Tomatillo Donation Tracker

Quick Links: How & Where to Grow | Temperature | How to Care For | Harvest Signs | Harvesting | Pruning | Pests | Companions | Preservation | Recipes | Michigan Tips | Fun Facts

🌱 How & Where to Grow Tomatillos:

• Start 6-8 weeks before frost indoors.
• Need 2+ plants for pollination – this is crucial for fruit set!
• Space 3 feet apart – they sprawl more than tomatoes.
• Sunlight: Full sun (6-8 hours) for best production.
• Soil Type: Well-drained soil with pH 6.0-7.0, tolerates poor soil.
• Soil Amendment: Moderate compost – too rich soil produces leaves over fruit

Unlike tomatoes, tomatillos MUST have a pollination partner – always grow at least two plants!

🌡️ Temperature Guidance:

Minimum 65°F soil. More cold-sensitive than tomatoes.

• Transplanting: Wait until soil is reliably 65°F+ and nights stay above 55°F.
• Growing: Thrives in 70-85°F temperatures.
• Will not set fruit if nights drop below 60°F.
• More heat-tolerant than tomatoes once established.

In SE Michigan, wait until early June to transplant – they can’t handle our cool spring nights!

💧 How to Care for:

• Consistent Moisture: Important during fruit development.
• Watering: 1-2 inches weekly, less than tomatoes need.
• Support: Cage or stake – sprawling plants produce less.
• Mulch: 2-3 inches to suppress weeds and retain moisture.
• Fertilizer: Light feeding – too much nitrogen reduces fruiting.

📏 Harvest Signs:

Husk splits and browns. Fruit fills husk. 75-100 days from transplant.

• The husk tells you everything – when it splits, check the fruit!
• Fruit should fill the husk completely when ripe.
• Color changes from green to yellow-green at full ripeness.
• Fruit easily detaches from plant when ready.

Don’t wait too long – overripe tomatillos become yellow and lose their signature tartness!

🧺 Harvesting:

Remove husk before use. Wash off sticky coating. Harvest regularly.

• Always harvest into containers – fruits drop easily when ripe.
• Peel off papery husk to reveal sticky fruit.
• Wash thoroughly to remove sticky residue before use.
• Pick every few days to encourage continued production.
• Green fruits are most desirable for traditional Mexican dishes.

✂️ Pruning:

Light pruning for airflow. Remove ground-touching branches. Optional sucker removal.

• Less critical than tomatoes – tomatillos naturally sprawl and fruit well.
• Remove lower branches that touch the ground to prevent disease.
• Thin center if growth is very dense to improve airflow.
• Optional: Remove some suckers to control size in small gardens.
• Late season: Top plants 4 weeks before frost to ripen existing fruit.

🪲 Michigan Pests:

Generally disease resistant. Flea beetles, blight possible.

• Remarkably pest-free compared to tomatoes – a huge advantage!
• Flea beetles may attack young plants – use row covers.
• Tomato hornworms occasionally visit but prefer tomatoes.
• Late blight can affect in very wet years.

🫱🏽‍🫲🏼 Companions:

Tomatoes, peppers, corn, beans, marigolds.

• Other nightshades share similar growing needs.
• Corn provides light shade in hot summers.
• Beans fix nitrogen for heavy-feeding tomatillos.
• Marigolds deter pests as with tomatoes.
• Basil may improve growth and flavor.

🫙 Preservation:

Store in husks 1 month. Freeze whole. Can salsa verde.

• Fresh storage: Leave husks on, store in mesh bag in refrigerator up to 1 month.
• Freezing: Remove husks, wash, freeze whole on trays then bag.
• Canning: Only in tested salsa verde recipes with proper acid.
• Roasting and freezing: Roast first for deeper flavor.
• Dehydrating: Slice and dry for unique seasoning.

🧑🏽‍🍳 Recipes:

Authentic salsa verde, green enchilada sauce, tomatillo gazpacho.

• Classic salsa verde – roast tomatillos with jalapeños and garlic.
• Green pozole soup showcases their bright acidity.
• Raw tomatillo salsa (salsa cruda) for fish tacos.
• Tomatillo jam pairs wonderfully with cheese.
• Green shakshuka for a Mexican twist on the classic.

✋🏼 Michigan Tips:

• Wait until June to transplant – they need warm soil.
• Grow in containers to move during cold snaps.
• Plant near south-facing walls for extra heat.
• Use black plastic mulch to warm soil faster.
• Choose early varieties when available.
• Start seeds earlier indoors (8-10 weeks) for longer production.

🧠 Fun Facts:

• “Little tomato” in Spanish.
• Aztecs grew before tomatoes.
• Tomatillos date back to 800 B.C. in Mexico – predating tomato cultivation!
• Also called “Mexican husk tomatoes” or “jamberries.”
• The sticky coating on fruits is completely natural and edible.
• Purple and yellow varieties exist but green is traditional.
• Wild tomatillos still grow throughout Central America.
• Essential ingredient in authentic Mexican cuisine – not replaceable with green tomatoes!