Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 146 Entries. Wednesday, January 5 View Page I've gotten just about all my mater seeds in, waiting on one more to show up. I will be planting 8 plants. But will not plant them all at one time. Gonna start the first set next weekend and then some about a month later. It gets hot here so I have to get them in the ground before the heat shows up. Wish me luck. TT :) "While they were saying among themselves it cannot be done, it was done." Helen Keller..... Friday, January 14 View Page I started MY tomato seeds today. Wish me luck!!! *And for thoes who are saying why is she starting them to soon, it was 96 degrees here last May 16th. Trying to get them going before then. Friday, January 14 View Page I will have room for 8 plants. Got in my tomato clamps/clips this week to help keep plants up. Within the next couple of weeks I will read and watch videos to learn all I can about HOW TO GROW GIANT TOMATOES :) Friday, January 14 View Page Seeds are now tucked into a nice and warm spot. I will post pics when they come up. :) "I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble." Helen Keller Saturday, January 15 View Page Took a shovel today and turned over mater patch. Measured again to make sure how many plants will fit and could do 10 but will only put in 8, don't want to over crowed them. :) Monday, January 17 View Page After only 2.5 days some of the mater seeds are coming up. Sam's was first followed by the Hunt's. :) "Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” Helen Keller Wednesday, January 19 View Page Just to make a note:ONE OF MY GORDON GRAHAM'S MATER SEEDS GERMED TODAY...WAAAAHOOOOO :) Friday, January 21 View Page Transplanted all 4-7.33 Hunt's today. And ofcourse as I am doing it I had several comments from the Peanut Gallery... Yes mine are smaller but my thinking is I would rather be a week behind now then come Spring time and have to replant with him when that last frost gets his cause his are in the ground before mine. And when I say his I mean FRANK!!!! Sunday, January 23 View Page "The Secret lies within the soil"..... :) Wednesday, January 26 View Page Happy Day today....The mater seeds that I have been waiting on have come in. A set of various Timm's seeds. Yaaaaaaahhhoooooooo.... Now lets see what I am going to grow/plant...:) Friday, January 28 View Page Well it looks like my plants have gotten transplant shock. They have yet to sprout a first true leaf. They are pretty much staying the same size. So I've already started my Timm's seeds a couple of days ago. I will wait and see if these come out of the shock if not then I will start over and do a couple of things different. My competition(AKA Tomatoes By Frank) has kindly offered me one of his plants to start off with so I can have one to put into the ground. Isn't he nice... :) Saturday, January 29 View Page It is a very nice day in SC. 65 degrees outside so babies/seedlings are in the sun. Looks like they are coming out of shock. First leaf is starting to show on some. :) Sunday, January 30 View Page All three of my Timm's seeds are up. They came up in 2.5 days. Planning on growing all three of these babies. The 5.0 and two 5.64's. :) Sunday, January 30 View Page It was 72 degrees today. Was a nice day in the patch. I will send off a soil test in two weeks so if I need to add anything I can do it before the end of March. :) Sunday, January 30 View Page I am two weeks behind the competetion but that is ok. My little ones are starting to grow now. Yes his are bigger but what really counts is what happens in the end. :) "Happiness is not the absence of problems but the ability to deal with them" Hellen Keller Saturday, February 5 View Page Moving these over to this diary to keep mater stuff in one spot...Started ammending mater patch. First corn meal.... Saturday, February 5 View Page Next some Gypsum... Saturday, February 5 View Page Next some Bone Meal... Saturday, February 5 View Page EggShells... Saturday, February 5 View Page Coffeegrounds..... Saturday, February 5 View Page