Tomatillos?

I've done a lot of reading on tomatillos in the past two days. Finding little bits of information on reseeding, growing, time to harvest, and even a good enchilada recipe. (I love New Mexican cuisine.)

I have failed the past two years to produce a crop of tomatillos. I have a limited growing area, and have always started from plants from HD. Bonnie Farms sells peat pots planted with tomatillos. I know they are expensive, but with as small a growing space as I have, the total doesn't come to much.

Even from what I've read, I still don't have an answer for my lack of production. It wasn't a solitary plant issue. Bonnie always plants two per pot. Possibly to overcome the self-infertile issue. Also, on their website, they say to plant 2/3 of the stem under ground as you would a tomato. Three years ago, In San Diego, I had a potted garden. The tomatillos grew supported in a cage to a nice sized plant. It bloomed, fruit set, and the largest of the husks grew to golfball size. The fruit only ever got the size of a small marble. Last year, now in Las Vegas and growing in the ground, same thing. Maybe last year some got to the size of a large marble. Though none ever came close to splitting the husk, even with waiting till first frost to hopefully get something that looked eatable.

Last year I started my garden by digging down 18 inches, sifted out anything larger than a quarter inch and mixed the remainder 50/50 with Kellog brand Amend from HD. It compacted some over the past year. To fill it up again I added year old compost from the pile I'd started the previous spring. Tilling it into the top four inches or so. I also added 50/50 sifted native/Amend. Then topped with mulch. This year I'm starting with two solitary plants from a local nursery. They are taller and more robust than the Bonnie Farms option. I planted them 2/3 deep, two feet apart, and cages are already in place.

Three years ago I fertilized with Vigoro, Tomato & Vegetable at 12-10-5. Last year I used Kellog Organic, Tomato, Vegetable, and Herb at 4-6-3 every two months. And Alaska fish emulsion at 5-1-1 every three weeks. I planned on using the same fertilizing regiment I used last year. Everything else in the garden produced just fine. Assorted tomatoes, assorted peppers, and onions were all fine.

I'm hoping for some advice this year. The help in local garden centers is often noncommittal. I was thinking of using some bone meal this year. I don't want to do the same as last year and hope for different results. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

I'm posting this in Beginner Gardening Questions and Tomato forums. If you see both, answer to either one.Thanks

David

Hi David. Have you checked soil pH? From what I have read, tomatillos require a soil pH of 7.0 to produce well.

Pollination is obviously not the problem as you have multiple plants.

A fertilizer with a low/no nitrogen level is recommended once the plants are established and all the sites seem to recommend using that fertilizer monthly. Many recommended Neptune's Harvest organic 0-10-10. If I understand correctly, Phosphorus and Potassium are rather slow to be absorbed into the soil.

All sites stated good air circulation and a spacing at about 2.5 to 3 feet apart. Also regular watering (1 to 1.5 inches) per week, soil evenly moist but not wet and really good sharp drainage.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CBwQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnjaes.rutgers.edu%2Fpubs%2Fdownload-free.asp%3FstrPubID%3DFS042&rct=j&q=tomatillo%20extension&ei=jVuvTNqvA8Gclgf0sYS4BA&usg=AFQjCNEVZJ0yBCY86P1yvGWsqRjViG4efw&cad=rja

That was one of my concerns, themoonhowl. I just asked about that in the tomato forum thread. I'll try to find Neptune's Harvest or an equivalent 0-10-10. I can come close on the spacing. And I imagine they might need more water here, because it's so dang hot and dry. Have you ever tried the soil testers sold at the garden centers?

Thanks for the response, David

You are most welcome David.

Food and water seem to be rather key to getting full berries. When I first started gardening, an old gardener told me to remember...N is for green P&K for root and fruit...(flowers too).

Yes, I have used the soil testers and found them to be quite adequate for general purposes. Just remember to collect a small amount of soil from 3 or 4 places within the bed and mix them well for the best accuracy.

Please post what you find out.

Moon

Just to be clear. Should I test the 3-4 samples independently or mix the samples together, then test?

You mix the samples together in order to get a truer representation of the soil. And, make sure to take the samples from different areas of the bed.

thanks

My pleasure...good luck. I hope you have a bumper crop.