Growing tomatillo in Florida is much like growing tomatoes. It comes from the same family, solanaceae. Like tomatoes, there are bush and trailing varieties.
Tomatillo can be a high yield crop when grown in the right conditions.
Growing tomatillo in Florida
Tomatillos are a warm weather crop and do best with 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day. Tomatillos can also be grown in containers by a very sunny window indoors.
Plant when there’s no risk of frost. In Central Florida the best times are January – February or August – September.
What you’ll need to start growing tomatillo
Seeds can be bought online from plenty of reputable sources, as well as in your local hardware stores or even on Etsy – a good option for local home-grown varieties.
A trellis or cage is recommended to keep your plants upright.
If possible you’ll want high quality soil amended with organic material such as composted manure or peat moss. If planting in the garden bed – mulch, leaves or other organic materials are highly recommended.
How to plant tomatillo
Plant and care for your tomatillo just like you would with tomatoes.
With all the aforementioned materials in place, planting a tomatillo seed is pretty straightforward. Stick the seed a centimeter or so into the dirt, cover, water, and wait.
Growing tomatillo in containers
Highly recommended for balconies and small spaces, or if you prefer the flexibility of moving your plants around.
Prop the container up next to a fence or trellis to give the plants upward space to grow. Otherwise, use a tomato cage or similar object of your choosing.
Potting soil should be high quality with plenty of organic material.
A most cost effective option would be your basic 5-gallon bucket with drainage holes in the bottom and a tomato cage in the soil.
Companion plantings reduce pest problems
There are certain plants that I recommend to accompany tomato plants, so I’ll recommend them for tomatillo as well. The idea is that these will either repel pests, or attract pests to them rather than to the tomato plants.
Some include:
- Nasturtium
- Basil
- Flowers
4 tips on caring for your tomatillo plants
- Give them something to climb
- Plants lying on the ground are more susceptible to fungus and disease.
- This also promotes better photosynthesis as more leaves receive direct sunlight.
- Don’t overwater
- This can lead to fungus/bacteria
- Water in the morning to allow for sun drying
- Keep soil moist but not muddy
- Prune often
- This promotes better air circulation
- Prune from the bottom and eventually remove all leaves/branches 1 to 2’ from the base
- Prune at least every two weeks
- Check regularly for diseases or irregularities
- Remove pests by hand or blasting with hose before they get out of control
Suggested recipe for tomatillo
Salsa verde