Gardening with Gary

Gardening Advice from an Expert

Tomatillos

Tracy writes~ I have two very large tomatillo plants. The are in two raised beds near each other. One of the tomatillos is covered with fruit and the other, while a really large plant has a few yellow leaves and no fruit. Do you know what could make one fail to set fruit? I garden organically and both beds were top dressed with compost in the spring.

A. I would like to see you give the plants Phosphorus. That is the element needed for blooming and hence fruiting. If your gardening habits, whether dried leaves or compost, etc., are slanted toward Nitrogen, then the fruit production will be cut back greatly.

Try going through the big bush and pruning out excessive branches and large leaves. The less leaves producing food, the greater your chance of forcing it into fruiting.

It could also be that one is a dud. Sometimes through our hybridization, one comes out sterile or practically fruitless. In this case, of course, there is nothing I can advise you to do in order to get that fruit you desire!

I prefer this first hybrid below and have listed a couple more for you to try. I hope that you did not start seedlings from your own seed as many times they are sterile.

Cisineros Tomatillo - Incredibly large tomatillo will amaze you with its size and productivity. This is easily twice the size of most tomatillos, making preparation into salsa even easier. Apple-green fruit have a papery husk that splits open as tomatillos mature and turn yellow-green. Use in the bright green stage for the tartest flavor, or allow to ripen further for a sweeter taste. Huge size makes this tomatillo really special. 75 days.

Pineapple Tomatillo - Purple. This tomatillo has a sweet, fruity taste that reminds you of a pineapple. Short, spreading plants yield plenty of these tasty fruit which is wonderful in salsas, especially those made with fruit as an ingredient. 75 days.

Purple Tomatillo - A uniquely colored tomatillo that is enjoyed for the sweet yet tart flavor it gives Mexican dishes. These small fruit form inside papery husks and begin as pale green, then ripen to a rich, deep purple. Vigorous and productive plants. 75-85 days.

Toma Verde Tomatillo - The tomatillo is a member of the tomato family, but not a real tomato. Round green tomatillos have a papery husk that is removed before preparing. Vining plants are easily grown and prolific. Flavor is sweet yet tart and wonderful in green Mexican salsa and other Mexican and Southwestern dishes. 75 days.

Verde Puebla Tomatillo - 1 to 2 oz. round green fruit inside a tan colored, papery husk. Plants give a continuous set of these tomato relatives that are used to make green Mexican salsa. Easy to grow. Indeterminate. 75 days.

http://tomatogrowers.com/tomatillos.htm

Q. I love the green tomatillos but a friend told me there are other colors, too. I said there were not since I never saw them for sale. Am I right?

A. Actually, there are quite a few popular hybrids of tomatillos available for your garden. We see the green one all the time, but if you venture to a farmer's market, you may see several other colors and types. Here is some information:

Cisineros Tomatillo:
Incredibly large tomatillo will amaze you with its size and productivity. This is easily twice the size of most tomatillos, making preparation into salsa even easier. Apple-green fruit have a papery husk that splits open as tomatillos mature and turn yellow-green. Use in the bright green stage for the tartest flavor, or allow to ripen further for a sweeter taste. Huge size makes this tomatillo really special. 75 days.

Pineapple Tomatillo:
Purple. This tomatillo has a sweet, fruity taste that reminds you of a pineapple. Short, spreading plants yield plenty of these tasty fruit which is wonderful in salsas, especially those made with fruit as an ingredient. 75 days.

Purple Tomatillo:
A uniquely colored tomatillo that is enjoyed for the sweet yet tart flavor it gives Mexican dishes. These small fruit form inside papery husks and begin as pale green, then ripen to a rich, deep purple. Vigorous and productive plants. 75-85 days.

Toma Verde Tomatillo:
The tomatillo is a member of the tomato family, but not a real tomato. Round green tomatillos have a papery husk that is removed before preparing. Vining plants are easily grown and prolific. Flavor is sweet yet tart and wonderful in green Mexican salsa and other Mexican and Southwestern dishes. 75 days.

Verde Puebla Tomatillo:
1 to 2 oz. round green fruit inside a tan colored, papery husk. Plants give a continuous set of these tomato relatives that are used to make green Mexican salsa. Easy to grow. Indeterminate. 75 days.

http://tomatogrowers.com/tomatillos.htm