PROBLEM WITH MORTGAGE LIFTER TOMATO PLANT

[TOSWALD]

I HAVE BEEN GARDENING FOR 9 YEARS NOW AND HAVE HAD GREAT SUCCESS EVERY YEAR WITH MY TOMATOES (MOSTLY BETTER BOY).

THIS YEAR I PLANTED 2 MORTGAGE LIFTER TOMATO PLANTS AT THE SAME TIME (HARDENED BEFORE PLANTING).

PLANTED IN A MUSHROOM COMPOST, WATERED REGULARLY. FERTILIZED (STARTED APPLYING ONE HANDFUL OF MIL-ORGANITE (ONCE A WEEK) WHEN FLOWERS APPEARED AND APPLIED ONE HANDFUL OF POWDERED LIME (WILL DO ONCE A MONTH). ALSO SPRAYED BLOOMS ONCE WITH A MIXTURE OF 1 TBSP EPSON SALT/GAL WATER TO HELP SET FRUIT.

ONE PLANT IS DOING GREAT, THE OTHER IS INFECTED WITH UNIDENTIFIED DISEASE. IT IS INFECTING THE LEAVES AND THE NEW SHOOTS AND SOME OF THE STEMS. I HAVE BEEN REMOVING THE INFECTED LEAVES, ETC BUT IT CONTINUES. DISEASED PLANT IS NOW ABSENT OF ANY FLOWERS AND NO FRUIT DEVELOPED.

I HAVE USED THIS SAME ROUTINE ON ALL MY OTHER TOMATO PLANTS AND THEY ARE DOING GREAT.

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT IT IS AND HOW TO TREAT IT?
THE DISEASED PLANT IS NEARBY SOME HEALTHY ENGLISH CUCUMBER PLANTS.

1ST PICTURE IS OF MY ONE HEALTHY PLANT, 2ND PIC IS DISEASED PLANT (HAVE BEEN CUTTING DISEASED PARTS OFF) AND LAST TWO PICS ARE OF THE DISEASED LEAVES

HAMPTON, VIRGINIA

I also grew Mortgage Lifter for the first time this year. For me, it has been the most productive tomato plant in my garden.

The disease looks like Septoria to me. I had it on all of my tomato plants this year. It didn't hurt because it hit after the plants had bloomed heavily and set fruit. I did have a couple of small plants which I planted late and were killed by the Septoria. For me, it was caused when I had an extended period of cool, moist weather which was perfect for fungal infections to go wild.

Common wisdom is remove diseased branches and leaves. Spray the plant with an anti fungal like Daconil. Some use a bleach solution at 8 oz of bleach in one gallon of water. I tried both, but the cool moist weather continued and the fungal infection didn't stop until hot dry weather arrived. All of my plants have put out new growth that isn't infected and should be okay until they start producing again in the fall.

I pruned all of my plants way back to the point where new growth is emerging. I can't complain because even with the Septoria, I've had one of the most productive years ever. I've given and continue to give tomatoes to everyone I know. I've cooked every tomato dish I can find that sounds interesting and I've frozen so much tomato, I can't find any more freezer space.

I also grew Better Boy for many years and it also got Septoria almost every year. For me Septoria is something I just expect when the conditions are right. I plant my garden early hoping the plants set fruit before conditions are right for fungal infections. I guess over the years, I've learned to work around it.

Ted

[TOSWALD]

Originally Posted by tedln

I also grew Mortgage Lifter for the first time this year. For me, it has been the most productive tomato plant in my garden.

The disease looks like Septoria to me. I had it on all of my tomato plants this year. It didn't hurt because it hit after the plants had bloomed heavily and set fruit. I did have a couple of small plants which I planted late and were killed by the Septoria. For me, it was caused when I had an extended period of cool, moist weather which was perfect for fungal infections to go wild.

Common wisdom is remove diseased branches and leaves. Spray the plant with an anti fungal like Daconil. Some use a bleach solution at 8 oz of bleach in one gallon of water. I tried both, but the cool moist weather continued and the fungal infection didn't stop until hot dry weather arrived. All of my plants have put out new growth that isn't infected and should be okay until they start producing again in the fall.

I pruned all of my plants way back to the point where new growth is emerging. I can't complain because even with the Septoria, I've had one of the most productive years ever. I've given and continue to give tomatoes to everyone I know. I've cooked every tomato dish I can find that sounds interesting and I've frozen so much tomato, I can't find any more freezer space.

I also grew Better Boy for many years and it also got Septoria almost every year.

Ted

OK THANKS TED . I WILL TRY YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.

[ljp]

Toswald,

Typing in CAPITALS is considered shouting and impolite. Good luck with your tomatoes.

