How to Grow Tomatillo Plants

Easy to grow tomatillos are members of the nightshade family and are closely related to tomatoes. It is grown just like tomatoes. The plant and leaves look like a tomato plant, too. However, that is where the similarity ends. Twenty years ago, most Americans did not even know of Tomatillos, let alone think about growing them. Now, avid gardeners find growing tomatillos a great addition to their garden. So, what are you waiting for!? Go get some Tomatillo seeds and start them indoors today!

The fruit is green, and about the size of a large cherry tomato. Tomatillos grow inside of a thin paper-like husk. The inside is white and meatier than a tomato. They are used in Tomatillo Salsa or Sauce, jams, and many Tex-Mex and Mexican recipes.

Varieties of Tomatillos

Green Tomatillos are most commonly found in the U.S.
There are also purple and yellow varieties.

Nutritional Value

100 grams of Tomatillo contains approximately:

32 calories
6 g carbs
0 cholesterol
1.0 g fat
1.9 g fiber
1.0 g protein
<1 mg sodium

Tomatillo Plant Specifications

Days to Harvest: 70 to 100 days, depending upon variety and growing conditions.

Plant height: Three to five feet tall.

Light Needs: Full sunlight.

Ideal Soil pH : 5.5 – 7.5.

Plant Hardiness Zones: 4 – 12

Ideal Growing Temperatures: 70 – 90° F.

Plant Type: Tender perennial usually grown as an annual.

Deer Resistant? No. Deer may nibble on the plant’s tender growing tips, especially if other food sources are scarce.

Native To: Central America and Mexico.

Botanical Name: Physalis philadelphica

Other Names: Mexican Husk Tomato, Toma Verde, Ground Cherries.

How to Start Tomatillo Seeds

Sow Tomatillo seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost. Sprouting tomatillo seeds is more successful when started indoors using a heated germination mat. Transplant tomatillo plants into your garden after all chance of frost has passed. Plant seedlings 18 – 24 inches apart, in rows three to four feet apart.

Garden Tip: Harden off your plants, by bringing them outdoors for increasing amounts of time, beginning a week before transplanting. Make sure to bring them in, or put them in a cold frame, if very cold weather or frost is forecast.

In areas with a long growing season, tomatillo seeds can be plated directly into the garden.

How to Grow Tomatillo Plants

Planting and Soil Needs

Growing tomatillo plants is easy. The plants like hot weather. They are grown just like tomatoes.

Grow plants in full sun. They prefer light sand and rich soils. However, with a regular regimen of fertilizer, they do just fine in most garden soils.

Mix plenty of compost into the planting site. Also, mix in some general-purpose fertilizer at planting time.

Light Needs

Grow Tomatillo plants in an area of your garden where they will receive at least eight to ten hours of bright, direct sunlight. For optimal growth and the maximum production of fruit, provide them with full sunlight from sunrise to sunset.

Fertilizer Needs

Tomatillo plants are heavy feeders.

Fertilize the plants regularly. Early applications should be high in nitrogen. Importantly, as blossoming occurs, switch to fertilizers that are higher in Phosphorus and Potassium. Too much Nitrogen fertilizer results in lots of lush green leaves, and little fruit. A fertilizer specifically formulated for tomatoes will help to maximize your crop.

You can also apply a liquid fertilizer. Spray the leaves of the plants. The leaves will absorb the nutrients. As a result, the leaves turn a deeper, healthier green color and more efficiently uses the sun’s rays.

Water Needs

Keep your tomato plant well watered. The goal is moist, but not wet soil all season long. As the season progresses, the roots go deep in search of moisture. Thus, in mid- summer deep watering is preferable over more frequent, light watering. You want moisture to go deep to all the roots of the plant. Water directly to the roots. Keep water off the leaves if at all possible. Tomatoes are susceptible to plant disease that grows in wet, humid conditions.

Other Steps

Weeds will compete with your Tomatillo plants for nutrients and soil moisture. Thus, keep the planting area well-weeded during the entire growing season.

Plants grow tall, three to five feet or more. Therefore, the plants need support. If you use tomato cages, don’t be surprised if the plants grow much taller than the top of the cage. We recommend growing them along a fence or loosely tied to a tall stake. Use jute strips of cloth, a soft rope to tie the plants to the fence or stake. More on staking tomatoes.

Mulch around the plant to retain soil moisture, and to keep the weeds down.

Also see:

Plant Problems

Soil Temperatures

Ideal Soil pH

Insects and Pests

Insect infestations are fairly uncommon. Occasional chewing and sucking pests will affect them. The most common pests are cutworms, snails, and slugs.

Garden Tip: Stake your plants up to keep the fruit off the ground. Also, it keeps the snails and slugs away and avoids damage to the fruit from lying on the ground.

Caging and Staking Plants

The plants are a little lanky. The stems can bend and break in strong winds. The sheer weight of the plant and fruit and cause this, too. Maximize your crop by staking or caging the plants. A fence works well, too. More on staking plants.

Plant Disease

Several plant problems can arise, usually in the mid-summer heat and humidity. Blights and fungus infections can occur in high humidity. Early treatment with fungicides is both important and effective. Spacing plants too close cuts down air circulation and promotes disease.

Plant Problems – Diagnosis, causes, and cures for many common plant problems.

Plant Hardiness

Tomatillo plants are sensitive to cool and cold weather. As a result, wait to transplant them into your garden, until after all danger of frost has past. Cover tender seedlings if frost is forecast. If there is fruit still on the plant in the fall, cover them with a sheet of plastic, a blanket, or an old tablecloth. Tomatillo plants will succumb to any frost.

Harvesting and Storing Tomatillos

Tomatillo plants produce a profusion of fruit, which will begin to ripen around mid-summer.

Tomatillos are ripe when the paper-like husk turns brown and breaks open. Remove the husk and rinse the oily substance off. Store in a cool, dry place until you are ready to use them.