You shouldn't be surprised at that one fruit, it's called catfacing and is quite common with almost all large fruited varieties when certain conditions exist, and it's not a disease.

I linked to a Google Search below, where you can look at some IMAGES of catfacin, look at the ones shown and then click on IMAGES where you'll find many more pictures and there are many links in that same Google search that will tell you what it's due to.

Which Mortgage Lifter are you growing, for there are several..

Hope that helps,

Carolyn

Here is a link that might be useful: catfacing

That's some of the worst catfacing I have ever seen! That poor thing looks like it's in pain and needs to be put out of its misery.

Dave

Done deal Dave.

I just got my pistol and shot and killed that fruit that was shown in both pictures.

My Monitor is now smoking so I have get off line ASAP and go fetch my mini extinguisher which is above my stove in the kitchen,

Hope to see you here again soon. (wink)

Carolyn

Haha! I guess I can thank the good old cold Wyoming weather for that miserable looking - in agony - fruit ! After looking up the causes from the link - sure enough - those fruit set in temps below 50 degrees for sure. Guess that rules out Mortgage Lifter for the great state of Wyoming - no changes in temperature patterns foreseen anytime soon here. There are sooooo many things that make one variety more suitable than another for any given geographical area!

Ahh everybody is allowed at least one mistake. So don't rule out the poor ML until you taste it (assuming the others are ok?).

You got to quit shooting things Carolyn! Next thing you know it will be the TV over some lineman's call. And then where will you be? :)

I'm buying you a Bowie knife for Christmas!

Dave

Lineman's call? Yes, several at the finals in England and Germany that I watched this AM, But don't worry about my shooting at the TV, the major one in the LV, since I have a wireless connection to one in the back room where I keep all my tomato seeds, pack my seeds, have my piano, and the two large clothes closets.

Send me a Bowie knife? What would I ever do with that? If your sentiments are true and sincere, then send me some dark bittersweet chocolate, since my birthday occurs during Wimbledon tennis which starts next Monday, and then for two weeks its pretty much bye bye message sites as it was for the Australian Open and the French Open and after Wimbledon, then the US Open. LOL

Carolyn, who still doesn't have her tomato plants set out, delivered yesterday, nor all the new perennials she ordered, but Freda does all the gardening for her since being in a walker is not conducive to the kind of gardening done here at home.( smile)

We have learned more about Mortgage Lifter - at least in our GH - in the last couple of weeks. It appears that the plant has 2-5 blossoms per truss - and the majority of the trusses have 3 blossoms. The plant is about 6' tall and the stems are not as stout as other varieties but may thicken with age? The fruit is setting well although the overall production is smaller compared to some - with only an average of 3 blossoms per truss. The taste may make up for it though? :)

{{gwi:290197}}

On the cat facing, mega blooms, I have also heard that it happens early in the season when the temps are cold.

I am also growing one ML for the first time, in memory of Radiator Charlie, an automotive radiator repair man who did not have a formal education. I admire the man and his genius method in developing it. Mine has lots of blooms and tiny fruits. I look forward to tasting the tomatoes.

This post was edited by seysonn on Sun, Jul 6, 14 at 3:51

The taste may make up for it though? :)

$$$$$

Hudson, the taste is in the mouth of the taster as compared with other large pink RL varieties you've grown, LOL

As I said above there are many different Mortgage Lifters if you look at Tania's listing for them, also listed in the various SSE Yearbooks for members only.

Most were just given the names of the person who grew them last and submitted them for listing and are about the same as many have been grown out in the same season by a few folks,

But one of them many of my tomato friends find superior, and that's the Estler strain:

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Mortgage_Lifter,_Estler%27s

Edie, who posts here at GW is a relative of the Estlers and a few years back was trying to find seeds for it since she lost it. Someone donated seeds toher, I would have except my seeds were very old at the time.

I got my original seeds for it from Chuck Wyatt, now deceased, see the history in the link.

And in the above link there are no seed sources for it but I was offering it in my recent 2014 seed offer elsewhere, seeds from one of my SSE member seed producers who continues to list it the 2014 SSE YEarbook, for members only.

You'll note in the above link that there are many more Mortgage Lifters..

So why do some of us prefer the Estler one? Because the fruits are smoother than the others, and yield is higher for most and also b'c the taste for most is much better.

There's been a tremendous amount of hype about Mortgage Lifters, which started when Jeff MCCormack, who used to own SESE interviewed Radiator Charlie and published that interview in the catalog. it's still there in the 2014 catalog and I'm sure at the website as well.

There are lots of other varieties that I consider have much better tastes, but as for Mortgage Lifters, Estlers would be my choice.

