Basic Growing Information

brokenbar · January 1, 2010

The three largest varieties are Cisneros, Grand Maje and Burpee's Gigante. All of these are between three and four inches around.

I grow my tomatillos in their own spot, along with all of the other notorious delinquents that re-seed like the devil lives inside them. Dill...OH MY, Cilantro....a moving green pile that threatens everything in it's path, NASTY little tiny tomatoes that are impossible to keep picked and the sly but just as insidious, basil gone rogue.

It seems like nearly every other day, I am tieing the Tomatillos up. I grow them against hog (or stock) panels. One does have to be careful because they are not nearly as tough in the vine as tomatoes. I also lay down black plastic because of their demonic need to re-seed.

My harvest would never be complete without Salsa Verde. My family eats it on everything. These larger varieties are much less work than the smaller tomatillos or ground cherries. Having just moved to Mexico, I can verify that they grow wild in huge clumps everywhere there. The Mexicans use them in many more ways and they are a staple in their diet. I saw one woman who wrapped them in banana leaves and baked them. She put some sort of chili pepper in there and something else I could not define. When I went back to pin her down she was gone...DRATS!

They are very rich in Vitamin C and contain almost no liquid which makes for a nice thick salsa verde. I listed many of my recipes for Tomatillo's over in the recipe section. They will also store well for at least a month in a root cellar or refrigerator. They also freeze whole for later use.

These are one of the most rewarding plants to grow...nothing seems to phase them and they grow faster than Jack's beanstalk. Mine reach 7 to 8 feet and have branches sticking out all over. I do notice that the birds like the few I leave laying on the ground at the end of the season and also the chipmunks (?)

Cisneros and Grand Maje can be harder to find. I will do some scouting around and list sites that have them. There is also a large golden. I got a few seeds from a gal in Canada but they utterly failed to germinate. I might also add that these dudes grow FAST. I only start mine about 3-4 weeks before outside planting because they quickly outgrow starting containers, get really leggy and try to smother all of their playmates in the greenhouse. They are NOT self-fertile so you need a few for pollination.

Grand Maje LINK

Cisneros LINK

Burpees Gigante LINK

January 1, 2010	#8
brokenbar Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: South Of The Border Posts: 1,169	The three largest varieties are Cisneros, Grand Maje and Burpee's Gigante. All of these are between three and four inches around. I grow my tomatillos in their own spot, along with all of the other notorious delinquents that re-seed like the devil lives inside them. Dill...OH MY, Cilantro....a moving green pile that threatens everything in it's path, NASTY little tiny tomatoes that are impossible to keep picked and the sly but just as insidious, basil gone rogue. It seems like nearly every other day, I am tieing the Tomatillos up. I grow them against hog (or stock) panels. One does have to be careful because they are not nearly as tough in the vine as tomatoes. I also lay down black plastic because of their demonic need to re-seed. My harvest would never be complete without Salsa Verde. My family eats it on everything. These larger varieties are much less work than the smaller tomatillos or ground cherries. Having just moved to Mexico, I can verify that they grow wild in huge clumps everywhere there. The Mexicans use them in many more ways and they are a staple in their diet. I saw one woman who wrapped them in banana leaves and baked them. She put some sort of chili pepper in there and something else I could not define. When I went back to pin her down she was gone...DRATS! They are very rich in Vitamin C and contain almost no liquid which makes for a nice thick salsa verde. I listed many of my recipes for Tomatillo's over in the recipe section. They will also store well for at least a month in a root cellar or refrigerator. They also freeze whole for later use. These are one of the most rewarding plants to grow...nothing seems to phase them and they grow faster than Jack's beanstalk. Mine reach 7 to 8 feet and have branches sticking out all over. I do notice that the birds like the few I leave laying on the ground at the end of the season and also the chipmunks (?) Cisneros and Grand Maje can be harder to find. I will do some scouting around and list sites that have them. There is also a large golden. I got a few seeds from a gal in Canada but they utterly failed to germinate. I might also add that these dudes grow FAST. I only start mine about 3-4 weeks before outside planting because they quickly outgrow starting containers, get really leggy and try to smother all of their playmates in the greenhouse. They are NOT self-fertile so you need a few for pollination. Grand Maje LINK Cisneros LINK Burpees Gigante LINK __________________ "If I'm not getting dirty, I'm not having a good time." Last edited by brokenbar; January 1, 2010 at 09:11 PM.