Tomatillos have been cultivated in Mexico for centuries, their bright, tangy fruit wrapped in papery husks like small gifts hidden among the branches. Green varieties are the familiar heart of salsa verde, while yellow and purple types offer their own shades of sweetness and color.
Though related to tomatoes, tomatillos grow into wide, branching plants and are less dependable at fertilizing themselves. Most produce a better crop when bees carry pollen between two or more genetically distinct plants, so a small grouping is more reliable than a lone plant.
Growing Guide
Timing
Start seeds indoors about 4–6 weeks before the expected last spring frost. Transplant outdoors after frost danger has passed, the soil has warmed, and nighttime temperatures remain reliably above about 50°F.
Tomatillos thrive in warm weather and commonly begin producing about 75–100 days after transplanting, depending on the variety and growing conditions.
Sowing & Starting
Sow seeds about ¼ inch deep in moist seed-starting mix. Provide warmth and bright light after emergence, then harden seedlings gradually before moving them outdoors.
Space plants about 3 feet apart, since mature plants may reach 3–4 feet tall and equally wide. Plant at least two seedlings near one another for dependable fruit set. Each flower contains both male and female parts, but many tomatillos only partially accept their own pollen and fruit more reliably when pollinated by another genetically distinct plant. Two seedlings from the same open-pollinated seed packet are generally different enough.
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