Topic: Tomatillos Help!

[busy_lizzie]

Hi, I have accidently dug up a friend's tomatillos.  She had never grown them before so was horrified when I admitted what I had done. She grew them from seed. They were doing well until my untimely dig.  I have been trying to make it up to her.  I have ordered  more seeds and ordered some more plants from ebay.  They have come today in a small pot and are about 7" high and looking like advanced seedlings.

Please can someone advise me what my next step should be? Should I re-pot them or can I plant them in her plot where they other ones were, and what are the chances of them surviving so late in the season?  I managed to rescue some of the fruit from her old ones.  Can they be ripened like tomatoes once they have parted with their foliage. I would be so grateful if someone could give me some advice. Thank you.  busy_lizzie

[squeezyjohn]

I fear there will not be fruit this year unless it can be harvested from the dug-up plants.  Tomatilloes are very much like tomatoes in that you can ripen them up off the plant but only  if they were nearly ripe when you picked them.  I don't think there's anything like enough of the season left to get the small plants to fruit and the seeds are best off planted next March.

You could try and re-pot the ones you dug up - it might let them live long enough to ripen the fruits - but they won't grow any more if you've severely disturbed the roots of a mature plant.  Tomato growers often deliberately prune off most of the roots of a tomato plant which hastens the ripening process so it might work for tomatoes too.

[GREGME]

Agree with 1st reply.
I'd just apologise again to your friend for a genuine mistake. Too late this year to plant new or even bring on plants. Yes you could have a go ripening what you have which probably wouldn't have grown too much more so late in the season.

[Paulh]

They're tender annuals, I guess, so I'm amazed anyone had small plants to sell to you!

You could try overwintering them indoors in a just warm room, with the aim to plant them out after the frosts next year.

My plants have not done very well - cold, wet August put them off, I guess. Depending on the variety, they may stay green when ripe - or go purple. They are not tomatoes, but more like Cape Gooseberries.

[Jayb]

I think tomatillos are perennial, given the right conditions. I've never managed to overwinter one in the greenhouse or poly-tunnel, they'd need to be kept in a house overwinter. You'll need two plants for best pollination. But they are easily raised from seed in the spring, good luck 

[busy_lizzie]

Hi, Thank you so much to all of you who answered my cry for help. I appreciated all of your comments.  Thank  you. busy_lizzie  xxxx