Updated 04-May-2020.
Mondo shtuff from around the internet, all about TOMATILLO!
My botty best at summarizing from Wikipedia: the tomatillo is a plant of the nightshade family bearing small, spherical and green or green-purple fruit of the same name . tomatillos originated in Mexico and were cultivated in the specific name philadelphica dates from the 18th century . the plant is grown mostly in the Mexican states of Hidalgo and Morelos . tomatillos have been cultivated in the united states since 1863 . distribution occurred in the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Florida . by the middle of the 20th century, the plant was further exported to India, Mexico tomatillos grow best in well-drained, sandy, fertile soil conditions with a pH between 5.5 and 7.3 . below 16 °C, growth is very poor. Tomatillo plants prefer full sun exposure and warm locations . Germination occurs at 20-27 °C . transplanting occurs 6 to 8 weeks after seeding and when frost is past . direct outdoor seeding leads to shortening of the vegetation period . due to its branching growing pattern, a single plant requires enough growing space . tomatillos are typically grown in rows 0.7 to 1.6 m staking facilitates later harvesting and prevents the fruit from touching the ground . fertilization is recommended at a moderate level . an application of 40 – 90 kg/ha of phosphorus is common . Depending on soil type and irrigation, other nutrients and fertilzers (N/ K) may be required . Tomatillo plants require 25–38 mm of water per week . water can either come from rainfall or irrigation Irrigation can either be managed by drip, sprinkler, furrow or watering can . frequency depends on weather and crop’s growth stage from once or twice a week to daily . plastic and organic mulches state is normally achieved 65 to 100 days after transplanting . fruit production continues for 1 to 2 months or until first frost . harvesting occurs regularly, typically every day . a single plant produces 60 to 200 fruits within the green color and tart flavor are the main culinary contributions of the fruit . purple and red-ripening cultivars often have a slight sweetness . like their close relatives, Cape gooseberries, tomatillos have the husks removed and the fruit refrigerated in sealed plastic bags . for salsa verde, it is harvested early, when the fruit is sour with a light flavor . it can be picked later, when tomatillos have diverse uses in stews, soups, salads, curries, stirfries, baking . the leaves have acute and irregularly separated dents on the side . they are typically about one meter the leaves are typically serrated and can either be smooth or pubescent . de Lamarck described the tomatillo under the name Physlis philadelphica in 1786 . the nomenclature for Physalis changed since the 1950s . P. philadelphica was at one time classified as a variety of ixocarpa . later, the classification of as the fruit matures, it fills the husk and can split it open by harvest . the fruit can be several colors when ripe, including yellow, green, or purple . some cultivars include Amarylla, Gigante, Green Husk, Mexican, Pineapple, Purple de Milpa, Rio Grande Verde, and Yellow . the plant is not able to produce zy Tomatillo can produce seeds through self-pollination due to the involvement of self-compatibility traits . the germination viability is different throughout the produced seeds . mass production brings with it exposure to pest Symptoms of tomato yellow leaf curl virus were found in several tomato and tomatillo crops in 2006 . after laboratory tests, the virus was confirmed . symptomatic plants were associated with the presence of whiteflies .