Alfalfa.... Saturday, February 5 View Page Manure... Saturday, February 5 View Page Sprayed on some Molasses..... Saturday, February 5 View Page Added more Peat Moss... Saturday, February 5 View Page Tiller Time...:) Saturday, February 5 View Page Leeeeeeeaaaaaaavvvvvvvesssssssss........In the Mater Patch... Saturday, February 5 View Page Leaves and some more POOOOOOOOOOOOO....:) Saturday, February 5 View Page After adding leaves and some poo I tilled the mater patch. I now have 6 inches of a top layer. We will now rest for the winter...:) Saturday, February 5 View Page "One Small Step For Tina's Tomato Patch, One Giant Leap For Monster Maters" Sunday, February 6 View Page Babies after they got watering today... Sunday, February 6 View Page 7.33 Hunt coming up nicely... :) Sunday, February 6 View Page Tomato Tanning Salon.... :) Saturday, February 12 View Page It was 60 degrees today. Gonna be in the high 60's to the low 70's next week, come on spring. Since it was so nice today I went to the patch and did some work. Also as you see in the pic I took a soil sample to send off next week. :) Tuesday, February 15 View Page Had to transplant some of the mater babies. Here is one of the Big Zac's. Transplanted 2-BZ's, 2'GG's, and a 3.62 Lovelace... Tuesday, February 15 View Page Here is one of the Second Generation Gordon Graham's. I will be planting two of these if all works out... :) Tuesday, February 15 View Page And here is the 3.62 Lovelace. This one is a bit smaller then the BZ's but it had a better root system on it. :) Monday, February 21 View Page Transplanted 2-7.33 Hunt's and 2-Big Zac's... :) "No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit" Helen Keller Saturday, February 26 View Page Maters getting some sun today...:) Saturday, February 26 View Page This is one of my Big Zac's. So far they are growing the fastest.... :) Saturday, February 26 View Page Got back my soil test. This is my first year growing on this site. I have built it up over the Fall and Winter, it is nice and fluffy now. Going by recomendations and adding some D.Lime and some Gypsum. Also gonna add some more Epsom Salt. :) Sunday, February 27 View Page Amended soil today per soil test results...Depending on how much the plants grow this week will be planting either next weekend or the one after that... Oh ya it was 83 degrees today, got a little sun burnt in the patch today... :) Friday, March 4 View Page Second set of tansplants...In this set the 7.33 Hunt had the best root system... :) Friday, March 4 View Page Here are both sets together. The ones on the right will go in next weekend. This weekend I will be getting the Mater Patch ready to go... :) Saturday, March 5 View Page Almost time for planting. Getting supplies ready...:) Saturday, March 5 View Page Dug planting holes..Looks like I will have room for 10 plants. 4 down each side, 1 in the back and 1 off to the left of the patch... Saturday, March 5 View Page 24 inches deep....See I have been reading my book... :) Saturday, March 5 View Page Added Kelp Meal, Bone Meal, and Peat Moss to the holes... Saturday, March 5 View Page Covered planting holes back up and then put down a layer of peat moss.... Saturday, March 5 View Page Layed down some straw to keep weeds down... Saturday, March 5 View Page Plants will be spaced 3 1/2 feet apart. It was 70 degrees today. I was wanting to finish up but the heavy rains came in so I had to stop. So next Sat I will finish up and plant 5 plants next Sunday, next 5 will go in about 2-3 weeks later. :) "I long to accomplish a great and noble task; but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble." Saturday, March 12 View Page Put up Wall O Waters today. Still getting a little chilly here at night so need some protection, plus been windy here to. Put up shadecloth but can tell gonna need somemore protection ontop of this one. The Sun was beeming down on me while under it. High 73 here today. Tomorrow is planting day for first set of maters. :) Sunday, March 13 View Page 3-13-11 planted first set of maters. 