I bought 2 of these plants at the nursery. I know nothing about growing this besides full sun. Is it grown similar to tomatoes. How do I know when to harvest (if I get that far)?

When you find out, PLEASE, let me know!!!

I love the tomatillo salsa at Taco Cabana, and want to invest in making my own. I need to grow tomatillos, too!

Thanks!

Yes, you grow them just like tomato plants. And I would suggest using a tomato cage for each plant.

The fruits are in those paper looking husks. They stay green so I just pick them when they get big enough to eat.

thanks, rita!!

They are really easy plants. Grows like a weedy and very open tomato plant. The thing is they will not set fruit unless you have at least two as they need cross pollination. But For me to get lots of fruit I always planted at least 3.

They really taste great in salsa and years ago I used to make a salsa verde from tomatillos with cilantro and onions and I forget what. It was a long time ago and I since lost the receipe.

I have successfully grown tomatillos as a single plant. There seems to be some debate on whether 2 plants are needed for pollination..or perhaps mine cross-pollinated with my tomatoes. You can harvest them when the paper-like skin starts to split/open. Those plants get huge--need lots of staking. Very similar to growing tomatoes.

See now I have never gotten fruit with only one plant so I think it is best to get multiples. But if you only have room for one then try it.

I've been away from this forum for a while. Just saw this thread, and since I always grow these thought I'd add some things from my experience. I've always grown more then one plant, as I like these, so I don't know about having just one produce. I found that If I don't stake them and let them sprawl out I get a much bigger crop. The branches send down roots as they fall onto the ground and that seems to add lots of support for more fruit. Of course you need lots of room then as they will get to be about 6 feet across. I used to cage them and I'd get less fruit, and they didn't get as large.

tveguy3 said:I've been away from this forum for a while. Just saw this thread, and since I always grow these thought I'd add some things from my experience. I've always grown more then one plant, as I like these, so I don't know about having just one produce. I found that If I don't stake them and let them sprawl out I get a much bigger crop. The branches send down roots as they fall onto the ground and that seems to add lots of support for more fruit. Of course you need lots of room then as they will get to be about 6 feet across. I used to cage them and I'd get less fruit, and they didn't get as large.

Interesting. Yup, they do kind of sprawl but I have always grown them in a tomato cage. No room here to let anything take up too much room.

I have wild tomatillows that grow near my tomatoe patch they seem to do really well.

I dont know if they need to cross pollinate.
No offense Rita. 😎 But if day do.and you dont have da space . Just plant 2 in da same spot or pot. If i buy a pony pac.and a couple of plants are growing in one cell. I just plant em just as ! And they'll do just as fine if not better than the rest !
OHH ! Tomatillos are ripe when the husk breaks and gets dry. I got purple ones. They took a long time to start producing.
Soo ! Give em some time. 😎😎😎

I have never been able to get fruit set unless I had multiple plants. However, other people have posted that they only had one plant and it set fruits.

So I don't know but I like your plan of two planted together just in case.

I have two plants this year, and in the past have never had trouble getting them to bear. This year I noticed that the little husks were falling off and there were no fruits inside them. Upon close inspection it seems that there is some insect eating the tiny fruits before they develop. Now I'm thinking I can't use any thing on them to get the insects as then I'd kill the bees that are all over them pollenizing them.

That really is a shame. I would have thought Tomatillos would be pretty much plant it and simply harvest fruits.

It's been that way for years, now all of a sudden I have this issue.

tveguy3 said:It's been that way for years, now all of a sudden I have this issue.

IT is strange.

I grew tomatillos for the first time this year. Two plants; I had plenty of fruit to pick until we were nearly tired of it, and then the season was over, to my relief, and I have some frozen. I used cages on them. I don't think I could stand to have them yield any more. I couldn't get my friends interested in trying them.
I waited till the paper turned yellowish and/or fruit split it. Find salsa recipe online, I tried both raw and cooked ones, liked both. tomatillo, jalapeno, onion, cilantro, salt, I think was all? I used the Ninja to chop them up fast, great gadget.

I had fruit fall in the garden, think they will volunteer?

You did very well with your two plants!

The rainfall really was near perfect all spring and most of summer, which was tremendous. And the new garden is close to the hose and house, another big help.

I planted Tomatillos for first time this yr. I planted the purple ones.sounded diff.and tasty. I had a few. But then ! I had the some bug get into mine. Pods were full of black like poop.
I never figured out what it was.
Does anyone know ???
😎😎😎