Tomatillo

The tomatillo is not hardy and is killed by the first frost. In the lowlands of Central Europe the easiest way is to grow it as an annual: compost the plant after harvest and start new plants indoors from February/March the next spring, planting out after the Ice Saints (mid-May). If you want to keep a plant, bring it in as a container plant before the first frost and overwinter it bright and cool (about 10 to 15 °C) with sparing watering; from March you gradually accustom it to light and warmth again.

The easiest way to propagate tomatillos is by sowing: from mid-February to mid-March, sow the seeds in seed compost at 20 to 27 °C on the windowsill. Soak the seeds for a day in room-temperature water to break the natural germination inhibition and shorten germination time to 5 to 7 days. Push the seeds about 0.5 cm deep into the soil, put them in a bright spot, keep the soil evenly moist and thin the seedlings as soon as they are about 5 cm tall. From mid-May, after the Ice Saints, you can set the hardened-off young plants out in the open ground. Important: always plant at least two plants side by side, because tomatillos are self-sterile and depend on cross-pollination. For seed saving, let a few fruits ripen fully, squeeze out the seeds, let them ferment in water for 2 to 3 days and then dry the seeds that have sunk carefully. Cuttings are suitable as a second method, especially if you want to clone a proven plant or extend the season. Tomatillos behave here like their close relatives, tomatoes: in late summer, cut strong shoots 10 to 15 cm long, remove the lower leaves and put the cuttings in a glass of water so that only the cut surface is submerged and no leaves reach into the water. Put the glass somewhere warm and bright, but not in blazing sun, and change the water every few days. After about two weeks roots form; then pot the cuttings up in seed compost. Alternatively, the shoots also root directly in moist, free-draining seed compost, where they often form stronger roots. This way you can overwinter strong plants and harvest earlier the next year.