[TomatoDon]

MOtgage Lifter is one of the hit or miss varieties with me. When it's good, it's very good. But half the years it seems to just fizzle for one reason or another. Several varieties are like this for me.

Sometimes it just happens.

Originally Posted by TomatoDon

MOtgage Lifter is one of the hit or miss varieties with me. When it's good, it's very good. But half the years it seems to just fizzle for one reason or another. Several varieties are like this for me.

Sometimes it just happens.

I was surprised at which plants did well this year and which performed poorly. While my Mortgage lifters were tomato producing machines, my Brandywine Pink and Hill Billy tomatoes were doing the same thing. I had expected the Brandywines to be low producers, but they have kept pumping out beautiful tomatoes in the 100+ degree weather. It doesn't have many green leaves left on it, but the green fruit on the vine still ripens fine.

Next year, the Box Car Willies (one tomato), Mr. Stripeys (four tomatoes), and KBX (zero tomatoes) will probably be the stars of my garden.

Ted

[tam91]

I grew Mortgage Lifter once. It made tons of huge tomatoes - all of which I gave away. I thought it had no taste at all. My friend who doesn't like tomatoes liked them - especially since they were meaty, and to her, didn't have the strong tomato taste.

I suppose I should try them again some day, but not with my currently limited space.

[BigBrownDogHouse]

Mortgage Lifter is one of those tomatoes I have to try again. Have to at least grow something twice, right?
I had heard all the hype and was excited to grow it.

I grew it last year and the plant seemed to be so infested with bugs from mid-season on. All surrounding plants were fine. It produced okay but battling the bugs wasn't easy. Maybe I just should have pulled it.

My wife, who is the raw tomato eater, didn't really have much to say about the fruit we got off it and that was one she was really looking forward to.

I have it on my list to try again in the future. Maybe a different spot.

I am a lover of strong tasting tomatoes. I can always buy bland tasting tomatoes at the market. The Mortgage lifter for me ranked right up there with Black Krim, Brandywine Pink, German Johnson, Cherokee Purple and a few others. I have never heard or read a specific cause for the various tomato flavors. I think the cultivar is the most probable reason for each taste, but I also think temperature, soil minerals, and moisture availability, play a role in taste. I believe the best tasting varieties can taste bland if all the conditions are not right, however a bland tasting variety can never produce good tasting fruits.

Ted

[TomatoDon]

NAR (Neve's Azorean Red) and Chapman are two very good tomatoes that I haven't had success with. I'm not sure if I've had any of those plants make it the last two years. But I am absolutely convinced it's not the variety. I have no idea why mine won't make it, and if they do, why they don't produce, and if they do, why it's not much at all, and if they do, why it's not very good.

I know these are two good varieties that will do well in my area. And I grow them right alongside every thing else. The others do great, and these fizzle. One year Mortgage Lifter was one of my best, the next year I couldn't get a seedling to live, and now I have them again and they are nice looking.

Sometimes things just defy logic.

My garden has produced so well this year that everyone I know has been forced to accept a bag of tomatoes. I've thought about hanging around a Walmart parking lot and forcing people to take free tomatoes at gunpoint.

The truth is many people who got home grown heirloom or at least home grown open pollinated tomatoes from me have never eaten anything but store bought tomatoes. They can't believe the taste difference between them and store bought tomatoes. They also had no idea different varieties and different colors could produce such a variety of tastes.




ted

[BigBrownDogHouse]

Originally Posted by tedln

I've thought about hanging around a Walmart parking lot and forcing people to take free tomatoes at gunpoint.

ted

Just the way you said that, I'm picturing the episode of Andy Griffith where Barney was on the road out of town handing out Aunt Bea's pickles.

I'm not imagining your tomatoes tasting like Aunt Bea's pickles though.

[TomatoDon]

Ah, Aunt Bee's Keresene Kukumber Kaper! Love that show!

Tedln, if you force your tomatoes on people at gun point you might get a...

CITIZEN's A-RAY-EST
CITIZEN's A-RAY-EST!

I've been hauling bags of tomatoes into town and giving them to our daughter. She in turn, distributes them around her neighborhood.

She will be leaving town on business Sunday, so she took me out for Fathers Day lunch today and gave me a Texas Rangers baseball T-shirt for fathers day. I told her next year I am expecting another T-shirt, but with a big tomato on it instead of a fishing or baseball logo on it.

Ted

[BigBrownDogHouse]

Originally Posted by TomatoDon

Tedln, if you force your tomatoes on people at gun point you might get a...

CITIZEN's A-RAY-EST
CITIZEN's A-RAY-EST!

Oh, that's good!