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Old February 16, 2006   #3
nctomatoman
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7
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I find them very easy to start; they grow quickly, are easy to transplant and grow into very healthy plants quickly that bloom at a very small size. What i find to be the mystery is in getting them to fruit! I grew Cisneros a few years ago - huge plant, no fruit at all. Purple tomatillo has been a bit luckier for me. Does anyone know if you need to plant two types to get cross pollination for fruit set?

The related Husk Tomato (like Cossack Pineapple) is much more prolific, absolutely delicious (an unusual sweet tropical fruit flavor) - and thrives in a pot!

One thing to keep in mind - tomatillos are sprawlers, and are best either allowed to sprawl and cover a large area, or cage (from the start!). The branches are not pliable and break easily, so staking does not work. The shorter sweet Husk Tomato doesn't need staking, and grows into a nice compact bush in a pot.
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