Husk Tomatoes and Ground Cherries
Physalis spp. SOLANACEAE.
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting
Husk Tomatoes and Ground Cherries
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow husk tomatoes and ground cherries in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- How many husk tomatoes and ground cherries to plant
- Growing conditions for husk tomatoes and ground cherries
- When to plant husk tomatoes and ground cherries
- How to plant husk tomatoes and ground cherries
- Watering, fertilizing, and pruning husk tomatoes and ground cherries
- Companion plantings for husk tomatoes and ground cherries
- How to harvest, store, and use husk tomatoes and ground cherries
Growing Husk Tomatoes and Ground Cherries
Husk tomatoes, ground cherries, cape gooseberries, and tomatillos are woody, warm-season annuals or tender perennials of the nightshade family. Shrublike bushy plants, to 2–4 ft. (60–120 cm) tall, with toothed, oval leaves and bearing fruit superficially similar to green or yellow cherry tomatoes encased in a green or tan papery wrapping called a calyx.
Peeling back the caylx reveals within a green, yellow, or purple, seedy, solid fruit with flavors either sweet or tangy, depending on species and ripeness, used for making jams, pies, or salsas. Growing husk tomatoes and ground cherries is similar in cultivation to tomatoes, but they tolerate inconsistent temperatures better than tomatoes.
A relative of ornamental Chinese lantern plant [see: Chinese Lantern].
Husk Tomatoes & Ground Cherries Plant Guide
How Much to Plant
Allow 1–2 plants per household member.
How to Plant
Seed germinates in 8–10 days. Average Climates: Sow seed indoors at time of last expected frost and harden seedlings 5–7 days before transplanting. Mild-Winter Climates: Sow seed in full sun in spring when soil warms to 65–85°F (18–29°C). Sow seed 1/8 in. (3 mm) deep, 2 in. (50 mm) apart, thinning to 16 in. (40 cm) apart, in rows 3 ft. (90 cm) apart. Varieties include ‘Cape Gooseberry,’ ‘Golden Nugget,’ ‘Mayan Husk Tomato,’ ‘Mexican Husk,’ and ‘Rendidora,’ (an improved cultivar).
Best Conditions for Growth
Growing temperature: 60–90°F (16–32°C). Grow best in mild climates with hot days and low humidity.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist–damp, well-drained soil. Fertility: Rich. 5.5–7.3 pH. Prepare soil at least 30 in. (75 cm) deep.
Proper Care
Moderate. Keep damp; allow soil surface to dry between waterings; plants may fail in wet conditions. Cultivate. Protect from frost; extend harvest in autumn by covering plants with clear plastic supported on stakes above foliage when nighttime temperatures fall below 50°F (10°C). Cutworm, root-knot nematode, tobacco budworm, whitefly, black spot and tobacco mosaic virus susceptible.
Pairing Recommendations
Beans, corn, and tomatoes.
Maturity, Picking and Gathering
120 days. For tangy salsas, pick fruit when green and firm; for sweet preserves, harvest when ripening husks turn tan, split open, and fruit separates easily from the plant. Leave fruit in husk until ready for use. Fruit sweetens after light frosts.
How to Store and Preserve
Fresh in husks in vegetable keeper of refrigerator for 2–3 weeks; chopped and frozen, 6 months; preserved by canning as jam, preserves, or salsa, 1 year.