Learn how to plant, grow, and harvest tomatillos for your next batch of salsa verde.
Most tomatillo fruits are light green, but some varieties can also be purple or yellow when they ripen.
Here’s how to grow tomatillos in your garden.
Credit:Kindra Clineff
Where to Plant Tomatillos
Plant perennial tomatillos in an area that receives lots of sunshine.
These fast-growing plants likewell-draining soilwith plenty of compost mixed in.
Except for the ripe fruit, all parts of the tomatillo are toxic when consumed.
Credit:Karla Conrad
Tomatillos take about three months to grow, so plan accordingly.
Plant at least two tomatillo plants near each other to ensure pollination.
Tomatillo Care Tips
Tomatillos are low-maintenance plants as long as their basic needs are met.
Credit:Peter Krumhardt
Choose an area that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight each day.
Soil and Water
Tomatillos grow best in well-drainingsoil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0.
Amending soil with organic matter, such ascompost, adds essential nutrients and creates a more loamy soil.
Credit:Dean Schoeppner
Water tomatillos at the base where the stem protrudes from the soil line.
Avoid overhead watering so the leaves don’t get wet, which can encourage plant disease problems.
Tomatillo plants need around 1 to 1.5 inches of water each week.
Credit:Justin Hancock
To ensure success, plant your seeds or transplant seedlingsafter the last frost.
Tomatillos are drought-tolerant and enjoy heat but grow better with a steady supply of moisture.
After they are transplanted, sprinkle one tablespoon of21-0-0 fertilizernear each plant monthly.
Don’t overfertilize tomatillos because this delays fruit production and causes leaves to overgrow.
Pruning
Pruning tomatillos isn’t necessary.
You’ll likelyneed to stake tomatillo plantslike you do tomato plants.
Flea beetles munch on the leaves, leaving tiny holes.
Aphids leave secretions, so check leaves for wet, shiny, or sticky residue.
How to Propagate Tomatillos
The most common way to propagate tomatillos is by seeds.
Harvesting Tomatillos
Tomatillos are ready for harvest when the fruit fills in the husk.
Sometimes, the husk splits as the fruit spills over.
The fruits should feel firm to the touch.
Use them within two to three weeks of harvest.
The wordtomatillomeans ‘little tomato,’ which is fitting because they’re often used in similar ways.
Karla Conrad
Types of Tomatillos
Most (but not all) tomatillos bear green fruit.
Some varieties thrill gardeners with purple or yellow fruit, but all are excellentinclusions in salsa.
The fruit is green and golf ball-sized.
This variety matures earlier than others and usually needs to be staked or caged because it grows tall.
Rendidora
Easy-to-grow Rendidora tomatillo bears large green fruit that ripens to a lovely pale yellow color.
It is a high-yield plant with an upright growth habit that rarely needs staking.
Although small, this tomatillo is just as delicious in salsa as larger tomatillo varieties.
It helps repel a wide range of pests, includingtomato hornwormsandwhiteflies.
It grows best in spring and fall, although a constant supply requires repeat plantings.
Cilantro deters aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies from attacking tomatillo plants.
Marigolds
Justin Hancock
Plantingmarigoldsnear tomatillos helps ward off many pests, including aphids.
For pollination, you’ll need at least two tomatillo plantsmore if possibleand bees or other insects.
No, tomatillos are not tomatoes.
They are from the same plant family, but they can’t be substituted for one another in recipes.
Tomatillos are sun-loving perennials that are typically grown as annuals in most areas of the U.S.
Physalis philadelphica.
