Looking for Tomatillo Advice

[Zeedman]

Did they get so root bound that they died? Do you think if I keep upping the pot size I could keep them going? Maybe I could cut them at soil level and re-root them in a glass of water. I've done it with leggy tomatoes..

Tomatillos don't seem to do well under lights, mine just kept getting tall & leggy despite my best efforts. They turned yellow & died waiting for transplant, while the tomatoes under the same conditions remained healthy. Didn't think to try cutting & re-rooting; but that might work. To me, they grow so fast that re-planting a second batch from seed seemed to be the best remedy.

Oh, and a cautionary FYI. Like ground cherries, they will volunteer heavily next year if any fruit is allowed to rot on the ground. Those volunteers produced a lot of green tomatillos & a few mature ones even in my short growing season. If the two (involuntary) fallow years on my rural plot finally killed off the small-fruited variety I started with, that would be a silver lining.

 

[heirloomgal]

Tomatillos don't seem to do well under lights, mine just kept getting tall & leggy despite my best efforts. They turned yellow & died waiting for transplant, while the tomatoes under the same conditions remained healthy. Didn't think to try cutting & re-rooting; but that might work. To me, they grow so fast that re-planting a second batch from seed seemed to be the best remedy.

Oh, and a cautionary FYI. Like ground cherries, they will volunteer heavily next year if any fruit is allowed to rot on the ground. Those volunteers produced a lot of green tomatillos & a few mature ones even in my short growing season. If the two (involuntary) fallow years on my rural plot finally killed off the small-fruited variety I started with, that would be a silver lining.

I had no idea that tomatillos were so different from tomatoes in terms of when to start and growth habit. The vendor I got my seeds from just said 'grow like tomatoes'. Already they are turning into green monsters, and seem to grow an inch a day. Its remarkable. I hope I like these things! Someone wrote that tomatillos took over in their garden, another cautionary tale. My seed packet says they grow to 2 or three feet! I guess we'll see what these things do in my soil and climate. I really plan out things in my garden, with not much space to spare and every inch accounted for. I'm hoping they behave (if I can keep them going) for the sake of 'the plan'.

 

[Zeedman]

Already they are turning into green monsters, and seem to grow an inch a day. Its remarkable. I hope I like these things! Someone wrote that tomatillos took over in their garden, another cautionary tale. My seed packet says they grow to 2 or three feet!

I'd choose "taking over the garden" over the "2 or 3 feet", for planning purposes. My volunteers had runners 6-8' long, sprawling into adjoining rows. I'd suggest caging or tying them up, unless the plants have room to roam (which I gather is not the case).

 

[heirloomgal]

I'd choose "taking over the garden" over the "2 or 3 feet", for planning purposes. My volunteers had runners 6-8' long, sprawling into adjoining rows. I'd suggest caging or tying them up, unless the plants have room to roam (which I gather is not the case).

I had no idea tomatillos had runners?! Is this like offshoots, like a tomato? Mind you, I've never grown 'em so I haven't a clue. Wow, and I think I've got ten plants. I guess it's time to say goodbye to a few. I'm going to have to do some research on the climate of east central Wisconsin to see how similar our summer conditions are. I wonder if "2-3 ft" is tied to our summer being shorter, or cooler...well, one can hope...

Edit: it must be a testament to how not popular tomatilllos are because even in this gardening context 'tomatillo' comes up as a spelling mistake....

 

[Zeedman]

I had no idea tomatillos had runners?! Is this like offshoots, like a tomato? Mind you, I've never grown 'em so I haven't a clue. Wow, and I think I've got ten plants. I guess it's time to say goodbye to a few. I'm going to have to do some research on the climate of east central Wisconsin to see how similar our summer conditions are. I wonder if "2-3 ft" is tied to our summer being shorter, or cooler...well, one can hope...

Edit: it must be a testament to how not popular tomatilllos are because even in this gardening context 'tomatillo' comes up as a spelling mistake....

I am using the term "runners" loosely, to describe long, sparsely leaved, wandering stems. They don't climb, or possess tendrils... but the main stems can root along the ground & spread widely, unless controlled. This tendency may vary depending upon variety, because as I recall, the purple variety I grew was not as rampant. You should be able to restrain the plants within large tomato cages, or tie them up to a fence or trellis. With that many plants, trim them back to keep them manageable, which should also encourage the first fruits to ripen more rapidly.

It will be interesting to compare notes this year, about the different varieties we are growing. I will be starting Verde Grande next week.

 

[heirloomgal]

You should be able to restrain the plants within large tomato cages,

Excellent tip, I've got nice big ones made on OSU models. And better to put them in the beginning than the middle! 'Verde Grande' - this is what Salsa Verde is made from I gather...

 

[heirloomgal]

'Queen of Malinalco' tomatillo cuttings flowering right along with the non-cut plants. Seems they produce flowers on an 'age' schedule not according to the size of the plant. They'll have to go into the ground soon because the older leaves are beginning to look stressed. There is a chance of frost on Friday night; I hope they can wait until then...

 

[Zeedman]

'Queen of Malinalco' tomatillo cuttings flowering right along with the non-cut plants. Seems they produce flowers on an 'age' schedule not according to the size of the plant. They'll have to go into the ground soon because the older leaves are beginning to look stressed. There is a chance of frost on Friday night; I hope they can wait until then...

You are apparently a little colder than my climate. I am expecting low temps in the low-to-mid 40's F. from Wednesday through Saturday. Those plants are better developed than mine, though. I will be pruning mine back & potting up tomorrow (along with some of the tomatoes intended for the rural plot). I'll root the cuttings, since one plant has already yellowed & fallen over. Temps warm up on Sunday, hopefully for the rest of the Summer.

BTW, the Garden Huckleberry seems to be only slightly slower as a seedling, I'm glad I started it late. Almost as tall as the tomatillos, but healthier.

 

[Zeedman]

I thought I would resurrect this thread for tomatillo observations, since this comes up when searching "tomatillo".

Many of the Verde Grande have been ripening & falling to the ground, like ground cherries. They have a lot more size variation than I expected - possible crossing in the seed? I'll grow this for a few years & keep selecting for the larger size, to see if it can be improved.

I think I need to change my opinion on using the ripe fruits. DW was weeding around them, and asked me if she could eat one of the ripe ones under the plants. She often snacks on beans, peppers, or tomatoes as she works in the garden; so she took a bite out of a tomatillo to test it - then told me to test it too (somehow Adam & Eve came to mind ). It was really good eaten fresh! I will still use the green tomatillos for Salsa Verde, but it's nice to know that the ripe ones are good for something more than seed saving.

 

[heirloomgal]

I thought I would resurrect this thread for tomatillo observations, since this comes up when searching "tomatillo".

Many of the Verde Grande have been ripening & falling to the ground, like ground cherries. They have a lot more size variation than I expected - possible crossing in the seed? I'll grow this for a few years & keep selecting for the larger size, to see if it can be improved.
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I think I need to change my opinion on using the ripe fruits. DW was weeding around them, and asked me if she could eat one of the ripe ones under the plants. She often snacks on beans, peppers, or tomatoes as she works in the garden; so she took a bite out of a tomatillo to test it - then told me to test it too (somehow Adam & Eve came to mind ). It was really good eaten fresh! I will still use the green tomatillos for Salsa Verde, but it's nice to know that the ripe ones are good for something more than seed saving.

My tomatillos this year had huge variations in the size of fruits. It was surprising.