Fellow veggie gardeners, have any of you ever grown Mortgage Lifter tomatoes? I think I'm having trouble with mine. Note: Technically they are not the original ML, but a version of the original that I ordered from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange . I emailed SESE my questions, but while I wait to hear back from them, I thought I'd reach out to my online community and see if you can help. These are supposed to have similar properties as the original, so if you've grown them, I'd love to hear from you.
I have two ML plants. They are both as leafy and lush as the one pictured above, and both have several blossoms. However, one of the plants has not produced a single tomato yet. The other plant has produced only one tomato. Just ONE tomato on that big plant! Interestingly, the plant with the tomato is also the only one with basil growing next to it. The one with blossoms but no tomatoes has no basil. Coincidence?
Other things to consider: All other tomato plants in my garden have produced fruit and I've even started harvesting tomatoes. They all receive equal amounts of sun and they're watered at the same time every day.
They also have the same type of soil and amendments. We added tomato food a couple of weeks ago. We haven't noticed bug problems either. So why aren't my ML growing tomatoes??
Do the ML need more tomato food than other varieties, are they heavy feeders?
Are they just slower to produce? Do they need a particular kind of fertilizer?
I'm at a loss because I'm having no issues with my other tomato varieties. I purchased from SESE because they're located in the mid-Atlantic and produce seeds that are suited to my part of the country. I'm also growing SESE Marglobe tomatoes and they're doing beautifully.
I was on Burpee's website and reading through some of the ML comments there. Looks like others have had difficult growing them. Are we doing something wrong or is this just a persnickety variety of tomato?
I appreciate any advice!
P.S. I'll be offline tomorrow so may not be able to respond to comments, but thanks for any insights you can provide!
ReplyDeletei've never grown that variety before, but i had a similar experience with a different variety once. i think it was black from tula. it was the biggest, leafiest, healthiest-looking tomato plant in my garden, but for the longest time it only had one single fruit. it was one of my garden fail friday posts:
ReplyDeletehttp://yourapplesaremyoranges.blogspot.com/2010/07/garden-fail-friday-wheres-beefsteak.html
BUT, later in the season, all of a sudden it exploded! the plant became loaded with tomatoes, so many that all the branches were flopping over and breaking. then they ripened almost all at once, even though it wasn't a determinate plant. the 8th picture down in this post shows all the tomatoes on the plant in september:
http://yourapplesaremyoranges.blogspot.com/2010/09/equal-dark-equal-light.html
my boyfriend is growing tomatoes for the first time this year and he's having the same experience with a different black heirloom tomato. i told him the same story. so that's what he's hoping will happen with his plant.
maybe that will happen with your ML! really i have no idea, but, know that there's still hope!
Thanks, Emily, this is encouraging! Maybe by some miracle my plant will explode in tomatoes later. I'll def check out your posts, and I hope your boyfriend's black heirloom produces eventually.
DeleteI haven't grown that variety of Tomato, but I've certainly had up and down years with the harvest. This year is not a good one for my veggie garden for several reasons. It's a bummer, but there's always next year. :) But at least you have some Tomatoes (and some Basil and other healthy veggies)!
ReplyDeleteThanks! It's true, I do have other tomatoes and veggies to enjoy, but am perplexed by this one! So many people are commenting about their own tomato troubles, I don't feel so alone now. And you're right, there's always next year to try a different location or approach!
DeleteThere's been a blight in our area--most of the people at our community garden are having tomato issues. We planted in fresh soil/compost (a big job, but worth it) and use blight resistant strains of tomatoes. I have no idea if that's your problem, but if you're having trouble with all your plants, it may be.
ReplyDeleteHmmm...other tomato varieties in my garden seem OK, and this variety is supposed to be disease resistant (can't recall now which ones!) Seems like it could be a combination of factors that are getting this down. Thanks for the comment and tip about fresh soil.
DeleteIs the basil blooming? My local organic nursery owner told me that blooming basil brings in more pollinators than anything else in her garden, so she plants basil all through her garden every year. African Blue does the best for her.
