Tomato and relatives - The Manual of Seed Saving - page 256

DISEASES AND PESTS No diseases or pests have caused any crop damage at Arche Noah.
CULTIVATION HISTORY As the epithet suggests, the species presumably comes from the Peruvian
Andes, but the wild form is found all over South America. Cultivated varieties were first bred in south-
ern Africa. Seafarers brought the plant there over 200 years ago; they carried it on ships to prevent
scurvy. Groundcherries are now cultivated in Central and South America, southeast Asia, and Aus-
tralia.
TOMATILLO
Physalis ixocarpa
Like the groundcherry, the tomatillo grows inside a papery husk until it is ripe, when it usually bursts
through. Fruits can be eaten raw, ripe or unripe, but it is the taste of unripe fruits that most people
prefer. Depending on the variety, plants can grow to be 1-3 ft. (30-100 cm) tall. Ripe fruits range in
color from yellowish green to yellow or white.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
• six to 12 healthy plants
POLLINATION NOTES Tomatillos are self-infertile, making them obligate crossers. At least two plants
must be grown together for fruit set to occur. Use an isolation distance of at least 500 ft. (150 m)
between multiple varieties grown at the same time.
Ripening tomatillos burst through the husk and may turn purple with exposure to light.
GROWING FOR SEED Grow like tomatoes; pruning suckers is not necessary. Growing for seed is the
same as growing for food.
HARVEST Seeds have ripened when the fruit is fully grown. With very ripe or overripe fruits, seed ex-
traction and cleaning can be accomplished with water in a bowl. For hard fruits, use a hand mixer (see
groundcherry for more details).