Tomatillos

[mrs dog]

Hi there, I have tried these for the first time this year. They came through even quicker than my toms. However, they are really quite weedy. ie. long and leggy. No second leaves yet. still straight but is this normal?

[Bunnykins]

Hello,

No idea what's normal but I've planted these for the first time this year as well after blight got all my tomatoes last year. Mine are growing slower than my toms and are only about 1" tall with their first 2 leaves. Unless anyone has any other ideas I'd be inclined to plant them on like toms - burying the bottom of the stalk a little bit to make them less leggy.

Good luck!

PS this is my first post - woo!

[hypnophil]

Hi Bunnykins, welcome to the vine!
I am growing for first time too,
sowed at the same time, the ones in my tunnel are still really small but the one on my windowsill in my lounge is growing quite big now, very bushy and has flowers just opening, i think they really do need a lot of warmth. i had to repot it yesterday.
I will try and take pics to show you the difference.

[Paulottie]

Hi there Bunnykins, welcome to the vine.

Yep My tomatillos were, and I suppose still are, a bit leggy but they are getting some flower buds, beefing up and looking ok. I repotted, that helped, but I didn't bury them too deep like toms. Toms are special in that they throw roots from the stem. However this is my first attempt too so ..Blind leading the blind then!

[mrs dog]

Welcome Bunnikins and your toms sound just like mine. I may seperate them into sep pots a bit deeper and see if that helps.

[Alison]

Mine got a bit leggy last year in my first attempt at growing them so I opted for the plant them deep approach and it seemed to work fine. Not sure if you're supposed to do it but at least it made them a lot less wobbly until they filled out a bit. They year I've made sure I moved them somewhere cooler (cool conservatory) as soon as they germinated and with so much light and a bit less heat they seem to be a lot stockier than last year. For info, they germinated in an unheated propogator on a window ledge in less than a week and about a week on from that are already producing their second leaves. Don't remember them being this quick last year but then again, my toms, peppers etc have been having a huge growth spurt recently too.

[Novice Gardener]

Sorry to be ignorant, but what are tomatillos?

[Paulottie]

They are a bit like a cape gooseberry or maybe a green tomato, quite tangy and fruity. They are used for making green salsa with south American food or can be used in chutney.

[Novice Gardener]

ooooooooo, they sound lovely. Will have a look for some seeds

[zazen999]

Novice: I've got some if you want them. They grow really really big so won't ever use them all!!!

Pm me an address and I'll send you some.

[Novice Gardener]

Thank you, will do

[ghp]

I'm growing these too, so I'm going to keep an eye on this thread. I transplanted them into modules today from their seed tray - only a couple of leaves on each but they germinated very quickly. I'm planning on treating them pretty much like tomatoes. Fingers crossed.

[dajehle]

Try making salsa with them and mexican gherkins. lurvely....

We've done both from seed 2 years running and always start with leggy little blighters. But they seem to withstand pretty much any treatment (good job with me around).

[momol]

I grow tomatillo this year for the first time, it is a purple type. Mine seems to set a tiny fruit... will wait patiently till I can harvest it .

[bramble]

I have some seed saved from growing my tomotillos last year. Mine were purple. I would love some green seeds if anyone would care to swop with me
Thanks in advance. Bramble.