Re: let's Discuss Tomatillos

mollyhespra 5/12/2013, 10:29 am

Hmm...so I'm thinking maybe just leave those whatever-they-are buds just be. If they are flowers & don't get pollinated, nothing lost at this stage of the game, but if I go and pinch I might regret it, so I'd rather be safe than sorry & not pinch.

What did you end up doing with your buds, CC?

CapeCoddess 5/12/2013, 11:38 am

Unless they've been leafing out and budding again when I haven't been looking, they haven't done much yet except for this big one on the right that seems to be cracking open...it looks like leaves. I'll keep an eye on it and let you know if it's not: let's Discuss Tomatillos - Page 2 100_6612

let's Discuss Tomatillos - Page 2 100_6612

LM, you are so right about the water. We just had 24 hours of rain and they grew about 2 inches! I'll be laying it on from now on. Also, at >4'x 4' I'll be putting all 3 in the ground, too.

CC

**Turan** 5/12/2013, 12:05 pm

I don't remember ever 'intentionally' pinching to make them bushier and they branched out anyways. I have had them insist on blooming in the pot, but those flowers just dropped off. I think they bloom in response to the root restriction of the pot. They change their mind when you plant them out and you will wonder if they will ever stop growing and get around to flowering. A cold snap in August can send them into a huge flowering spasm. I think they flower in response to stress. So I try to be a bit neglectful after they get a good bit of growth on them.

However that is contradictory to LMs potted ones not fruiting...... So ummm,,,, they are independently minded creatures that ignore my conclusions. Similar to kids, sheep, and chickens and the rest of the garden Laughing

Happy Mother's Day to all the gardeners here cuz we are all involved in a type of mothering let's Discuss Tomatillos - Page 2 3170584802

CapeCoddess 5/12/2013, 6:45 pm

OK, now they are getting suckers. So I'm wondering if we can pinch the suckers and it will keep to one stem like an indeterminate tom? Then maybe it will be OK for one trellised square? Has anyone tried that yet?

CC

Pollinator 5/12/2013, 10:50 pm

jmsieglaff wrote:I've always grown two, but a guy I work with tried one plant and got very few fruits. He now grows two and gets tons. We harvested about 20# from two plants last year.

+1

**Turan** 5/12/2013, 11:25 pm

CapeCoddess wrote:OK, now they are getting suckers. So I'm wondering if we can pinch the suckers and it will keep to one stem like an indeterminate tom? Then maybe it will be OK for one trellised square? Has anyone tried that yet?

CC

They are not vining types. You can pinch them back but like with a determinate tomato you are reducing harvest.

CapeCoddess 5/13/2013, 10:26 am

Oh, OK. I'll leave it alone then. One less experiment to try. Smile

Thanks,
CC

mollyhespra 5/15/2013, 11:18 am

OK, here's another question: I'm looking at my tomatillo seedlings and I'm thinking I'm going to need to up-pot pretty soon. I was going to do like with tomatoes & bury the stems deeply but before I do I thought I'd just check with you more knowledgeable folks. Good idea or not necessary? Thanks in advance!

**Turan** 5/15/2013, 11:51 am

Hmmm, I do not really know. I plant them like I do peppers and eggplant, just a little deeper than they sprouted. Nothing like the deep burying we do on tomatoes. You know how there are those little bumps on tomato stems that will sprout roots if put in soil or water? I do not see those on tomatillos, eggplants or peppers.

CapeCoddess 5/15/2013, 12:48 pm

Turan wrote:You know how there are those little bumps on tomato stems that will sprout roots if put in soil or water? I do not see those on tomatillos, eggplants or peppers.

That's how I look at it...they don't have any hairs. I only potted up once and thought about doing it again but read that they don't like being disturbed, which is probably why they took so long to start growing again after the first time. So I'm leaving them be til they go in the ground, hopefully Memorial Day weekend.

Also, that bud I have isn't leaves. There's some thing inside it but I can quite see it yet even if I move the little covers aside. I'll post a photo sometime over the next few days.

CC

**RoOsTeR** 5/16/2013, 7:56 am

We've had some pretty warm days lately, and my ground cherries are changing quickly! I don't know how tomatillos and ground cherries compare as far as growing characteristics, but it seems like the top nub/bulbs have been new top growth and now I'm for sure getting blooms. They appear to come off the bottom.
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Not so great close up:
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CapeCoddess 5/16/2013, 8:22 am

Oh, that's very exciting, Rooster! It's confusing about ground cherries and tomatillos. Some things I read interchange the labels for the same thing, and some seem to be separate. *shrug*

Did your blossoms look like this before they got bigger?
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Are you going to leave the blossoms or pinch them?

CC

**RoOsTeR** 5/16/2013, 9:17 am

They did look like CC! And honestly, I don't know what to do with the blossom? Shocked

CapeCoddess 5/16/2013, 9:26 am

Turan wrote:I don't remember ever 'intentionally' pinching to make them bushier and they branched out anyways. I have had them insist on blooming in the pot, but those flowers just dropped off. I think they bloom in response to the root restriction of the pot. They change their mind when you plant them out and you will wonder if they will ever stop growing and get around to flowering. A cold snap in August can send them into a huge flowering spasm. I think they flower in response to stress. So I try to be a bit neglectful after they get a good bit of growth on them.