Carolyn

From Carolyn:
There are lots of other varieties that I consider have much better tastes, but as for Mortgage Lifters, Estlers would be my choice.

You've tried so many varieties...What would you say is your overall favorite for taste?

I understand that taste is subjective, but I also would like Carolyn's taste favorites. I'll never get to try that many myself. Your thoughts on this would be great to hear. Maybe Dave will toss in his flavor favorites as well.

How can one remember how 1000s of tomatoes tasted over many years in the past? Maybe I am just a low IQ.

Taste has parts that CAN be quantified, such as sweetness, acidity (and combintaions thereof). Then there are certain aroma, amount of juice (percentage of water). Texture ( how it feels when you chew on it) is another criterion. Then other things that influences our judgement are subjective and we may also be biased from time to time. If my friend developed a tomato, I would say it is grate tasting but if my enemy did it that is awful. And I am going to tell everybody about that.

Seysonn, there are many folks who will list their taste favorites, but I'm not one of them. Many will ask for a person's best tasting one, best 5,best 10, but I don't do that and never will, for many reasons.

The experiences I have growing tomatoes where I live are not going to be the same, many times, of the experiences of others.

Also taste is perceptual and personal and there's also a human genetic factor involved. Taste also depends on how a variety is grown, sprawled, caged, staked, etc., what amendments are used, which ones how much and when, and of course the weather in any given season.

Yes, I've grown and tasted about 4,000 plus varieteis and for sure I can remember the ones that have stood out from others over the years.

But every year is a new year and new ones to consider and every year there are new ones that displace others on a possible list.

You've been here long enough to know that in Dec of 2004 I fell and severed all 4 quads in my right leg and have been in a walker since then so the summer of 2004 was the last time I actually grew my normal severa lhundreds of plants and varieties.

But, knowing that I decided that my annual seed offer elsewhere would be varieties new to all or most, and since I could no longer save seeds myself, nor raise plants myself there appeared four wonderful persons, SSE friends, who did the seed saving for me after I sent them seeds , b'c that was my job, to find the seeds. Since I'd known them for many years and we traded seeds I knew that we had about the same taste preferences, In addition, I had plants here at home, Freda takes care of all of them for me and actually does all my gardening and cleaning for me as well, so I do get a chance to taste the new ones that interest me the most.

This year I had to ask for what I call SOS volunteers since there were too many neew varieties to be handled by my 4 folks. This year a local lad I've been mentoring raised my plantsfor me and Freda planted them.

The real plus for me is that I have tomato friends in many different countries and learn more about their countries and culture and cuisine than I ever could otherwise although I was lucky enough when I was younger to visitEngland, Europe several times as well as Scadinavia, Morocco, Greece and Israel. One of my stong interests is archaeology and I sub to 4 such magazines. I have a long list of countries I'd love to visit, but it isn't going to happen now

Last night I watched the first installment of the Musketeers on BBA America and it was filmed in the Czech Republic, although the real setting was 1630 Paris, France.

So today I'm going to e-mail Vladimir in the Czech Republic and tell him about that and ask a few questions.

My seed offer for 2015 will be the last one I'll do myself. I'll be 75 this Thursday, it's getting to be too much for me to do alone, I let folks know about that and chose a man in VT who is retiring from teaching and he will take over in 2016,

My job will be to find the new seeds and hopefully my seed producers will still stay, but there have been volunteers already for that. New seeds yes, and great dark bittersweet chocolate from several countries, great Parma cheeses from Roberta in Italy, French pastries when Joan comes back from France, etc. LOL

So now you know a bit more about me seysonn, and can perhaps think a bit more when you post about me, although to be honest, I'm old enough to not care what is posted about me. LOL

And soon I'll have that bowie knife that Dave is sending me if needs be. LOL

Carolyn, who has the two new hips she needed after she fell, but both legs are unstable so it's the walker forever. She was able to drive until last Fall, and now that's out but a trickle charger plug in keeps the battery up so that her car can be used for med appts. etc. And it's Freda's BIL who does the driving for me. Whoops, I just looked at the time. Wimbledon tennis starts today and my TV needs me. LOL

From Carolyn:
Yes, I've grown and tasted about 4,000 plus varieteis and for sure I can remember the ones that have stood out from others over the years.

Yes... please go on :) I'm sure everyone should understand the non-repeatabliity due to the complex interactions of many factors. So, all standard disclaimers, etc., please mention a few that have stood out from the others over the years.

This post was edited by mbrowne on Mon, Jun 23, 14 at 12:26

Happy Birthday, Carolyn.

