Vegetables: TOMATILLO PLANT-2 1/2 FT TALL!! NO TOMATILLOS

Replies: 25 Views: 246

Author	Comment
akc87031 Los Lunas, NM July 17, 2009 04:30 PM	Hi, my tomatillo plant is huge! But no tomatillos! When do they come and what should I do to get tomatillos? View Larger
jannz2 Pilot Point, TX July 17, 2009 05:18 PM	Mine is getting long and spindley too. I see blossoms but no fruit yet.
bookreader451 Waterford, NY (Zone 5b) August 13, 2009 10:00 PM	I am having the same problem and after a little research it seems you need at least two for cross pollination. I have one healthy plant full of blossoms and no fruit UGHHH So I guess next year it is start a few seedlings and then maybe I will have the pico di gallo I love so much. I was growing all the ingredients this year and the tomatillo is the only thing missing!
Allwild East, TX (Zone 7b) August 21, 2009 08:43 PM	I'm another with tomatillo plants blooming like crazy but no fruit!! Two plants growing side by side; the largest grew ahead of the smaller one but they both have blooms now. Of course they've been blooming for months now?? I have been searching for info but not much out there about tomatillos that I could find. I did read that they are late summer fruiters ~ so I'm still hoping. My dh seems to think they are going to start producing fruit any day now... and was commenting on how healthy the plants look.
Allwild East, TX (Zone 7b) August 21, 2009 09:03 PM	Okay I was just reading that the tomatillo needs a long growing season and should be sown indoors 5-6 weeks before last frost. I direct sowed mine and it was the end of May before I was able to sow anything due to cold temps. Hmm.. here's the website I was reading: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1895.pdf
stephanietx Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a) August 23, 2009 11:03 AM	For those in TX, it's probably too hot for them to set fruit. They'll bloom, but not set fruit until it cools down a bit. You know, in October! LOL
Allwild East, TX (Zone 7b) August 23, 2009 11:59 AM	Thanks Stephanietx! LOL too true!! I think us first timers are wondering where's the fruit? But you have given me new hope that they are on the way. It certainly has been hot here! It's a good thing I was born with patience... perfect for gardening!!! And bookreader, I also love pico de gallo but I'm also having a hard time getting cilantro to grow!! Both tomatillos and cilantro are described as "Easy to grow"...not for me!
bookreader451 Waterford, NY (Zone 5b) August 23, 2009 01:15 PM	I have all my herbs in pots and hanging planters. I have several differents basils, oregano, sage, thyme, parsley, marjoram, chives and cilantro in huge pots along the back of the house. It is North facing and they get partial sun. They grow very well like this for me and I have enough to dry and get me through the winter.
stephanietx Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a) August 23, 2009 02:03 PM	Cilantro won't grow in the heat. it's another one of those things that you plant about now and it'll grow in the cooler weather.
Allwild East, TX (Zone 7b) August 23, 2009 02:31 PM	Thank you again Stephanie!! I guess my thinking is a little 'off' on the Mexican staples...I've been thinking of them as sun and heat loving! Obviously not!!! LOL Okay I'll give it another (4th) try!! I will try putting it in a container to get some shade, as suggested by bookreader ~ and thank you. I have added freezing to my storage of herbs. This is great so far, the dill and parsley have that fresh flavor when taken from the freezer. Basil too. I was thinking of trying to freeze the cilantro but haven't had a chance since I can't seem to grow it!!! LOL
stephanietx Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a) August 23, 2009 02:58 PM	You might find this helpful, wild. It's to Ann McCormick's herb information. She's located here in FW, so her info is good for Texans. You might need to adjust the planting dates a bit, but it'll help. http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs076/1102110388649/archi...
bookreader451 Waterford, NY (Zone 5b) August 23, 2009 06:46 PM	I freeze basil and cilantro. But if frozen it is better if your cooking with it instead of trying to use it like fresh. I am a herb and spice freak and what I can't grow myself I order from either Penzey's or World Spice merchants. Just and FYI you can freeze pesto too.
Allwild East, TX (Zone 7b) October 10, 2009 11:29 AM	The cooler weather brought on the tomatillos! I'm sure you're not surprised stephanietx, but I was. LOL the past couple of weeks I saw two bumble bees on the blooms almost daily! I'm thrilled to see the fruits coming! Now to keep the weather cool but not too cold! How about you akc?
Allwild East, TX (Zone 7b) October 10, 2009 11:33 AM	here they are View Larger
stephanietx Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a) October 11, 2009 11:04 PM	Aren't they pretty?!?
