I Got Tomatillos!

[ccheek]

I experimented with growing them one year, myself -- well two or three years if you take the next years' volunteers into account. I took all of my tomatillos to my tenants and to the local food bank. It think I thought they were ground cherries.

I'm actually glad to hear you had volunteers the next year. Maybe I will be able to let some seed out to save seeds for next year.

 

[Smart Red]

Yes, Virginia, there are purple tomatillos.

 

[digitS']

Thank you Red! I have learned something. Physalis ixocarpa and Physalis philadelphica are alternative scientific names. This explains several things.

First, how it is that @PhilaGardener has experience with them. Obviously, they are both eastern Pennsylvania natives ...

Second, why I also picked up some Physalis alkekengi seed - cross species thought control ...

Steve

 

[ccheek]

I gotta get me purple tomatillos! They will definitely be in my next Baker Creek order.

 

[Smart Red]

As spouse was often hear to say, "One of each is a good start." If you're going to grow tomatillos, you might as well grow each variety.

 

[ccheek]

As spouse was often hear to say, "One of each is a good start." If you're going to grow tomatillos, you might as well grow each variety.

I agree! My garden gets bigger every year.

 

[FaerieGlynne]

I got some tomatillos in my seed of the month subscription that I'll be trying this year for the first time too!

 

[Devonviolet]

I was so excited to see this thread!

DH & I love spicy foods. In fact, we met over a jalapeno pepper!

We have fallen in love with egg quesadilla's for breakfast, and figured out (by process of elimination) that green salsa is amazing with them.

The green salsa we found at Wal-Mart (in the Mexican food section) wasn't quite hot enough. So we bought some green Tobasco & added it to the green salsa. PERFECT!

We looked at ingredients in green salsa & learned they mainly had Tomatillos & jalapenos!

Since we are getting our garden up & running this year, I decided I just had to grow Tomatillos & jalapenos. Suprisingly, here in Texas it's not easy to find Tomatillo plants at local garden centers. However, I did manage to find one at Wal-Mart. That pot actually had 3 plants. However, I had them on the covered front porch. They don't tolerate the cold & we had a few nights in the low 40's before I realized that. By the time I found the dying plants I only had one live plant, that was damping off at dirt level.

Since tomatoes can root on the stem, I decided to try cutting the Tomatillo off & put it in water. I got roots in the stem.

Forget finding Tomatillo seeds locally - I tried! So, while the stem roots, I got online & found purple Tomatillo seeds on eBay. I'm planning to plant them today, in flats, to get them started, until we can get our garden plowed & prepared for planting.

My plan, this year, is to grow what we need, and sell any extra at a local Farmer's Market. It seems most people grow & sell the same things, keeping prices down. So, I'm trying to find different varieties, so I can sell for more $$$. I'm thinking purple Tomatillos will fit that bill. But, for now, I will start with a few plants & see how they do.

 

[ccheek]

My husband's granddad on his mother's side was actually born in Mexico (although you can't tell it by looking at them and none of them speak a lick of Spanish ), and up until about 6 years ago he had never lived anywhere but Texas, so the Mexican runs deep for us, . We actually still visit his family once or twice a month, and would love to move back but we just can't seem to find the "financial opportunity" to make us leave our current jobs. Man, can them people cook, and everything (I swear these people have parties to plan parties) is cause for a big family celebration!!! Our hearts are in Texas for sure.

So, when a friend of mine saw these (she actually found them in Texas, which is just a ten minute drive for us) she couldn't help but pick some up for me. She's awesome! She only bought two, but like you said, there were actually six plants between the two of them, so I separated what I could and I have Tomatillos!

Good luck with your plants! Purple is definitely on my 2017 garden list!

 

[Devonviolet]

Now you're talkin', ccheek!

I grew up in the Central Valley region of California - HOT, dry Fresno! With all the crops grown there (cotton, grapes & plums [for prunes]), there were lots of Mexican laborers. So, I grew up with the real deal - not Taco Bell wannabe food. We're talking homemade tamales, tacos made with fresh fried corn tortillas, enchiladas with pulled pork, black olives, chopped onion, spicy sauce with lots of cheese and hot fajitas! M-m-m! Makes my mouth water just to think of it!