I was just talking about the power of my memory power and sharpness. I have heard that dogs have amazing "smell/aroma" memory power. No wonder they hire dogs for certain searches.
I have both very weal smelling and tasting power but I have a pretty good memory collection. Altzheimer has not found me yet. hehe.

Back to Mortgage Lifter.
As I said before, this is my first season growing it. My plant has tiny fruits now and its is already about 5' tall. I may try Estler and Charie side by side , next season to pick my favorite. I admire both of the men.

Carolyn,
I looked up where we purchased our Mortgage Lifter seeds and we got them from Yung Seed and Nursery - I think I added them to an existing order because of shipping costs. Is there a way to know if the seed one purchases is of the Estler strain?

Ooopps - I was wrong - the Yung Seed & Nursery seeds I got came free with an order - but the ones I planted I bought from Tomato Growers Supply Company and they are Mortgage Lifter Bicolor Strain - a version of Mortgage Lifter. It appears that I have one that is almost ripe but not sure if this tomato is going to go partly red like the photo shown at the Tomato Growers website or if Yellow & Green means ripe? Has anyone planted this version and had experience with the fruit?

I looked up some pictures on Google. It looks quite nice.
I might try my hands on crossing my regular ML with a pineapple and see (next year) what it will be like. Just for fun.

I like bi color tomatoes. I will grow one next year. Maybe Old German. I get enough plain red tomatoes. So A bi color ML sounds like a good addition.

seysonn

Tania says that ML Bicolor and ML Pesta strain are about the same, and I grew the original one, the Pesta one.many years ago.It was the result of an accidental cross between ML and an unknown other parent, and first listed in the SSE Yearbooks many years ago by George Pesta. And pre-dates the one being offered by TGS by many years.

A typical gold/red bicolor of whch there are several hundred ones known.

Would not be among my first choices if I were to grow another bicolor again,which I probably won't be doing.

Carolyn

Here is a link that might be useful: ML Pesta

Posted by carolyn137 z4/5 NY (My Page) on
Mon, Jun 23, 14 at 10:34

Seysonn, there are many folks who will list their taste favorites, but I'm not one of them.
%%%%%%%%%

Yeah , but you also made the comment"

>>>From Carolyn:
There are lots of other varieties that I consider have much better tastes, but as for Mortgage Lifters, Estlers would be my choice. Warum ?!!

>>>From Carolyn:
There are lots of other varieties that I consider have much better tastes, but as for Mortgage Lifters, Estlers would be my choice. Warum ?!!

$$$$$

Warum? which means why, I do know a bit of Deutch.

I prefer Estler's b/c it isn't as misshapen as many of the other ML's I've grown, yield is very good, and I find the taste to be better than the other ML's I've grown,

Carolyn

Here is a link that might be useful: ML Estler's

true. The Bearclaw that I am growing this yr are very large, maybe set better than Estlers but are much more oblate rather than globe like EML. Both are wonderful cultivars that I highly recommend.

Carolyn...1st ...Happy Birthday! I'm a newbie here and have been a member for about a year now. I just want to thank you and Dave for your contributions here. It has been priceless to me. I just began growing tomatoes as a hobby. It is a lot of fun and very rewarding. Each year I will be growing new varieties using organic methods. I might add that I do save many of your responses to questions and your humor is priceless. In closing I'd be the 1st in line to purchase a book that you wrote on all of your gardening experiences. I realize it might not be your cup of tea but I just wanted to plant the seed..LOL You see this is the 1st year that I started growing my toms from seed and I just had to plant that thought and share it with you! ..Take care God Bless and thank you soooo much!

Joe,

Check out "100 Heirloom tomatoes for the American Garden" by Carolyn J. Male (our own Dr. Carolyn).

It's a fabulous book with excellent pictures and descriptions. As a tomato-lover, I think you would enjoy it!

Linda

I think it's safe to say that we all love everything Carolyn has to say! Belated Happy Birthday Caroline!

Now I understand what GW members mean when they say that the tomato has a "non acid - sweet taste!" I am not sure whether or not I like it? Maybe one acquires a taste for it? This Mortgage Lifter Bicolor Version certainly has a "sweet taste!" IMO

OH, once upon a time ,,, year 2014

I remember my RC Mortgage Lifter did not do well at all in PNW climate. I was very disappointed as I had high expectations.

Now that I am in deep south , I will grow it again along with few rivals.

I will abandon all my 2016 red/pink varieties ( Big beef, Big Boy, Better Boy , ...) and instead will grow RC ML, BW Sudduth, Delicious , ...few more

This is called a second chance !

sey