wendycm Choteau, MT October 21, 2009 12:40 PM	Here in north-central MT my tomatillos self-seed (even sometimes in the cracks of the sidewalk!) and thrive with little if any care. I have no idea why they are so vigorous. I picked all the fruits a couple of weeks ago before a hard frost, and on Sunday made a big batch of salsa verde - my best ever! I canned it last night and this morning, much to my dismay, discovered what appear to be numerous tiny little white worms of some sort that bubbled to the top in the jars. Does anyone have any ideas what they might be? I assume the tomatillos might be the source - the only other things I put in were onions, garlic, jalapenos, lemon juice, and vinegar. Yet I checked all the tomatillos and discarded any imperfect fruits. Help...!?!
Allwild East, TX (Zone 7b) October 21, 2009 01:12 PM	gosh wendy, I wish I knew. what a shame after all of your work & being the best ever!!! Sorry to hear! I had a similar problem with my wild plums. there were little tiny white worms that bore holes in the plums, even while still on the tree. I ended up with one jar of plum chutney out of all of the fruit. It's delish though!!
KathySEFL Delray Beach, FL (Zone 10a) October 25, 2009 08:25 AM	Allwild, I have been watching this thread with interest. I love salsa verde! I will have to order seeds though as I have found none locally. I am wondering if it is too hot here to grow tomatillos. Guess I better get growing before the hot season rolls around again..... WendyCM, So sorry about those little worms. Hope you find the answer to avoiding them!
1lisac Liberty Hill, TX (Zone 8a) October 25, 2009 01:40 PM	I think you need to add phosphate (the middle #) when the plant is growing that well but not setting fruit usually the nitogen is too high and phosphate is too low. Lisa
Allwild East, TX (Zone 7b) October 25, 2009 03:38 PM	Thank you for the soil info Lisa, very helpful! KathySEFL, I was looking in the DG plant files under the various varieties of tomatillos and there are many in Florida and other hot regions that say the tomatillo grows well for them. Maybe it's too hot here in Tx in comparison to these other places, so I think you should be able to grow them. I will plan to save seeds and let you know when they are ready if you want me to send you some. I think you should wait till spring to grow them, start indoors and then put out after danger of frost (if it gets that cold where you are). In your climate, you may even be able to get two crops if you plant in spring and late summer. wendycm, I was wondering if some sort of larvae was around your garden, that could be what the little white things were. Just a thought. I know I would want to know what was going on too, if that happened to me!! Yesterday I made some basil infused olive oil. I picked the basil, washed it in a bowl of water, tore each leaf off of the stems, set them out on a towel and dried them each individually and after I put the basil in the bottle and filled it with olive oil...there was a big black spider moving in the bottom of the bottle!! I couldn't believe it I was so careful to look for bugs! Anyway I started from the beginning and made another bottle!
locakelly Phoenix, AZ (Zone 9a) October 27, 2009 03:37 PM	Tomatillos grow well here in our heat in Phoenix - no problem. We can plant them pretty much from January through August direct sowing and transplants in March and April.
jeffeljefe Philadelphia, PA (Zone 6b) October 28, 2009 04:19 PM	Aren't tomatillos highly self-incompatible? You need two plants for them to fruit, I think sometimes a single plant will set some fruit but very little. So for those who have the problem and only have one plant, could likely be the source of the problem.
jannz2 Pilot Point, TX October 29, 2009 07:35 AM	I think you may be right about needing two plants. I have just one plant and even though it's huge and gangly with all sorts of 'pods' -- (they look like hot air balloons) -- only a few of the pods actually have any fruit in them.
locakelly Phoenix, AZ (Zone 9a) October 29, 2009 11:29 AM	Tomatillos are not self fertilizing; you will need at least two tomatillo plants in order to get fruit. Of course if someone is growing them near you you may get lucky and have a bee visit both plants;o) Here's a good article on growing tomatillos... http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/vegetable/growing-tomatillo-...
1lisac Liberty Hill, TX (Zone 8a) October 29, 2009 06:56 PM	WOW! I thought they were like tomatoes learn something new everyday.
jannz2 Pilot Point, TX November 08, 2009 09:08 PM	Well.... I don't know HOW it happened...but my ONE tomatillo plant has finally started to produce its fruit. I live on 10acres....and I'm pretty sure I'm the only one growing tomatillos in my neighborhood. I do have tomatoes and peppers growing near by so maybe that's why I finally got some fruit. ~Dunno....?? The plant itself is a little wild-looking when it grows...but I sure like looking at all those little pods. They look like little 'hot air balloons'. Each little pod has the fruit (tomatillo) inside and they seem to ripen much like a tomato in that there are different batches. So it looks like I'll have tomatillos for a little while. I'll definitely plant tomatillos again.

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