Ruby Crosses the Finish Line

Well Manual Mater Maker followers, in any race there's merit for crossing the finish line.  I took this photo last night for fear Ruby's first mater would get too ripe over the weekend.

She's a purdy one, the other maters have taken a hint and we now have about 4-5 others blushing.  My peppers and onions have been waiting, so hopefully next week I'll have some salsa!

A Week Late, and a 12-Pack Short

And what to my unsuspecting eyes did appear, why it's Ruby blushing in my garden and pulling up the rear.  

At 9 3/4 she's not too shabby, but not enough to beat my Daddy.

(Ruby was my littlest plant.  I didn't know she had it in her.  Hopefully she'll spread it around to the others and I'll be eating salsa in a few weeks.)

CONGRATULATIONS MATER MASTER!!!

Ode to the Mater Master

To the Mater Master I lift my beer mug,

He’s done a great job; I’ll try not to be smug.

With gadgets, wires, gages and tubes,

(Compared to my design, I look like a boob).

Like a mad scientist he created a fine work of art,

To grow mater babies right from the start.

Too bad the clouds first put him behind,

My radioactive grow lights… I shall remind?

Were quite effective at growing strong little sprouts,

They towered the competition, no one had a doubt.

The Manual Mater Maker maters just had it all,

Great color, great strength and boy they were tall!

They took up my focus, my money, my time,

But watching them grow…  I just didn’t mind.

And blogging the smack, now that was my calling,

Some thought it funny, some just appalling.

I looked forward to dishing out lots of great cracks,

And truth be told, all enjoyed dishing it back.

I had the Mater Master at the FIRST, MIDDLE… but not LAST,

That Investor did me in…  I must put the past in the past.

He will deny it was his fault,  “Round Up Doesn’t Make Maters Dead!”

But we all know the truth, just look at Cranberry and Red.

And let’s not forget the worm tea that he cooked up,

Thousands of pet worms, was it enough?

It helped I suppose, surely it couldn't have hurt,

But did he have to put his hands 13 times in poo dirt?

The first red tomato did grow on his vine,

I really could beat him if I had a little more time.

I teased him with names of Sprout, Shrimpy and Cherry,

But in looking at the tape measure, now I’m not that merry.

Lush Puppy V truly is much much bigger,

At 10 3/8 he’s got me beat I figure.

I guess I’ll have to make a special Yengling run,

Buying beer for someone else is just NEVER fun.

But the time has come, the contest end is near,

I must swallow my pride and award the beer.

It’s been a lot of fun, good jobs have been done,

BUT the Master has finally WON!

CONGRATULATIONS MATER MASTER FOR WINNING THE GREAT TOMATO RACE!

Power in Numbers

You know what they say, "There's Power in Numbers."  

Well if that's true, we've got some real girl power going on here at the Manual Mater Maker.  Not only are many of these amazin' maters competition size, but they are everywhere!  

Don't stare, I think you might be making one of them blush! 

  

Curb Appeal!

The neighbors are going to LOVE this!  Giant mater plants in pots in front of the house, now that's some curb appeal!  Good thing I have nice neighbors.  They are all rooting for me to take home the prize.  Yeah they like beer too, and they know I can't possibly drink two cases by myself. (Or can I?)  They'll just sit quiet along the sidelines till I bring home the booty.  Then they will gather with outstretched hands.  It's a give take thing.

So I'm thinking that the Mater Master's maters are either red or dead.  He's doing that secretive thing again.  I figured I'd better bring out the big guns and maximize my sunlight.  These lovely ladies will spend the next few weeks in this spot.  Hopefully the extra sun will give us a boost over that crafty Mater Master lurking in the shadows of the blogs.   Where are you Mater Master come out with your maters up!

Lotsa Maters

The Investor stands at 6 foot, so I put him in front of my maters this morning to give you a visual of our accomplishment at the Manual Mater Maker.  Notice the hands in the pockets?  Yeah, that's the only way I'd let him near my lil' babies.  (He was immediately escorted out of the side yard after I snapped this photo.)

Not only are our maters tall, strong and green, but they have lotsa fat maters and buds on lotsa "different" mater plants.  Nope we aren't putting all our maters in one basket here at the Manual Mater Maker.  The first red tomato could come from any one of our five super stars!

On a completely different topic, I had to share a funny photo with you guys from this weekend.  Ella was apparently tired of watching everyone else have fun and followed Brett and Gray onto the tube for a ride.  Flopping ears and a big smile, it was quite a sight!  

