Greetings!
I was wondering if anyone here has any experience growing tomatillos?
I have a plant that I started from seed that's now at least 4.5 feet
tall, and absolutely full of flowers, but it's not setting fruit. I've
seen bees visiting the flowers and I've tried using a paintbrush to
encourage pollenation. But after the flowers are done and there's a
small "future tomatillo" they always turn pale and drop off of the
plant, like peppers do sometimes. This has been happening for a couple
of weeks now. I'm not in dire need of tomatillos or anything - I just
planted them for the heck of it - but I'm curious about this.
I'm in Zone 5 near Syracuse, NY, and my tomatoes and peppers are all
setting fruit like crazy. We had a cold, wet, late spring and the past
two weeks have been dry and hot (80-90F). No pests on the plant that I
can find, and it appears to be very healthy (and growing like a weed!).
Any ideas?

-Kristen

Kristen wrote:

Greetings!
I was wondering if anyone here has any experience growing tomatillos?
I have a plant that I started from seed that's now at least 4.5 feet
tall, and absolutely full of flowers, but it's not setting fruit. I've
seen bees visiting the flowers and I've tried using a paintbrush to
encourage pollenation. But after the flowers are done and there's a
small "future tomatillo" they always turn pale and drop off of the
plant, like peppers do sometimes. This has been happening for a couple
of weeks now. I'm not in dire need of tomatillos or anything - I just
planted them for the heck of it - but I'm curious about this.
I'm in Zone 5 near Syracuse, NY, and my tomatoes and peppers are all
setting fruit like crazy. We had a cold, wet, late spring and the past
two weeks have been dry and hot (80-90F). No pests on the plant that I
can find, and it appears to be very healthy (and growing like a weed!).
Any ideas?

-Kristen


I'm growing them for the first time this year. I have two plants and no
fruit yet. I found out a few weeks ago that tomatillos are self-sterile.
You need at least two plants or else you will get no fruits. I'm not sure
why mine are not setting, but both plants are from seeds from the same
fruit, so maybe they are not compatable (and I shoulda planted 2 more
tomatoes instead)

FWIW, "ground cherries" or "cape gooseberries" are very closely related and
they are self-fertile.

Sorry for the bad news,
Bob

zxcvbob wrote:

Kristen wrote:

snip my tomatillo pollination problem

I'm growing them for the first time this year. I have two plants and no
fruit yet. I found out a few weeks ago that tomatillos are self-sterile.
You need at least two plants or else you will get no fruits. I'm not sure
why mine are not setting, but both plants are from seeds from the same
fruit, so maybe they are not compatable (and I shoulda planted 2 more
tomatoes instead)

FWIW, "ground cherries" or "cape gooseberries" are very closely related and
they are self-fertile.

Sorry for the bad news,
Bob


Bob-
Thanks for the info! I had thought of that, but dismissed it. I do
have another plant, but it's way on the other side of the yard in a pot.
I'll have to see if I can cross-pollinate them by hand (no room in the
garden to move the pot into, and it's an awfully big pot to move
anyway). Of course, they're both from the same seed packet, so I might
run into the same problem you have. You would think they would put this
information on the seed packet (or even in the one garden book I
consulted - I haven't checked my others yet).
Thanks again!

-Kristen
Zone 5 Syracuse, NY

This is my first year to. I have six plants and they are loaded. It
does seem to take a long time between blossom and fruit set. Much
longer than tomatoes. Now if I can just figure out what to do with
them all when they are ready.

Bruce

On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 05:56:51 GMT, Kristen wrote:



zxcvbob wrote:

Kristen wrote:

snip my tomatillo pollination problem

I'm growing them for the first time this year. I have two plants and no
fruit yet. I found out a few weeks ago that tomatillos are self-sterile.
You need at least two plants or else you will get no fruits. I'm not sure
why mine are not setting, but both plants are from seeds from the same
fruit, so maybe they are not compatable (and I shoulda planted 2 more
tomatoes instead)

FWIW, "ground cherries" or "cape gooseberries" are very closely related and
they are self-fertile.

Sorry for the bad news,
Bob


Bob-
Thanks for the info! I had thought of that, but dismissed it. I do
have another plant, but it's way on the other side of the yard in a pot.
I'll have to see if I can cross-pollinate them by hand (no room in the
garden to move the pot into, and it's an awfully big pot to move
anyway). Of course, they're both from the same seed packet, so I might
run into the same problem you have. You would think they would put this
information on the seed packet (or even in the one garden book I
consulted - I haven't checked my others yet).
Thanks again!

-Kristen
Zone 5 Syracuse, NY

On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 08:59:39 -0500, Bruce Yates
wrote:

This is my first year to. I have six plants and they are loaded. It
does seem to take a long time between blossom and fruit set. Much
longer than tomatoes. Now if I can just figure out what to do with
them all when they are ready.


You're doing better than I am, I didn't get them planted.

You can make salsa verde - lots of it, I suppose.

Pat

Something else to try. My friend, Homer Simpson, grows tomacco.
All the juicy goodness of tomatoes with the addictiveness of cigaretttes! ;)

Kristen writes:

Kristen Greetings!
Kristen I was wondering if anyone here has any experience growing tomatillos?
Kristen I have a plant that I started from seed that's now at least 4.5 feet
Kristen tall, and absolutely full of flowers, but it's not setting fruit. I've

You need two plants, they are either completely or almost
non-self-fertile.

Kristen seen bees visiting the flowers and I've tried using a paintbrush to
Kristen encourage pollenation. But after the flowers are done and there's a
Kristen small "future tomatillo" they always turn pale and drop off of the
Kristen plant, like peppers do sometimes. This has been happening for a couple
Kristen of weeks now. I'm not in dire need of tomatillos or anything - I just
Kristen planted them for the heck of it - but I'm curious about this.
Kristen I'm in Zone 5 near Syracuse, NY, and my tomatoes and peppers are all
Kristen setting fruit like crazy. We had a cold, wet, late spring and the past
Kristen two weeks have been dry and hot (80-90F). No pests on the plant that I
Kristen can find, and it appears to be very healthy (and growing like a weed!).
Kristen Any ideas?

Plant another, quickly.


--
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in rec.gardens.edible...)

Bruce Yates writes:

Bruce This is my first year to. I have six plants and they are loaded. It
Bruce does seem to take a long time between blossom and fruit set. Much
Bruce longer than tomatoes. Now if I can just figure out what to do with
Bruce them all when they are ready.

Salsa Verde!

Freezes well, we served some from last year to guests
the other day.


--
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in rec.gardens.edible...)

This is our first year growing tomatillos as well. I wasn't as adventurous as most of you, I purchased my plants, and I do have two of them, so I've gotten that part right, but we aren't getting any fruit either. We get a lot of flowers and the beginning of husks, but then they just fall off. Any suggestions??