2-BZ's, 1-3.62 Lovelace, 1-GG, and 1-7.33 Hunt. Sunday, March 13 View Page I let the maters grow a bit leggy so I can plant them horizontally/lay them down. On this one I removed all lower leaves including that last one on the right before putting it into the ground. Sunday, March 13 View Page Next I put around each plant a plastic cup to hinder cutworms from doing any damage. It also helped keep leaves off the dirt. Sunday, March 13 View Page Since this is my first year doing this, trying to go by the book as much as I can. This is an example of trying to get a larger root system. The planting hole is to the left and the entire stem is now just under the surface instead of just a bit of it. :) "Knowledge is happiness, because to have knowledge -- broad, deep knowledge -- is to know true ends from false, and lofty things from low." Hellen Keller Wednesday, March 16 View Page Here are my radishes coming up near the mater patch... :) Sunday, March 20 View Page Put up some lattice today for extra sun protection. Also it is gonna be in the mid 80's next week so took wall-o-waters off the plants. Also put down some seven dust cause with them temps the bugs will be coming out of hidding. :) Thursday, March 24 View Page Compare Pic. Gonna take the same pic next week to see how they are doing from week to week. First plant is the 3.62 Lovelace, 7.33 Hunt, GG, Big Zac, and in the back Big Zac. :) Saturday, March 26 View Page One of my BZ's.......:) Saturday, March 26 View Page 7.33 Hunt.....:) Saturday, March 26 View Page Being a woman sometimes has its advantages.....:) Tuesday, March 29 View Page Yaaaaaaaa all 10 plants are in the ground. 2-5.64 Timm, 2-7.33 Hunt, and 1-5.0 Timm. Here are two of the plants before going in. On the left is the 5.64 Timm and on the right the 7.33 Hunt. I let them get leggy to get a better root system. :) Tuesday, March 29 View Page Here is the 7.33 Hunt....I now have 3 of them in the patch.:) Tuesday, March 29 View Page Here is one of the 5.64 Timm's going in....:) Tuesday, March 29 View Page This is a sign of "THE PASSION FOR GARDENING" I'm glad it is Spring again.... :) Wednesday, March 30 View Page Seedlings made it through the night. It has been raining just about every day here. Seedlings were too wet to my likeing so I used paper towels to dry them off cause unlike my competition(Frank) I don't have a nice and cozy greenhouse so my plants are out in the open.... Wednesday, March 30 View Page Babies are now protected from the rain. Mommy feels better now...:) Saturday, April 2 View Page Brewed my first batch of Chamomile tea and will add to the mater's in the morning. "Chamomile tea helps in curbing the growth of fungus. If you are interested in gardening, you can spray chamomile tea on the plants to prevent fungal growth on them. Studies reveal that adding chamomile tea to composts can help in increasing the level of calcium in the soil, thus making it more fertile." Tuesday, April 5 View Page My first MegaBud.... :) Saturday, April 9 View Page Mgeabud starting to grow.....:) Saturday, April 9 View Page Its gonna be 88 today and 91 tomorrow...Plants should start kicking in now with them temps...:) Sunday, April 10 View Page First Megabud on the 3.62 Lovelace....:) Sunday, April 10 View Page After a week 1/2 in the patch, the 7.33 Hunt.... Sunday, April 10 View Page First set of plants are starting to grow now, expanding out...:) Sunday, April 10 View Page I did a drench today of powdered milk and molasses. After that I did a foliar spray of garlic barrier and powdered milk....:) Sunday, April 10 View Page Last pic of the day, my radishes coming up..Need to thin them out this week...:) Wednesday, April 13 View Page Sprayed my babies with neem oil & seaweed mix...:) Wednesday, April 13 View Page Planted some Marigolds inside the patch. I have some coming up now that I started from seeds along the outside of the patch.. "Marigolds are a wonder-drug of the companion plant world, invoking the saying "plant them everywhere in your garden". French marigolds produce a pesticidal chemical from their roots, so strong it lasts years after they are