Question: Thanks to our climate, I’m doing a postmortem for last season’s garden and planning seed starting for next season pretty much simultaneously. About tomatillos: I’ve had rotten luck. I’ve had single plants, mixed varieties, started seeds, bought plants from reputable local nurseries and have tried to appropriately manage watering and soil nitrogen. Tomatoes have done just fine. Tomatillos? I’ve had rotten luck.
Answer: Now is an excellent time to revisit and evaluate your gardening practices in 2015. In theory, growing tomatillos should be easy although they are as sensitive to the heat as tomatoes and there are a few insects to watch for so you don’t lose your crop. Shade cloth can help protect them once the spring heat kicks in and checking for insects once a week should be sufficient to manage pests before they get out of control. Here are some basic guidelines for growing tomatillos. Please let me know if you are already doing all these things.
Tomatillos should be planted in full sun with well-drained soil. Jan. 15 to Feb. 15 is the ideal planting time, although you can wait until March if you are using transplants. Drip irrigation is ideal and should provide an inch of water per week. Multiple plants are required for pollination.
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