Determination... that's what will win it!

The aphids are gone, the maters are strong and Ella has a new look of determination.  Check out the size of those maters.  Rosie is in the middle and up to the 4th rung on the large cage.  All green, healthy and ready to rock!

We have about 4 large maters on each plant and another 6-8 smaller ones.  Lots of buds, flowers and mater sprouts, but there's just too many to count to give you actual numbers.  All I can say is these guys are looking good.

Not pictured here are Cranberry and Red.  Yesterday afternoon they were past the point of recovery and beginning to attract bugs and disease.  For the benefit of the others we said our good-byes.  We will remember them fondly.  Ella is so good at her expressions, this is "sad face".  To prevent future "sad faces" the Investor has been completely banned from the side yard.  (You think I'm kidding, but I'm actually serious.  When he gets out his products, I follow him around.  Wouldn't you?)

On a happier note Cherry made it!  She made a full recovery and is doing well.  She will be an asset to our team over the next month.  We're glad she's back!

Grow Rosie Grow!

She's beautiful, she's strong and she's got a great rack!  Yes Rosie has it all!  (Just like her namesake.)  Although Cranberry and Red are still hanging in there, Miss Rosie has taken the lead in the Great Tomato Race.  Check out the legs on that girl, she must be a runner.  I've included my thumb in this photo so that you'd have some perspective.  (Dime Mater Master, what dime?)

We at the Manual Mater Maker took a hard hit last week, but Mother Nature seems to be looking fondly on us.  I've got maters of this size on 4 other plants, but told Rosie I'd give her the spotlight today since she's the tallest and fullest.  She's on the fourth rung of the "tall" tomato cages and doing very well.  Today is feeding day, I've got a nice blend of kelp and seaweed extract that I'll be spraying all over my babies as well as some soil soak of the same. 

I'll post a picture tomorrow once it all has had a chance to soak in.  Maybe then I can get Ella to make that arrogant face again.  (She wasn't feeling it this morning despite several photo attempts.)

This is your Mater on Round Up... any Questions?

Well Manual Mater Maker followers, it was an "inside job."  Today I discovered that not too long ago the "Investor" sprayed Round Up at the base Cherry, Cranberry and Red's pots to kill the grass that was growing up around them.  They've been removed from the contamination zone to prevent further damage.  The aphids cannot be blamed any longer, they were simply escaping the poisoned grass below them.

Unbeknownst to him, Round Up cannot be sprayed ANYWHERE near growing tomatoes, much less right up under them.  Sadly, here's the result.

If you recall, I had Cranberry and Red earmarked for the prize since they sprouted the first tomatoes several days ahead of the competition.  As fate would have it, Cranberry and Red were sitting on the most grass, so they got the most over spray from the chemicals.  As you can see, my prize tomato is done. 

Cranberry and Red will be lucky to survive this setback.  (As will the Investor.)  I've given them lots of special treatment and am hopeful that they stay strong and pull through.  

Not all the mater's got hit, lucky for these four, they were sitting on pine straw and the mater murderer with his dark shadow and deadly wand passed them by.  These guys will keep fighting for team Manual Mater Maker.  The others would want it that way.  I do concede however, that my lead is gone, we'll be doing our best to simply keep up at this point.  I'm not loving that fact.

When life gives you dead tomatoes...  not sure what fun drink I can make with dead tomatoes?  I suppose I'll just drown my sorrows over a Mich Ultra - paid for by the Investor.

Mater Master Advertisement   FREE INVESTOR TO A GOOD HOME.  Who am I kidding, it doesn't need to be a good home, an okay home will do.  Heck, a crappy home works too.  (Just keep him away from your maters.)

Be Careful What you Ask For..

Well you know what they say, be careful what you ask for.  Someone must not have liked the "plague joke" on my last post because I woke up this morning to APHIDS!

Little green bugs all over my flowers and leaves, with teeny white larvae dusted as far as the eye could see.  I'm not sure how the Mater Master and Mater Matic did it - was it dancing or chanting?  But boy they did it to me real good.  

After a trip to the Mater ER I came home to battle.  A bottle of "au natural" African Violet extract - or something like that - killed the little punks dead!  Ain't no pests coming between me and my beer!

Manual Mater Maker Disclaimer:  We at the Manual Mater Maker sincerely apologize for the taunts of plagues and windstorms in our last post; we underestimated your supernatural powers to summon mater killers.  Please call off tomorrow's order of locusts.