gone." Friday, April 15 View Page Did a compost tea drench today along with a foliar spray of it...:) Saturday, April 16 View Page 3.62 Lovelace....:) Saturday, April 16 View Page 7.33 Hunt...:) Saturday, April 16 View Page Gordon Graham-Delicious.....:) Saturday, April 16 View Page Big Zac.....:) Saturday, April 16 View Page Big Zac...:) Saturday, April 16 View Page 3.64 Timm....:) Saturday, April 16 View Page Big Zac.... Saturday, April 23 View Page One of my marigolds that I have in the patch. I have been putting the same stuff on this plant as I have my maters. The seem to like it..... Saturday, April 23 View Page Plants were nice and green today. Sprayed with Chamomile tea today... Saturday, April 23 View Page It is gonna be 90 here tomorrow and it is only April. Plants are under a nice shade protection. Without it they would burn..... Sunday, April 24 View Page Planted some companion plants today. Here you see Basil, Parsley, Cilantro.....:) Sunday, April 24 View Page Here is some more basil inbetween the 7.33 Hunt and the GG.... Sunday, April 24 View Page Here is a Lemon Balm plant....Used to ward off squash bugs. Also planted some YARROW...Yarrow has insect repelling qualities and is an excellent natural fertilizer.It also attracts predatory wasps and ladybugs to name just two. :) Sunday, April 24 View Page Also today I had to switch to the green stretchy stuff instead of the clips cause plants are getting bigger...:) Monday, April 25 View Page Big Zac getting big. This plant has grown alot in 9 days..Previous pic of it is back on April 15th...:) Monday, April 25 View Page OOOPs ment to say back on the 16th not 15th...:) Tuesday, April 26 View Page Hello all. Sprayed seaweed/milk on plants today. While they were drying I visited Nipper the patch horse, He says "HI" After plants dried I dusted the plants with some "Dipel Dust". Dipel Dust is a Biological Insecticide which contains Bacillus Thurngiensis bacteria that helps in controling tomato hornworm and other caterpillars. :) Wednesday, April 27 View Page Ladybugs are here....:) Thursday, April 28 View Page Released the LadyBugs tonight. Only let 1/2 go at the patch. I sprayed one of the flowering plants with watered down molasses and that is pretty much where they were staying, they seemed to like it. :) Thursday, April 28 View Page Lets hope a couple of these stick around....:) Thursday, April 28 View Page Mater patch is starting to look like a flower garden..LOL..White speck on plants are frome the Dipel Dust I put on yesterday...:) "Many people know so little about what is beyond their short range of experience. They look within themselves - and find nothing! Therefore they conclude that there is nothing outside themselves either." Helen Keller Saturday, April 30 View Page Big Zac....Plant has several blooms on it but no mater yet...Temps are going down next week so lets hope one takes..:) Saturday, May 7 View Page Not a lot going on right now. Did a drench tonight of seaweed and molasses. I have two single blooms that took, here is a pic of one. :) Saturday, May 14 View Page Time for an update on plants: 3.62 Lovelace---1 Single bloom...:) Saturday, May 14 View Page 7.33 Hunt...If you look near the bottom/middle you can see two Single Blooms/maters growing.(Forgot to take pic of maters, dang it.)... Saturday, May 14 View Page Gordon Graham...... Saturday, May 14 View Page Big Zac #1..... Saturday, May 14 View Page Big Zac #2.... Saturday, May 14 View Page 3.64 Timm...... Saturday, May 14 View Page 7.33 Hunt.... Saturday, May 14 View Page Big Zac #3.... Saturday, May 14 View Page 5.0 Timm..... Saturday, May 14 View Page Here is Heather inbetween two Big Zacs. She is 4'9" so guessing this Big Zac is about 4'2" now.....:) Saturday, May 14 View Page Here is the entire group together. So not too many megablooms came out of here, darn it, so far. The two that were on about a month ago didn't take. I have one megabloom coming up on the 3.64 Timm but not sure what is gonna happen with it. There are 5 single blooms going on now, 1-3.62 Lovelace, 2-7.33 Hunt, and 2-Big Zac #2....:) Monday, May 16 View Page Look at them nice ribs...Wait this is not a pkn it is a mater..LOL.. I now have about 8 single bloom that took and with a couple of double blooms coming up this week. :) PS..Thank you Frank for taking care of my maters today. Now I can get supper to the table faster. :) Friday, May 20 View Page WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOO!! A DOUBLE BLOOM!!!! Can you tell I'm a bit excited. Finally got a double bloom to take and it is on the 7.33 Hunt....:) Monday, May 23 View Page Single bloom mater on the 7.33 Hunt..:) Monday, May 23 View Page Single bloom on the Big Zac #2 plant....:) Sunday, May 29 View Page Plants filling out the mater patch... Sunday, May 29 View Page One of the maters on the 3.62 Lovelace...:) Sunday, May 29 View Page This mater is on the Big Zac plant #2. Just shy of 13 inches, measured again today and it grew 1/4 inch, so just over 13 today. :) Saturday, June 4 View Page Mater on the Big Zac grew two inches this week. It is now at 15 inches which in the mater book it is est at 1 pound now. Had to make it a little support bed..:) Saturday, June 4 View Page I found this little one in the mater patch this morning...:) "Of all the senses, sight must be the most delightful.” Helen Keller Saturday, June 4 View Page Did some culling this week. Down to one mater on a couple of plants. Man that was hard to do, just like pkns when you have to make a choice and hope you made the right one... Wednesday, June 8 View Page This mater is on the 3.62 Lovelace. It measures 13 in. now.... Wednesday, June 8 View Page Megabloom on the 3.62 Lovelace. Will know in a couple of days if this one took...My biggest bloom so far this season...:)(Thank you Frank for giving it some extra TLC) Wednesday, June 8 View Page This is on the Big Zac plant #2. It is measuring 16 1/4 inches(est 1-1.5 pound) :) Wednesday, June 8 View Page Doublebloom on the 7.33 Hunt...:) Wednesday, June 8 View Page This is on my other 7.33 Hunt plant...:) Wednesday, June 8 View Page This one is on my Gordon Graham plant. Measuring 13 inches. Singlebloom...:) Tuesday, June 14 View Page Waaahooo I'm in the 1 pound Club. This is a cull from my 7.33 Hunt. I have another one on the same plant that is measuring 2+ pounds, PLUS.......See next pic...:) Tuesday, June 14 View Page I have this little cute thing going on that same plant(7.33 Hunt)...Watch out Frank ready or not here I come....:) Tuesday, June 14 View Page Looks like this plant wants to throw out some more roots. 7.33 Hunt that has the megabloom on it..:) Tuesday, June 14 View Page Lets see if we can help it along with them roots....:) Saturday, June 18 View Page Megabloom growing..... Saturday, June 18 View Page Roots shooting out from side stem..Its working...:) Saturday, June 18 View Page Doublebloom on the 7.33 Hunt...:) Saturday, June 18 View Page Both maters weighed 1.84 pound. The one on the left came from my BZ plant and the one on the scale came from the 7.33 Hunt plant that has the megabloom on it.... Saturday, June 18 View Page Double GG's....LOL...Two maters about a pound each on the Gordon Graham Plant...:) Sunday, June 19 View Page Took out BZ plant today..Man look at the size of them roots...Cool...:) Wednesday, June 22 View Page Waaaahoooo 2 lb club...Mater came off the 7.33 Hunt plant....:) Saturday, June 25 View Page Megabloom growing...Gonna be a hard one to support. :) 7.33 Hunt.... Saturday, June 25 View Page This one is on the 3.62 Lovelace..It is measuring 19 1/2 inches=est. 2.5 pounds...:) Tuesday, June 28 View Page Here are some of my big maters. I weighed another two pounder today. 2.29 Pounds off the Gordon Graham plant. So this would be 3rd generation Gordon Graham.... :) Tuesday, June 28 View Page Mater on Sam's 3.62 Lovelace. Now est at 3 lb's....:) Saturday, July 2 View Page TAAAAADAAAAAAAA....the 2.86 Finders off the 3.62 Lovelace....:) Saturday, July 2 View Page I have a megabloom going but the heat has slowed it down. So not sure what might become of it. But happy with how this season went. Now part of the 2.5 Pound club. :)