Every year we have a lot of fun growing tomatoes in our backyard garden. You know I love to try out growing different things, so when I heard about these. They are apparently the secret ingredient in the Mexican green salsa recipes. I had to try learn how to grow tomatillos, how difficult could it be?
I understand they are native to Mexico and have been grown there since 800 B.C. There are two main varities that are available these days. These are the more popular Physalis ixocarpa and the Physalis Philadelphica. They both have a citrusy sweet flavor although one is pale yellow and the other is purple in color.
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Here’s What You’ll Need:
- tomatillo seeds
- compost
- mulch
- seedling trays
- seedling starter mix
It is recommended that you start your seeds indoors at least six weeks before the last frost in your area. Only transplant hardened plants, at about the same time you would your tomato seedlings. Raised beds work best in clay soils and as far as spacing is concerned plant the seedlings 3 feet apart in rows 3 to 4 feet apart.
You want a nice sunny spot with well drained soil in your garden. Do not forget to work the compost into your soil before planting. You also want to mulch each plant to prevent weeds and conserve moisture. Just an inch of water per week, will be sufficient to maintain optimum growth.
It takes between 75 to 100 days before they will be ready for harvest. The fruit should fill its husk, which will split slightly. Do not wait until it turns pale yellow, but do not pick when they are still hard like marbles. Store in a cool area for up to 7 days or for 21 days in your fridge. They say you should leave the husks on the fruits.
You can get more information from the Rodales Organic Life blog, here…
How To Grow Tomatillos At Home
You can watch the video below on how to plant, grow & harvest tomatillos…
You can watch the video below on growing giant tomatillos…
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