruit late. For me, planting it extra early--like in March with some frost protection--gives me ripe MLs in June.

I have grown Estler's Mortgage Lifter with seeds purchased from Chuck Wyatt's old website and it was marvelous. For me, it was earlier than Radiator Charlie's and also more productive early on, and probably the same production as Radiator Charlie's late. I don't believe they are the same tomato. Their fruit can look similar, but (again, for me, and maybe not necessarily true for everyone) Estler's grows more vigorously in early spring, sets first and sets more. Its early fruit is also a tiny bit larger than RC's, but the late fruit is about the same. I specifically planted them side-by-side to see if I could see a real difference in them, and I could.

I hope you'll keep us posted on Craig's CP and tell us if you see/taste a difference. (You know if you rave about it, we'll all be begging you for seeds.) I have heard others say that Craig's is superior to the CP now available from many commercial sources.

I haven't grown Traveler 76 but have heard it is better than Arkansas Traveler. Arkansas Traveler always vexes me because it sits there and grows and grows and grows and looks great but absolutely will not set fruit until very late in the season, and it doesn't matter how big or how healthy it is, it still takes its own sweet time to set fruit. Once it starts, though, it sets like mad here. Another great pink-fruited tomato from the Ozarks area is Missouri Pink Love Apple. I grew it in a year when I had great production on a lot of pinks (along with black tomatoes, pinks are faves of mine) and probably didn't appreciate it as much as I should have. I need to get it back into the growing rotation.

The problem with a tomato addiction is.....what? There is no problem! Well, except for that whole thing about growing and eating too many, and planting 3 times as many plants as you have space for, and wishing you could grow 6 times as many plants as you have space for....and, really, can anyone ever have too many tomatoes? I think that is impossible.

Planting way too many tomato plants has been my salvation this year. If I didn't have 4 times as many plants as I 'need', I probably wouldn't be getting enough fruit this year because production really stalled after the heat arrived. I keep wondering now if these plants can hang on through the heat and produce in fall. They are really heat-stressed, as am I.

Dawn

Dawn I've grown CP from Craig's seeds before and have compared it too seeds I bought from an online vendor. A lot of difference. I'm not sure of the source for the nursery where I bought this plant. There is some difference in plant growth habit. Not a lot. Both are setting well. The bought plant was bigger when transplanted and set out 2 weeks earlier. But both had first set around the same time. After I taste them both will make my final judgment. But feel from what I have seen there will be some difference. I started a few of the last seeds I had from Craig and didn't plant those plants due to the spraying accident. Now wish I had. Most of those plants I planted are doing well. I may have a few more seeds left to try next year. But hopefully will get some saved from mine this year. Jay

That's what mine look like alright. They are a great tasting tomato.

Right now though almost all my tomatos have blight. The Arkansas Travelers are especially hard hit. But the Thessalonikis seem to be almost immune, and they are a very tasty tomato and quite productive.

Tess's Land Race are loaded again after losing the first flush to splitting after the rain the week of July 4.

The Tuxhorn Yellow and Red (from George) ripened while we were on vacation and the first to get ripe rotted. (I forgot to tell daughter that I had yellow tomatos and those and an oxheart type that I don't know the name of--came in the swap but I lost the name. Does anyone know?-- rotted because she was waiting for them to turn red.)

We absolutely love our Black Cherries although of the three I planted one is red and doesn't quite have the same flavor as the others, although still very good. I gave one plant to one daughter and two to a granddaughter and they both have better looking plants in containers than I have in the ground, which they delight in pointing out to me. Not one of these tomatos has made it to the house yet.
The other black (purple) I planted is Vorlon, from Baker's, and that is one delish tomato, although it did crack a bit after the rain too.

I also got Suddeth's Brandywine and Pink Brandymaster in the swap. Are these two OP? I planted them off by themselves so should be able to save seed. Both are doing well for me.

One I got in the swap that didn't impress me is Sprite. Lovely little pear shaped things but they are rather bland and split badly, but that may have been weather related.

Big Bite hybrid also came in the swap and that is a good tomato. Big, orange-red, tasty and split resistant.

There are a few more out there that haven't done well yet, so will wait to comment on them.

Dorothy, the Suddeth's Brandywine probably came from me and is OP. Sprite is advertised as having thin skins but the year I grew it, the skins were extremely tough. I didn't grow it again.

I have never known anyone else who grows Big Bite Hybrid, but I like it, so those seeds probably came from me also. I think I started some Big Bite this year, but I don't think they made the final cut and got to the garden.

I think Dawn provided all of the seeds of Pink Brandymaster that were included in the swap. I'm sure she will jump in, but I believe it is a hybrid. It has a good taste, but I am not getting many tomatoes from it. I have had terrible heat and humidity this year and that seemed to be hard on all of the potato leaf plants.

Dorothy, Yes, Pink Brandymaster is a hybrid as Carol stated. It is brand-new on the market this year and it hasn't produced heavily for me, but then the weather has been so hard on tomatoes. I'm hoping it will redeem itself by producing well this fall. Of course, I'd hate to judge any variety based on this year alone because it has been such a bad tomato year.