However that is contradictory to LMs potted ones not fruiting...... So ummm,,,, they are independently minded creatures that ignore my conclusions. Similar to kids, sheep, and chickens and the rest of the garden

OK, I love anything that requires TLN = tender loving neglect. I'll leave the blossoms.

CC

**RoOsTeR** 5/16/2013, 9:31 am

CapeCoddess wrote:
Turan wrote:I don't remember ever 'intentionally' pinching to make them bushier and they branched out anyways. I have had them insist on blooming in the pot, but those flowers just dropped off. I think they bloom in response to the root restriction of the pot. They change their mind when you plant them out and you will wonder if they will ever stop growing and get around to flowering. A cold snap in August can send them into a huge flowering spasm. I think they flower in response to stress. So I try to be a bit neglectful after they get a good bit of growth on them.

However that is contradictory to LMs potted ones not fruiting...... So ummm,,,, they are independently minded creatures that ignore my conclusions. Similar to kids, sheep, and chickens and the rest of the garden

OK, I love anything that requires TLN = tender loving neglect. I'll leave the blossoms.

CC

+1

**RoOsTeR** 5/22/2013, 8:25 am

How are everyone's tomatillos and ground cherries doin? Mine are really wanting to be outside! They are really starting to fill out and and getting some blooms Very Happy

I don't know if blooms are good or bad at this stage, and maybe they feel abused right now and blooming out of rebellion as Turan has mentioned. Either way, I hope our overnight temps warm up soon. I've got lot's of stuff that needs to be planted...NOW! tongue

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CapeCoddess 5/22/2013, 11:23 am

RoOsTeR wrote:How are everyone's tomatillos and ground cherries doin? Mine are really wanting to be outside! ... I've got lot's of stuff that needs to be planted...NOW!

I don't know that you need to be in a hurry, Rooster. I planted out last weekend and so far something has eaten the head off a pepper plant and a bunch of stems off a tomato plant. The little rotters! Evil or Very Mad

I also planted out my 3 tomatillos in the nastiest place in my yard. I'm hoping they think it's Mexico. Rolling Eyes

But they are all in bloom now and look good so far:
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This is where I planted them: Rhodie shrub in the rear, then there is one tomatillo plant in amongst the weeds to the right of each peony shrub, then the squash and strawberry gardens in the front:
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let's Discuss Tomatillos - Page 2 100_6812

Do your flowers still look like mine?

CC

CapeCoddess 5/25/2013, 7:05 pm

Brrrr...my poor tomatillos are thinking, "Dis ain't Mexico, Senore...I tink we took a wrong turn somewhere...."

CC

boffer 5/25/2013, 9:00 pm

CapeCoddess wrote:Brrrr...my poor tomatillos are thinking, "Dis ain't Mexico, Senore...I tink we took a wrong turn somewhere...."

CC

This is my first try at tomatillos; I've got 4 crammed together in the greenhouse. From everything that I've read, that should be sufficient for pollination, is that correct? I don't get much help, if any, from bees in the greenhouse.

Goosegirl 5/26/2013, 9:09 am

CapeCoddess wrote:Brrrr...my poor tomatillos are thinking, "Dis ain't Mexico, Senore...I tink we took a wrong turn somewhere...."

CC

A "wrong turn at Albuquerque"? rofl

GG & BB

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jmsieglaff 5/26/2013, 9:22 am

Mine are doing well--they've been outside for 2 weeks and despite a few cold nights and a couple cool days they are growing nicely. About ready to put on some flowers, I've been pulling some suckers off. The tomatillos always put the tomatoes to shame--they're always smaller than my tomatoes when I plant them and then race past them within a couple weeks.

CapeCoddess 5/26/2013, 11:54 am

jmsieglaff, sounds like your the go to guy for the tomatillos. A lot of us have never grown them before this year.

How cold were your cold nights ?

CC

**RoOsTeR** 5/26/2013, 1:15 pm

I'm getting suckers too. Are you supposed to remove them on tomatillos?

**RoOsTeR** 5/26/2013, 1:30 pm

CapeCoddess wrote:
RoOsTeR wrote:How are everyone's tomatillos and ground cherries doin? Mine are really wanting to be outside! ... I've got lot's of stuff that needs to be planted...NOW!

I don't know that you need to be in a hurry, Rooster. I planted out last weekend and so far something has eaten the head off a pepper plant and a bunch of stems off a tomato plant. The little rotters!

I also planted out my 3 tomatillos in the nastiest place in my yard. I'm hoping they think it's Mexico. But they are all in bloom now and look good so far:

This is where I planted them: Rhodie shrub in the rear, then there is one tomatillo plant in amongst the weeds to the right of each peony shrub, then the squash and strawberry gardens in the front:

Do your flowers still look like mine?

CC

CC, sorry I missed this post tongue

Mine look a bit different, but not much! I'm not growing tomatillos though, but ground cherries. Aunt Molly's cyclops

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grownsunshine 5/29/2013, 12:17 pm

LOL CC!!! Wrong turn? Hope not....if you talk to them in your Spanglish maybe they'll be confused enough to produce nice fruit.

I just bought 2 tomatillos from the local nursery for $2.99ea. I'm so excited cuz they each have about 35 pods. I didn't grow anything from seeds this year because it seems so late in the season. I'll try that next season. Can't wait to make salsa verde con chiles arboles....yummm!!! let's Discuss Tomatillos - Page 2 3170584802

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