info on tomatillo - Page 2

rutabagaboy · May 5, 2009

Thanks for the photos. It appears that the stems take on a square shape, is that the case?

Wi-sunflower · May 5, 2009

No I don't think so. It may just be the flash on the camera causing that odd look. I'd check but we put the plants in the truck for a market tomorrow. I'll try to remember to look when we unload.

They do tend to look rather leggy and gangly when young. but if planted deep in the field, they will bush up and be wild like many cherry tomatoes.

Carol

rutabagaboy · May 16, 2009

As this seedling has put on a little height (now 6" tall) and put out a flower and a new bud, it looks more and more like the plant pictured by Wi-sunflower in an earlier post, so I'll call it such unless and until the fruit proves it to be otherwise. There is a definite flatness to the stems, sort of like a square with its edges rounded off. Thanks for the help.

newatthiskat · May 16, 2009

Those look like Tomitillo flowers to me!

I have 4 plants out in the garden now. The flowers are fairly destinctive
Kat

Sandlapper Spike · May 28, 2009

I am growing tomatillos for the first time this season. I have three plants growing next to each other. Each is now about five feet tall and has plenty of flowers, but I haven't seen any berries yet. Do they take a while to fruit? I've had flowers for the better part of a month now.

veggie babe · May 29, 2009

This is my first year to grow tomatillos too and I am looking at the same situation. Hope someone can help us.

neva

Mojo · May 29, 2009

Oh, wait until AFTER they're off the plant? Hm, that might well make a difference. Although...last season I got good reviews for green tomatillo salsa.

Mine have been kinda lagging this year, but the squash borers have solved that by killing off half my zukes and so now the tomatillo plants will get more sunlight.

newatthiskat · May 29, 2009

I have a few tomitillos that have set. I wonder if it would be benificial to hand pollinate them?
Kat

garnetmoth · May 31, 2009

I have grown tomatillos once and ground cherries twice. I noticed that the tomatillos dont really set well until you get some cool nights. Dont know if hand pollinating will help.

good luck!

Sandlapper Spike · June 3, 2009

I now have several that have appeared.

mikeinsc · July 16, 2009

Ya'll are doing much better with your plants than I am. I've got about 30 Purple Tomatillo plants grown from seed. So far, I only have about 30 fruit in total. Some have been set and growing for a month at least.

What is weird, is that the plants in pots that get knocked over by the dogs or in general roughed up are the ones doing the best. And they are right next to the planted ones. And of the planted ones, only one has set fruit and grown a husk and that was only in the last 2 weeks.

However, they are all still flowering like crazy and growing. I'm in Zone 8 and they do get at least 5 hours a day of steady sun. And I hope that they will eventually explode before Santa brings me toys.

Direct Sunlight · October 7, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by tantaw0

Where I live Tomatillos, Texas, are grown by "everyone". My experience with growing them from seed is to treat them like peppers. That is to say that they take longer to germinate than tomato seed normally does. It is not unusual for them to take 10 to 14 days to germinate.

I have also found that they are very hardy plants and will do very well in hot, arid climates. I live in Zone 7 and normally in the summer our temps range from highs of 97 to 105 degrees. Hopefully your experience will be like mine. We normally get from 75 to 175 fruits per plant.

Dave

Mine wouldn't produce a thing from Mid-may until the last week of September. I have purple tomatillos. I wonder if it depends on the variety.

brokenbar · October 7, 2011

I grew 15 to 20 plants every year in Wyoming and they produced like crazy. Never had a bad year. They grow wild everywhere in Mexico so that shows two very different climates (Wyoming/Mexico) where they do well.

I grew I large (bigger than golf ball) purple variety (Baker Creek) this year and I grew purple jalapenos and purple "tequila" peppers to make a gorgeous "Salsa Violetta".

The bees LOVE Tomatillo flowers so I don't think pollination would be a problem.
I have found that the more water you give them, the larger the fruit. The plants also produce better if staked (they are the sprawlers of the garden...constantly having to be tied up.)

Like tomatoes, tomatillos can be picked when frost threatens and will ripen just fine indoors.

Direct Sunlight · October 7, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by brokenbar

I grew 15 to 20 plants every year in Wyoming and they produced like crazy. Never had a bad year. They grow wild everywhere in Mexico so that shows two very different climates (Wyoming/Mexico) where they do well.

I grew I large (bigger than golf ball) purple variety (Baker Creek) this year and I grew purple jalapenos and purple "tequila" peppers to make a gorgeous "Salsa Violetta".

The bees LOVE Tomatillo flowers so I don't think pollination would be a problem.
I have found that the more water you give them, the larger the fruit. The plants also produce better if staked (they are the sprawlers of the garden...constantly having to be tied up.)

Like tomatoes, tomatillos can be picked when frost threatens and will ripen just fine indoors.

