Ground Cherries

[Fred Hempel]

I have customers asking for these. Are they productive? Can they be produced easily enough to make $$ or are they just a minor crop destined to be grown pretty much only by gardeners?

[neoguy]

Check with Carol. I've seen them around here for 5-6 dollars a pint.

http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=10251

She has been kind enough to send seed for these many times

[FarmerShawn]

I get three dollars a pint. I find them wonderfully productive in northern Vermont, but a pain to harvest. The plant is low growing and spreading, and the fruit, when ripe, falls to the ground. The berries are small, and bending over trying to grab the husked little buggers out from under the plant quickly becomes tiresome for these old bones. But the sweetness and startling flavor can't be beat. I just dehydrated a few, and the flavor of those "raisons" is just fantastic.

[Fred Hempel]

Thanks for the review Farmer Shawn.

It seems like it is important to have a good ground cover, since harvesting is off the ground. Do you mulch in a particular way for ground cherries?

[Dutch]

I don't mulch under these Dr Wyches Yellow Tomatillos, which are called husk tomatoes or ground cherries. Below in the picture is about a half a dozen plants.
Dutch

[PhilaGardener]

I have heard that folks grow them on a long mound so when the ripe fruit fall off they roll down between rows for collection.

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by PhilaGardener

I have heard that folks grow them on a long mound so when the ripe fruit fall off they roll down between rows for collection.

You could maybe do that as a first year crop. These thing are self seeding big time and they would be reseeding them selves on the bottom of the row mounds or in other words between the rows, if they rolled at all. The ones I grow don't roll because they are still in husk when they fall off. Plus these plants are monsters, how high would the mounds have to be and how wide would the rows be apart? I would like to see it.
Dutch

[PhilaGardener]

Physalis pruinosa, and other Physais species commonly referred to as ground cherries, typically are lower and sprawling than the more upright tomatillos (P. ixocarpa, syn. philadelphica). All Physalis do reseed prolifically, but ground fabric can help keep volunteers under control (and the fallen fruits clean). It is a very interesting genus, with a lot of diversity, and well worth exploring.

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by PhilaGardener

Physalis pruinosa, and other Physais species commonly referred to as ground cherries, typically are lower and sprawling than the more upright tomatillos (P. ixocarpa, syn. philadelphica). All Physalis do reseed prolifically, but ground fabric can help keep volunteers under control (and the fallen fruits clean). It is a very interesting genus, with a lot of diversity, and well worth exploring.

Thanks PhilaGardener,
I appreciate your informative and well thought out response.
Dutch

[drew51]

I had two plants this year. Aunt Molly's variety. I got about 1500 cherries with 2 plants. Very prolific beasts!

[ScottinAtlanta]

Folks, do these plants require as much sun as tomatoes, or can they do well in more shady areas?

[joseph]

Originally Posted by Fred Hempel

I have customers asking for these. Are they productive? Can they be produced easily enough to make $$ or are they just a minor crop destined to be grown pretty much only by gardeners?

From a farming perspective, ground cherries are approximately like small cherry tomatoes: Highly labor intensive to pick. People often bring cherry tomatoes to my farmer's market, but I frequently don't pick the cherry tomatoes if there are crops to be picked that provide a better return for my labor. People also pick other fiddly crops for market like currents, or gooseberries, but they have to charge high prices to make it worthwhile. That limits the market. One farmer routinely brings ground cherries to my market. They take up perhaps 2% of their booth space.

[Darren Abbey]

Originally Posted by joseph

From a farming perspective, ground cherries are approximately like small cherry tomatoes: Highly labor intensive to pick.

Couldn't you place basins underneath the fruit to catch the ripe berries when they fall? Then the labor would be a daily dumping of the basin into containers for sale, unless you wanted to sell them after de-husking.

[drew51]

Originally Posted by Darren Abbey

Couldn't you place basins underneath the fruit to catch the ripe berries when they fall? Then the labor would be a daily dumping of the basin into containers for sale, unless you wanted to sell them after de-husking.

The husks are quite unappealing I would remove them. I like them, but I like my real cherry trees better! Yes, they are a lot of work for sure. But it's not like it's hard work, just time consuming. I harvest sitting in a chair.

[Wi-sunflower]

About 10 years ago I was about the only grower in my area that had ground cherries. Personally I grow the Aunt Molly's variety and love it. It was my Mom's favorite nibble and she would always get any that were left over from the markets. To me, the fully ripe fruit have a cherry-pineapple flavor. If they aren't fully ripe tho, they can have various citrusy flavors.

Yes I've sent the Aunt Molly's seed as an "extra" in many of my orders.

Before I seemed to have a market for them, they seemed so easy to grow. Then as I built up some demand, I seemed to have nothing but problems getting the plants started. (that's happened with other crops too. no market- grows like a weed. build a market- troubles) They are not dependable here if you expect to get ripe fruit from the volunteers so I start them in the greenhouse. They are so tender when small. But shortly after transplanted to the field, they are almost like a weed. They will also do OK in a 1-2 gal nursery pot for on the deck. They cascade down the pot.

Lately Ray takes them to his market and gets $6 / pint unhusked. I don't take them any more as just about every Hmong vendor has them for only $2 or 3 / pint. They aren't worth the work for that price.

Carol