Carol, PL foliage seems to me to have foliage that is more disease-resistant in general and also they seem like they tend to shut down in the heat, but many of my favorite varieties are PL. This year, though, the heat has been extra hard on them....or, maybe, it is the combination of the heat and humidity.

Jay, I think that the best Cherokee Purple tomatoes I have grown were from seed from Victory Seed and they seemed slightly different from plants/fruit from seed from TGSC. But, I didn't have the two side-by-side in my garden the same year, so I don't know if I'd see a difference from the two seed sources in the same year.

Dawn

You guys are all so wicked....all of you enablers!

My CP are from the "Red Dirt" grower that were carried by Atwoods...and I'd grow them again in a heart beat! My Pink Brandymasters have been slow to produce but the ones we are just now getting are HUGE! And very tasty although not as good as the CP. I'm making note to put the ML on my list of "need to grow" next year....sheesh! Jay - could you put me on your list to share some seed? I know you've mentioned several I'd like to try. My Tuxhorns have been a beautiful plant...but I'm pulling them soon. Not one stinkin' bloom which mean no tomatoes either. What's up with that? I'm really sad about that.

As always...you all are a great wealth of info!

Paula,
You are welcome to any seed I have or save. If there is something I'm growing you want to try. Just let me know. If I don't have plenty of seeds I will save them provided I get fruit that has good full sized seed in it. Or I can treat you like Dawn and Carol and just surprise you. I have several new to me that I'm anxious to pick and taste. I picked my first Big Cheef today. It is blushing well. There was one blossom stem with two separate tomatoes side by side. I picked one and will pick the other tomorrow or Monday. I'm sure you've seen my posts about it. If it has a flavor I like this will be a must grow for me. The plant has set around 30 fruits so far. The one today was 6 ounces and the one next to it may go 7 oz. I think the single fruits will be a little bigger. I'm going to add a comment about it and Bear Creek. I'm growing both this year. The comment is by Bill Jeffers my source for the Big Cheef seeds. Jay

I would like to reinforce my recommendation that you join Seed Savers Exchange for the purpose of obtaining and preserving Indian Stripe, Spudakee and many other hundreds of wonderful heritage tomatoes by informing my fellow members of "the Nation" that a new worthy, mahogany colored tomato similar to Indian Stripe, Spudakee and Cowlick's Brandywine will be offered in the 2010 Yearbook ... drum roll ... Big Cheef, a result of a natural cross of Brandywine Sudduth with an unknown but obviously "black" tomato now stabilized with potato leaf foliage and a deep pink/mahogany hue and delicious, meaty, juicy interior. Oh what a lovely tomato. Susan A. and I will offer Big Cheef from the same sourced seeds with hers being grown out for a couple years in the Texas heat and mine in Southwest Indiana humidity. (having trouble posting a picture of Big Cheef. sorry. will try again later.)

6) Another tomato that should join the ranks of "the Nation" is Bear Creek, a stabilized cross of Brandywine x Cherokee Purple from Keith Mueller, KCMO, and commercially grown by Robbins for Gourmet Seeds Intl. This tomato is near bulletproof in the tortuous conditions of Southwest Indiana with its only shortcoming being it doesn't like wet feet. Otherwise, it was one of the three longest lasting vines still flowering and setting fruit at the end of a horrible growing season in 2009. Delicious too!

Paula, I wouldn't pull the Tuxhorns if they are healthy because they are very late season producers and likely will produce well in the fall.

Jay, Big Cheef sounds wonderful. We'll be looking forward to hearing your assesment of their flavor.

Dawn

Jay, please put me on the list of people who would like to be recipients of seed from you. I can't believe that for years I just bought whatever tomato plants I could find--always Early Girl and Better Boy which I still buy a couple of each--and whatever hybrid I found. I was missing out on such incredible flavor. So Dawn, Carol, Jay and George, you have opened a new world to me. Thanks to all of you for your knowledge and seeds.

Well, there was a reason that I didn't start my own tomato seed. With only one plant starting bench, all the room was taken up with sugar snap peas and broccoli, which I raise a LOT of, but this year I juggled better, moved those things off the warm bench onto a cool lighted one instead of turning the cable off and started tomatoes too. And if we can get the greenhouse up by next winter, just watch out.

The yellow oxhearts that split and rotted while we were on vacation are actually orange now that some have the chance to fully ripen. Does anyone know what these are? I looked in Baker's catalog but didn't see or read of anything that looked like them.

Paula, I second Dawn's recommendation to leave the Tuxhorn's. They are late. I started and transplanted mine along with all the others and they were a month later than many of the others. They are worth the wait.

A note about my Pink Brandymaster. I planted two of these plants in what was an oak leaf bin next to the compost pile. One of them put its roots into that finished compost and got HUGE, put on a lot of big luscious fruit. One branch laid on the ground and something--a rabbit or perhaps the garden's resident tortois--got the two first tomatoes on that branch before they got quite as ripe as I like them.

