Tomatillos from saved seeds

I think that England is now more suited to growing outdoor tomatillos than 20 years ago.

But I understand you need two genetically distinct plants as a minimum, as tomatillos are not self-fertile.

Will all the seeds in one fruit from my veg box, be genetically identical?  I am thinking they should each be different despite being from the same fruit.

Has anyone reading some experience in growing tomatillos from saved seed in centralish England or similar (average last frost mid-May, summer temperatures regularly hitting 35 C) who is happy to share that experience?

Many thanks!

Ac Baker wrote: Will all the seeds in one fruit from my veg box, be genetically identical?

My understanding is that tomatillo seeds have, from the same fruit, a great diversity of genetics, I have saved seeds and use them the following season with success.

Thank you!  Sounds very promising.

I really enjoyed the salsa verde tonight, first time making that at home.  Let's hope I can digest them gracefully ..

If so, I shall save the seeds from one or two of these veg box tomatillos.  Exciting!

Next question .. when saving tomatillo seeds, do they always need fermenting?

Will fermenting them just improve the germination a bit, or us it vital for them to be viable?

Don't bother fermenting tomatillo seeds, I never have and they germinate fine. The fermentation thing is more for tomatoes where it helps break down the gel coating. Just wash and dry them and you should be good.

This may be just my ecosystem, but I understand that most people pick and eat their tomatillos "green" which is what I was taught to do.

That means that the fruit is not "ripe" - which means the seeds are not "ripe".  They may be fertilized, but that doesn't mean that they're developed enough to germinate.

I always try to leave one or two fruit on the plant until they're starting to turn yellow. Seeds from those fruit have been better at germinating for me.

So Ac, if green fruit from your veg box don't work, I would ask around to see if you can find someone who's actually growing it themselves and see if they will let a couple of fruit fully ripen for you.

Then again, it could just be that my Island is missing something which hopefully your island isn't! You haven't lost anything by trying.

Tomatillos are physiologically mature when the fruit fills the husk, but, as Jay said, are more successful at the stage when the fruit begins to move beyond green and the husk begins to split.

If your tomatillos are filling the husk, you can age them to a limited degree. Go until they get soft but not rotten, and then harvest 'em.

Good luck, friend, hope it works. Betcha it will.

I've got two fruits from the box which are pale, filling their husk to splitting.  

So I'm hoping they're ripe as I don't know anyone growing them near me.

Ac Baker wrote:I've got two fruits from the box which are pale, filling their husk to splitting.  

So I'm hoping they're ripe as I don't know anyone growing them near me.

Those're your best bet. Give them a go.

Chance Lunceford wrote:

Ac Baker wrote:I've got two fruits from the box which are pale, filling their husk to splitting.  

So I'm hoping they're ripe as I don't know anyone growing them near me.

Those're your best bet. Give them a go.

Agreed.   We are near the Canadian border in central US and have quite warm summers, but a short growing season and quite cold winters (common to have temps -30C or below).  We never plant tomatillos as the garden is full of volunteers each year....more like a weed actually.  So my wife chooses which 'patch' to save and they grow very well through the summer.  Fruits produced are ~2.5 - 3 cm in diameter and are eaten after the transition from green to yellow color. At this stage, the surface of the fruit is almost a bit sticky, but they are higher in sugar at this stage than green fruits.  Good luck!

John Weiland wrote: Agreed.   We are near the Canadian border in central US and have quite warm summers, but a short growing season and quite cold winters (common to have temps -30C or below).  We never plant tomatillos as the garden is full of volunteers each year....more like a weed actually...

Despite being in Canada, I have a longer growing season and have found that for some reason the tomatillos don't set fruit until the fall. The other day I was looking at a pot on my porch that didn't do well this year and saw a "weed" - looked again - that's a baby tomatillo! No idea if it will make it to the fruiting stage, but it is quite possible in that location.

I agree with others - save those seeds and see how it goes. You have nothing to loose and everything to gain!

Jay, tangentially, have you brought in any tomatillos grown by short-season farmers or done a swarm?

Wild Mountain Seeds in Colorado has done some amazing work on just such a project.

https://wildmountainseeds.com/product/dream-team-tomatillo-landrace/

Chance Lunceford wrote:Jay, tangentially, have you brought in any tomatillos grown by short-season farmers or done a swarm?

Alas, I have incredible deer and rabbit pressure, and am surrounded by 60 ft+ tall trees. The deer broke into both my 'semi-secure' garden areas this year. Until I get those issues fixed, I am making do with tree pots and half barrels, so I'm not trying to buy more seeds, particularly not ones that will have to cross a border to get to me.

Makes a lot of sense.

Deer are delicious, but there's only so much you can harvest.

I've never tried it, but have you tried Sepp's bone sauce?

Chance Lunceford wrote: Deer are delicious, but there's only so much you can harvest.

I've never tried it, but have you tried Sepp's bone sauce?

Deer are delicious, but there are rules. Better fencing in key spots would be the easier path.

Sepp's bone sauce requires two large cast iron pots and a fair bit of babysitting. If I could find the pots at a reasonable price, I'd be willing to do the latter (particularly if I had some deer bones! Stacking functions!) Alas, for something I'm not sure will work, it's difficult. Part of the issue is that the deer get desperate during our summer drought. This year they even ate my Iris leaves and they've not done that in all the years I've lived here.

Jay Angler wrote:
Part of the issue is that the deer get desperate during our summer drought. This year they even ate my Iris leaves and they've not done that in all the years I've lived here.

While we've been somewhat fortunate here this year, we usually go two months with 0-.2" of precipitation in the summer, and two months on either side of that with less than an inch.

But, the deer generally stay at higher elevations during the summer because it gets so bone dry in the foothills where I'm at. It's the winter that brings them into my yarden, munching anything still standing after the snows arrive.