ReplyDeleteAlso, soft rock phosphate added to the soil increases blooming and fruiting.
Hi Patricia, the basil isn't blooming, but I have a few other blooms in the garden, although it seems that I don't have enough. Thanks for the tip on what to add to the soil. I may also try hand pollinating to make up for the lack of pollinators. Thank you!
DeleteI grew mortgage lifters last year and they developed all kinds of problems and we got one tomato. It may require some pruning of the side shoots to get in more sun and heat and let more flowers develop. Epsom salts certainly gives them a lift and every 2 weeks with the fertilizer. I think they may just need more time to get going but also the comment about pollinators is also valid...I still think they are putting all their energy into putting on new growth instead of flowers....so prune and fertilize again and then every 2 weeks.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the advice, Donna! There are many side shoots that I could prune, and I read online about Epsom salts. I'll try that as well. It's a bit encouraging to hear you had similar problems. I don't feel so alone anymore! I'll try to be patient and maybe hand pollinate to help them along. Thanks!!! :)
DeleteI've never grown that variety, either, but I agree with everyone about the need to increase pollinators to help with blossoming. I'm curious about what SESE will say in response.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tammy! Sadly haven't heard from SESE yet. I may have to do some pollinating myself to jump start these tomatoes a bit.
DeleteI have never heard of this variety but am having similar problems with a heritage black russian - I don't think I'll be trying these again. I should just keep your fingers crossed that they will come right eventually.
ReplyDeleteOh interesting, Elaine! Are your Black Russians also known as Black Krim? I was able to grow those last year, but they all had cracks and splits. Didn't try again them this year. Seems like some varieties are better suited for certain micro-climates...?
DeleteGood luck! Maybe they are just slow in producing fruit. My own tomato crop was a huge disappointment this year. I think the hot, dry June killed many of the pollinators.
ReplyDeleteThanks Deb! Seems like a lot of people are having trouble with their tomato plants this year. Interesting comment about the pollinators. I haven't seen that many in my garden this year, and of course this is the first year I don't have a lot of sunflowers to attract them. Hmmm...
DeleteYour tomatoes need more feed I guess. I can see the leaves curling on themselves in the first image. Also if the containers are too small for the plants they will get root bound and not bear fruits. Find out if yours is an indeterminate type of tomato and if it needs planting in ground for more root space.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sri. I've done OK with growing tomatoes in pots, even indeterminate ones, but maybe this variety is different. I'll try adding more feed.
DeleteI'm not really that familiar with mortgage lifter but I do know some varieties fruit a lot later than others so it may be a late fruiting variety. Equally some varieties like the heat more/less than others. Or it may be that this variety needs more sun to set fruit than others. Not that this helps but my biggest tomato plant last year produced precisely 3 fruit - a very sad state of affairs.
ReplyDeleteThanks Liz! I was hoping this variety would do well in my garden because it's sold by a company that grows seeds suited to the mid-Atlantic (my part of the country). Interesting that you had a big plant with only 3 fruit--I guess sometimes that's just the way it goes. :/
DeleteSorry, I can't help you with this one, Angela. I am not a good tomato grower, and need advice myself, as this year two plants have blossom end rot. I agree with Donna that yours seem to be putting all their energy into new growth rather than flowers. Keep us posted about this issue, please! P. x
ReplyDeleteHi Pam, I'll definitely keep you posted. It may be that it's just been too hot for this particular variety. To avoid blossom end rot in my tomatoes and peppers I usually put crushed up eggshells in the soil around the plant. That has worked nicely for me.
DeleteDang. the funny part is I planted an ML this year, but then with the heat and drought I had no tomatoes to speak of off any of my plants. Can't help ya there. Hoping it is just a late "bloomer" and it will start producing soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks Emily! I hope it pulls through. Sorry to hear about your ML! Maybe the heat here in DC has been too much for mine. Interesting...
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