That's good to know. I'm not watering them very often now (2 times a week) but they look happy except for some yellowing leaves on top. I've been giving them more water than the pumpkins, because if I don't the leaves wilt by the time I get to the next watering. I'm estimating there are about 75 husks growing on each plant now, approximately double of what there was last weekend. How big do they get, and how do you know when to pick them? I looked on this forum and another one but didn't find that info.

brokenbar · October 7, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direct Sunlight

That's good to know. I'm not watering them very often now (2 times a week) but they look happy except for some yellowing leaves on top. I've been giving them more water than the pumpkins, because if I don't the leaves wilt by the time I get to the next watering. I'm estimating there are about 75 husks growing on each plant now, approximately double of what there was last weekend. How big do they get, and how do you know when to pick them? I looked on this forum and another one but didn't find that info.

How big they get depends on what variety you are growing? The husks turn tan when they are ripe but truthfully, you can pick them any time and they will ripen. Some of the varieties are sweeter, the "gold" for instance is much sweeter than regular tomatillos. The biggest ones are "Grand Maje" & "Cisneros". They get about the size of a tangerine.

Here is a GREAT article about tomatillos: http://www.iserv.net/~wmize/tomtil.html

May 16, 2009	#19
newatthiskat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: texas Posts: 1,451	reply Those look like Tomitillo flowers to me! I have 4 plants out in the garden now. The flowers are fairly destinctive Kat

May 29, 2009	#22
Mojo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 317	Oh, wait until AFTER they're off the plant? Hm, that might well make a difference. Although...last season I got good reviews for green tomatillo salsa. Mine have been kinda lagging this year, but the squash borers have solved that by killing off half my zukes and so now the tomatillo plants will get more sunlight. __________________ There is no logical response to the question, "Why won't you let me plant more tomatoes?"

May 29, 2009	#23
newatthiskat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: texas Posts: 1,451	reply I have a few tomitillos that have set. I wonder if it would be benificial to hand pollinate them? Kat

October 7, 2011	#28
brokenbar Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: South Of The Border Posts: 1,169	I grew 15 to 20 plants every year in Wyoming and they produced like crazy. Never had a bad year. They grow wild everywhere in Mexico so that shows two very different climates (Wyoming/Mexico) where they do well. I grew I large (bigger than golf ball) purple variety (Baker Creek) this year and I grew purple jalapenos and purple "tequila" peppers to make a gorgeous "Salsa Violetta". The bees LOVE Tomatillo flowers so I don't think pollination would be a problem. I have found that the more water you give them, the larger the fruit. The plants also produce better if staked (they are the sprawlers of the garden...constantly having to be tied up.) Like tomatoes, tomatillos can be picked when frost threatens and will ripen just fine indoors. __________________ "If I'm not getting dirty, I'm not having a good time."

May 5, 2009	#16
rutabagaboy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Near Sacramento, California Posts: 322	Thanks for the photos. It appears that the stems take on a square shape, is that the case?

May 5, 2009	#17
Wi-sunflower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,591	No I don't think so. It may just be the flash on the camera causing that odd look. I'd check but we put the plants in the truck for a market tomorrow. I'll try to remember to look when we unload. They do tend to look rather leggy and gangly when young. but if planted deep in the field, they will bush up and be wild like many cherry tomatoes. Carol

May 28, 2009	#20
Sandlapper Spike Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: South Carolina Posts: 3	I am growing tomatillos for the first time this season. I have three plants growing next to each other. Each is now about five feet tall and has plenty of flowers, but I haven't seen any berries yet. Do they take a while to fruit? I've had flowers for the better part of a month now.

May 29, 2009	#21
veggie babe Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: east texas Posts: 686	This is my first year to grow tomatillos too and I am looking at the same situation. Hope someone can help us. neva

May 31, 2009	#24
garnetmoth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: cincinnati, oh Posts: 492	I have grown tomatillos once and ground cherries twice. I noticed that the tomatillos dont really set well until you get some cool nights. Dont know if hand pollinating will help. good luck!

June 3, 2009	#25
Sandlapper Spike Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: South Carolina Posts: 3	I now have several that have appeared.

July 16, 2009	#26
mikeinsc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: St. George, SC Posts: 34	Ya'll are doing much better with your plants than I am. I've got about 30 Purple Tomatillo plants grown from seed. So far, I only have about 30 fruit in total. Some have been set and growing for a month at least. What is weird, is that the plants in pots that get knocked over by the dogs or in general roughed up are the ones doing the best. And they are right next to the planted ones. And of the planted ones, only one has set fruit and grown a husk and that was only in the last 2 weeks. However, they are all still flowering like crazy and growing. I'm in Zone 8 and they do get at least 5 hours a day of steady sun. And I hope that they will eventually explode before Santa brings me toys.