Topic: Not a swap as such...tomatillos

[bananagirl]

But I thought this was as good a place as any to put this. I've just been in the organic gardening catalogue site, and they have free tomatillos going, and a pound for postage, but hey. I've always wantend them for my Mexican stuff, but you can't get them here easily, so I nabbed one, as I was getting other stuff anyway. Don't have a clue how to grow 'em, but I'll figure it out.

[kenkew]

Now That's what I call a gardener! It's a seed, eh? OK! Let's see what it can do!

[bananagirl]

Well, it'll definitely be a steep learning curve. Fun, too, I hope.

[Mrs Ava]

oooo, I have tomatillo seeds too, was thinking of getting them going this weekend.  We will have to compare notes.   ;D

[minerva]

boo hoo, i bought tomatillo seeds from the organic catalogue earlier in the year, teach me to be quick off my seat.
have tried to grow them twice so far but they keep dieing when they get to about 1" tall, i recon its cause they get too cold on the windowsill, are yours purple. let me know how you get on with them
sam
x

[bananagirl]

I should get them in about a week. I found a website that says to grow them like tomatoes, and warm, so I think mine are going to be indoor plants, unless we have as good a summer as last year

http://www.farm-garden.com/growing-vegetables/37/growing-tomatillos.htm

American, but still useful, I think.

Let me know how you all get on, between us, someone's bound to figure it out   8)

[cleo]

Hi all, grow tomatillos as you would a tomato-but they can git a bit `bushy` so a little bit of pinching out here and there would not go amiss.

Stephan

[bananagirl]

Have you grown 'em Stephan?? Were they successful, fruit-wise, indoor, outdoor?? Oooh, I have a million questions...

[cleo]

Hi ,yes I grow them(indoors). It`s about the time to sow them now but another two /three weeks delay would not harm.

Their `habit` can get very straggling if you do not pinch out a few stems. As you probably know they are the Physalis family so the fruit grows in a husk like a Chinese Lantern.

The flavour is best described as `an acquired taste` well when raw anyway,so I tend to cook a few and sell the rest ;D

Stephan.

[Mrs Ava]

Thanks for that info Stephan, I have just sowed mine.  Didn't know they were a member of the phsalis family, and did well with the chinese lantern thingys last year, yummy, so hopefully will do okay with the purple tomatillos.