Mulberry,

I'll write your name down but it is possible I will lose it between now and then. If there is anything for certain you desire please let me know. Like I told Paula if I don't have enough seeds I will save more if I need too as long as the worms don't get all of my fruit. And if you want me to choose seeds please list a type, color, ect you prefer. Yes there are many different flavors in the heirloom/ops. And I like a wide range of them. Some prefer just those that are sweet or just the tart ones. I like many. I'm going to miss my bicolors this year. Have one Texas Star that might have the correct fruit. My Texas Star cherry cross has that flavor. I also grow and like some hybrids. Already missing Brandyboy. Which was in the spraying episode and I thought I had better plants so culled it. Wish I had planted it. Have 2 that are new to me that are showing promise and maybe back next year. But for a wide range of flavor the heirloom/ops have that. And many are as disease resistant and will produce as much. You just have to find them. So far Big Cheef is my leader in the bigger types. And my Glick's 18 Mennonite has produced as well or better than anything the last 2 years and setting well again. Another newcomer Atkinson looks promising. I haven't tasted it yet. Do know it won a taste test at a festival last year. Which to me doesn't mean a lot till I've tasted it unless I know who was tasting it.

Anyone else that desires seeds please feel free to step forward. It may be Oct, Nov or even Dec before I get them sent. Hope to do it before the first of the year. As I tend to get very busy the first part of the new year. The only thing I ask is please don't send me any tomato seeds in return. Really I have enough unless it is an old family favorite, one of Tomato Man's, or just produces great and taste that can't be beat!!!! LOL. I know I've got seed that is probably getting too old to germinate well. So need to cut back. I hope in the future to set up a freezer to start saving the seeds in. I received seeds recently for 4 varieties. I had sent seeds earlier to this person. Three of them I already have. Seeds of other veggies many times I don't have. Or flowers that would work well in the veggie garden. Or just a cookie( Just don't tell my doctor). No really I don't need or expect anything in return. But do appreciate and thankful for all acts of kindness and the thoughts behind them. If you let me know how they germinate, grow, produce and taste in your garden that is more than enough. I like to know these things so I know if I need to improve my methods and when what to recommend to a grower in another area. Like I stated before just let me know what you would prefer. You can send an email if you desire. I can save it and that way I don't forget. Just state somewhere on this forum you sent an email so if it don't arrive I can notify you. Hope everyone has a great gardening week. I'm heading out to look at the garden. We received 8 tenths last night and a couple of light showers during the night with a chance at more today. So the foliage is probably too wet to even go worm hunting. LOL. Jay

I am not much of a sweets eater. Prefer the taste of wildflower honey to sugar and dark chocolate to milk, so like a tomato with a more complex flavor, not just sweet. I would like to try anything you have and can spare seeds of and only a few seeds will do, especially if OP so I can save my own later.

I love love love the blacks I've eaten so far, (2--Black Cherry and Vorlon) if that gives you an idea. Also like the Mortgage Lifter and the Pink Brandymaster.

Got to get back out to mow now, but will send you an email with my mailing address later.

Jay, maybe we can have a seed swap this winter and you can just send them to one location like last year. A lot of people got to try seed that were new to them thanks to your generousity. You and George are just givers and it's hard to find something to give in return, but we all appreciate both of you.

Dawn and I both have a 'seed store' as well, but we like to receive as well as give, so we can try new things, but I can assure you that Dawn gave much more than she received. If you had been in my position last year during the seed swap, you would have a real appreciation for the generous Oklahoma gardeners.

A seed swap this fall would be so much fun with this group. I started lurking around the OK forum a few months before the swap you guys did last year but since I was just starting out, I didn't have seed inventory to participate. If a swap is offered this year, I'm definitely in. I've been a seed saving fool this summer!

Jay, I would also love to be on your "enablee's" recipient list for tomato seeds when they become available (after p-mac, mulberryknob and soonergrandmom, of course). You make all the varieties sound delicious so it would be very hard to choose.

Carol, I'll email you to get your address so I can send you the seeds I offered. I need to do it while it's on my mind and my saved seeds should be dry by now. I've saved them via Jay's Oxiclean/bleach method. :-)

Jay the Indian Stripe seed you sent me turned out very tasty tomatoes. Thank you for that seed and I do appreciate your sending it to me. I have had good luck with Mortgage Lifter but I have no idea what strain I have. The seed was given to me by someone from GW it might have been Dawn last year. I regret not planting more Glacier this year that I got from Dawn last year. I lost the seeds in my house, but I had good luck with them for an early tomato last year. This year I listened to the tomato forum recommendations which listed Glacier way down on the popular list. I planted Matina, Bloody Butcher and Kimberly and they weren't as good as Glacier for a small early tomato. This time of year I'd rather have a ML or big heart tomato. The little early ones are nice when you have nothing else. I haven't bagged tomatoes but if you like the ML you have why not tape some nylon tulle around some flower buds and put a marker on that branch?

THERE IS NOTHING CALLED A FREE LUNCH IS THIS WORLD. IF ANYTHING NEEDED TO BE RESOLVED THEN INITIATED NEED A SUPPORT TO BE SORTED OUT.

Here is a link that might be useful: Best Mortgage