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Re: ??husk tomato

Hi Joan,

> First of all, is a "husk tomato" the same as a tomatillo?  If not,

Yes.  They have a close relative, the husk cherry or ground cherry, which is
a smaller, sweeter fruited species, almost grape-like.  Great in quesadillas or
just for snacking right out the garden.

> how do they differ?  Should I start the seeds about the same time as
> I do tomatoes (which is approximately during the next week or so
> indoors where I live)?

Start them about 6 weeks (or slightly less) before your last frost free date.
They are slightly hardier and faster growing (when young at least) then
tomatoes.  I usually start them a week or two after tomatoes.  If you have the
space indoors pot them up into pint sized containers as they grow.  This will
allow them to grow freely until transplant time outdoors, which can be the frost
free date in your area.

> For an intensive, raised-bed garden space, how would one arrange this
> plant for best growth?  I have the impression that it grows sort of
> like a vine, and that perhaps I should consider some sort of trellis
> or similar support for it?  Is it OK to just leave it sprawling along
> the ground, or would that be less than ideal because the fruits would
> be eaten by bugs, etc.?

I wouldn't recommend sprawling in an intensely planted small garden.  Tomatillos
will gladly sprawl well beyond their planted location and dominate
pathways and smaller plants nearby.  They branch geometrically - one growing tip
to 2, to 4, to 8, etc., up to a gazillion, so they can become a unruly lot in
short order. In my intensely planted garden I give them a bed, block planting
them 1-2' apart, and then encourage them to grow upwards by corralling them.
Basically, a few *sturdy* stakes in the corners of the rectangular bed and then
a few tiers of *strong* twine wrapped around to form a fence.  Whenever they try
to grow beyond this perimeter, and they always do, I poke the growing tips back
into their confines.  Maybe not the most elegant solution, but how do you deal
with something so vigourous in it's spread?  Anyway, it works for me.

> Any tips and other information you can offer about these plants will
> be appreciated, and will give me something more to look forward to

They're easy and relatively problem free.  They tolerate relatively poor
soils, do okay in moderately rich soil, and can be monstrous in more fertile
soils.  Now you just have to figure out what you're going to do with zillions of
tomatillios ... ;-)  Oh, and they will inevitably drop some of their fruit on
the ground, so you'll have volunteers next year.  They'll be later maturing than
transplants started indoors but will also produce fruit if you let a few grow.

> as I experiment with this new plant in my garden (for that matter,
> *everything* is still an experiment in my garden!).

Ah, the true joy of gardening is that there's always more to discover no matter
how long we've been learning.

> Many thanks,
> Joan
> cmathew@airmail.net
> http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/8098/
> USDA gardening zone 7b (just north of Dallas, TX)

Good luck and keep having fun!

   ____________________
  |                    |
  |     Bob Carter     | Kootenay Bay, BC, Canada
  |  bcarter@awinc.com | Zone 6b
  |____________________|


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