What's up with tomatillo's? No fruit.

[hit or miss]

I'm growing Tomatillo's for the first time this year. I have no idea the variety. We haven't gotten one fruit yet. I'm about to write them off as a waste of space. Lots of husks with little fruit in them but they turn yellow and drop off. I guess I'll have to make salsa verde from green tomatoes next month.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Well I was kind of forced into growing them this year. I started many plants hoping to sell them at the Farmers Market. They didn't sell, so I planted (2) 3ft x 20ft rows of them.

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/DSC02569.jpg[/img]

I've noticed here in our mild summer they take quite a while to fill out. The turning yellow and dropping is what they do. I usually harvest them mostly green, they are not as sweet this way.

I've been watering them about an inch of water a week. They along with the whole garden, received liquid fish fertilizer once a month.

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/DSC02565.jpg[/img]

Eric

[soil]

what are you expecting them to look like hit or miss? they are supposed to be small-ish and turn yellow and drop off. if they are doing that you are getting fruit. just not eating them. peel the husks off. roast them in a cast iron skillet along with some onions, peppers and garlic. blender them together and enjoy.

[garden5]

what are you expecting them to look like hit or miss? they are supposed to be small-ish and turn yellow and drop off. if they are doing that you are getting fruit. just not eating them. peel the husks off. roast them in a cast iron skillet along with some onions, peppers and garlic. blender them together and enjoy.

I've always wondered what a tomitillo (yeah, I probably spelled it wrong ) tastes like. I'm going to assume it's not like a regular tomato.

I believe these plants are related to the ornamental plants called a Japanese lantern. These have bright orange husks late in the summer, with a small red berry inside of them. I've often wondered if you could eat the berry, though I'm not about to be the first to try .

[rainbowgardener]

The Chinese lantern plant

[url=https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://www.tradewindsfruit.com/chinese_lantern2.jpg&imgrefurl=https://www.tradewindsfruit.com/chinese_lantern.htm&h=464&w=650&sz=116&tbnid=ZUn1zfBPqCDJ6M:&tbnh=98&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dchinese%2Blantern%2Bplant%2Bimage&zoom=1&q=chinese+lantern+plant+image&usg=__XNuuVh9p7eQ_GjagThvYxwyJy-w=&sa=X&ei=gcmUTM_ZO8P2nAfQ8Y2GCA&ved=0CCgQ9QEwBg]chinese lantern plant[/url]

berry can be toxic when immature, but when ripe is edible and is reputed to make nice jams and jellies... I have no personal experience with it.

[soil]

I've always wondered what a tomitillo (yeah, I probably spelled it wrong Rolling Eyes) tastes like. I'm going to assume it's not like a regular tomato.

no its not like a tomato, if you have ever had the sweetish green sauce at a Mexican restaurant thats made from tomatillos.

[hit or miss]

Soil, I expected something about the size in the pics above. Not the marble sized ones that drop off when yellow. But, with no idea of what the variety is, it's potluck at best! I'm not totally giving up yet, not until it freezes that is.

[DoubleDogFarm]

That's the spirit. Good luck.

I'm growing Mexican strain.
Eric

[csvd87]

Do do you have Aunt Molly's Ground Cherry maybe?

[LindsayArthurRTR]

Eric,

Do you have those staked or are they just growing without support?

[soil]

Soil, I expected something about the size in the pics above. Not the marble sized ones that drop off when yellow. But, with no idea of what the variety is, it's potluck at best! Laughing I'm not totally giving up yet, not until it freezes that is.

my Mexican aunts and uncles actually prefer the small ones over the big ones. they have been cooking with tomatillos for a long time.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Do you have those staked or are they just growing without support?

No support. Sprawling. If I grow them next year, they will be supported. They are hard to harvest all tangled together.

Eric

[garden5]

Thanks for the link, RG, that's really interesting. I still want to do a little more research, though, before I try one of the berries.

I want to make sure that there isn't some stupid plant that looks just like what I have, but will kill me if I eat the fruit .

[DoubleDogFarm]

hit or miss,

Its been almost two weeks any changes.

I've notice mine have become larger after the few days of rain we had. Now we are in a stretch of partly cloudy low to mid 60's.

Todays harvest.

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/DSC02806.jpg[/img]

Eric

[hit or miss]

Lots of husks with very small fruits in them. The husks are as big as 3" across on some of them. I'm thinking I must have insect problems, I pulled a few and the fruit is eaten up with holes in the husk. Oh well, I'll make some green tomato salsa and survive anyway.