FREE: Purple Tomatillos - an Aztec Heirloom!

The listing, Purple Tomatillos - an Aztec Heirloom! has ended.

Salsa any one?
The essential ingredient in the green salsas of Mexican cuisine is not the tomato but the tomatillo. Here's a colorful twist: PURPLE tomatillos!

Native to Mexico and domesticated by the Aztecs around 800 b.c., tomatillos are one of our most ancient vegetables. Today, you can grow varieties of the same two species the Aztecs grew. P. philadelphica produces marble-size purple fruits that are sweeter than the common green tomatillo (Physalis ixocarpa) that you see in markets. This species is a common field weed in Mexico, but it is no less delicious for being a weed.

Tomatillos are very hardy plants and will do very well in hot, arid climates, as well as under more "normal" garden conditions. AND tomatillos are hugely prolific- they will ruit nonstop until laid low by frost.

Some experts say that you need 2 plants to get fruit, others say that they are self-fertile...play it safe and plant two - that should provide more than enough for all but the most avid tomatillo fans. (A grower in Texas says that she normally gets from 75 to 175 fruits per plant!)

Start them the way you would tomatoes or peppers (they take longer to germinate than tomatoes). Select a spot in full, hot sun, with well-drained, moderately rich soil. Tomatillos are lighter feeders than tomatoes, and while they are tough, semi-wild plants, they do not fare well in soggy, poorly drained soil. Heavy clay soil? they'll do great in a raised bed. Work a couple of inches of compost into the soil before planting, and fork deeply to improve drainage. Apply 2 to 3 inches of organic mulch, such as grass clippings, to suppress weeds and conserve soil moisture. Although moderately drought-tolerant, they do best with an inch or two of water per week. If space is limited, pinch off the growing tips to control spread.

This auction is for 12 organically grown seeds.

BONUS! If the bidding goes over 1500 I will include 20 cilantro seeds (gotta have that for salsa!)