Tomatillos

Tomatillos << Back to Gardening Tips


Tomatillos


Tomatillos grow in the summer garden just like their relatives: tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers. In fact, the leaves look a little like the foliage of eggplant, but the fruit is like no other.

You will need two or more tomatillo plants for the blooms to be pollinated and fruit to be produced. Plan for each plant to produce about a pound of fruit over the season. However, most recipes call for ½ pound to make sauce, so plan to grow a minimum of 2 to 3 plants to have enough fruit ready to eat at one time. You may need more if you like them a lot.

Set plants in the garden in spring after all danger of frost has passed and the soil has begun to warm. Choose a sunny location, and enrich the soil with compost. You can set plants deep like you would a tomato, burying nearly 2/3 of the plant. Space plants about 2 feet apart with a trellis or cage to support them as they grow. Treat tomatillos as you would tomatoes, keeping the soil evenly moist. Apply Blessings Blends OMRI-Listed Premium Compost (.5 – .5 – .4) for best results.