General |
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These big sprawling tomatillo plants are easier to grow than tomatoes and do not require any protection from rain. The fruit itself, when fully ripe, can be used to increase tomato sauces. Ground cherries, a variety of Physalis spp., are a sweet fruit and are used for preserves and desserts.
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Latin |
Physalis spp.
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Difficulty |
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Easy.
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Season & Zone |
Season: Warm season.
Exposure: Full-sun.
Zone: All.
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Planting Seeds |
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Raise like tomatoes.
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Preparing Soil |
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Tomatillos are well adapted to growing without cover, in moderately fertile soil. Full sun and regular watering will keep the plants producing.
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Planting |
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Set transplants into the garden after the tomatoes go out. Tomatillos and ground cherries are good candidates for container growing because they drop their fruit when it's ripe. If the container is raised, so that the fruit can be gathered underneath, it is very convenient. In the garden, the plants spread, so space them 1-1.2m (3-4') apart.
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Diseases & Pests |
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None.
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Harvest |
For salsa verde, harvest tomatillos when they're still green, just starting to lighten up on the blossom end. For full flavour, simmer for 5-10 minutes in a pot of water, then use in salsa verde or other salsas and dips. But for fresh eating, the fruit is sweetest when it turns yellow and splits its husks, sometimes falling to the ground.
For ground cherries, the fruit ripen from green to yellow-gold, and drop to the ground in their husks, waiting for you to gather them.
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