Tomatillos

[SFloridaGardener]

I have a tomatillo plant that has gotten very big with tons of flowers but no fruit is setting. I read something on another site that you might need another plant to help pollinate? Anyone know anything about this? I thought tomatoes were self pollinating?

[rainbowgardener]

Yes, tomatillos need two plants for pollination, they are not self-fertile. Tomatoes are self-fertile, but tomatillos are NOT tomatoes. Tomatillos are not even in the same genus with tomatoes (much less the same species). Tomatoes are Solanum, tomatillo is Physalis. They are all in the Solanaceae nightshade family, but so are potatoes, eggplants, angels trumpets and actual nightshades. Tomatillos are no more closely related to tomatoes than eggplants are.

[SFloridaGardener]

Oh...very interesting! I do have one other tomatillo plant but it is several weeks behind my first plant. It is just now starting to have a few blooms on it but I'm worried it won't be enough for the larger first plant. Also I hardly see any bees or anything to carry to pollen...can I rub some pollen on a qtip from on plant and put it on the other like I read about for squash pollination?

[SFloridaGardener]

Also, any ideas on pruning? I have it strung up with two or three strings right now but this thing is getting a little out of hand. Plus if even half of the flowers fruited it would be very load with fruit and I'm not sure it would support that.

https://I.imgur.com/wvqdM3V.jpg

[pepperhead212]

I have seen arguments on both sides of this, with some people saying more than one plant is needed, while others say that they grow just one plant, and get fruits on it. And some have said that they have also gotten fruits on just one plant, but when they grew more than one at a time they got far more fruits on each plant. I've never only grown less than 3, so I wouldn't know! And I have never pruned mine - I just weave them through the trellis as they grow.

[SFloridaGardener]

Wow! I'm not sure I'd have the space for 3 of these! I had a branch of my second plant break off from the winds yesterday so I went ahead and shook it all over the larger first plant...fingers crossed I get some fruit soon. I was able to move the plant to the end of my frame and do a cross between trellis and vertical string, this thing is monsterous!

[pepperhead212]

I grow mine on a fence of concrete reinforcement wire, the last 6 ft. or so for 3 plants. They get to the top easily, and I just weave them through, as they grow.

This last year I grew a hybrid called Tamayo, that was the largest and earliest of any I have grown. However, it was almost like a determinate tomato, in that I got very few later in the season, when they usually come in huge numbers. So next year I will grow one tamayo, and one or two other varieties, to see how that works out.

[windandvane]

I also only got fruit when I had two or more going, although it's been several years since I had any planted, I do remember getting MUCH more fruit when I had 5+ growing at one time, though that could have been just coincidence.