[Mjdtexan]

Originally Posted by brokenbar

I grow about 50 tomatillo plants every year. I love them but they are the sprawlers of the garden and it seems like I am tieing them up every day. You have to use thick twine 'tho because they are not as tough in the stem as tomato plants and thin twine will slice right through a branch. I actually start mine about 4 weeks from setting out. The reason is because these suckers grow like weeds (which, in my new home in Mexico, they are...) If you start them at the same time as tomatoes, I have found they quickly out-grow the container and try to smother everything else. They get really spindly quickly. I might suggest a couple of other varieties..."Grande Maje" and "Cizneros" and also "Burpees Gigante". These varieties get as large as a small orange and are much less work than the little 1" dudes from smaller fruiting varieties. ALthough as of yet, there is no large fruiting purple varieties that I am aware of.

These re-seed RAMPANTLY...I put black plastic under mine and try to keep any fruits that fall picked up. They just spread their weeny little seeds all over the place and nothing seems to phase them. They are not self-fruiting so you need several for pollination. When the husks start to turn brown, these have a tendency to leave the plant so constant picking is a good idea (although they do not bruise as easily as tomatoes) especially if you are in a zone that gets a lot of wind.

I use "Stock Panel" or some call it "Hog Panel" to tie them to. They get branches going in every direction and really, these grow faster than one might imagine. It really is a constant chore to confine them. Growing them along a fence line would be ideal.

If you will visit the Tomatillo Thread on this forum, I have posted many recipes and growing tips. My harvest would never be complete without Salsa Verde...my family eats it on everything.

Thank You

Mike