Tasty, tropical guava is easy to grow in the ground and containers. Gardening expert Melissa Strauss shares how to care for this farmer's market favorite's, delicious ‘Thai White’ variety. A long-lived tropical tree that produces delicious, nutritious fruits, guava is easy to grow and care for. Plant this guava right in the garden in warm climates, and in cooler climates, opt for a large container. Let’s look at the ‘Thai White’ variety that produces delicious fruits that are extra high in fiber and immune-boosting vitamin C. What Is It? ‘Thai White’ guava is a lightly sweet and refreshing fruit. Typically, it’s consumed raw and unripe, sometimes dipped in chili, salt, sugar, or a combination of all three. It’s a tough small tree that makes an attractive addition to the landscape, though it won’t grow in the ground outside of zones 9-11. Outside this climate, it makes a nice container or patio plant. Guavas were in cultivation as many as 5,000 years ago in Peru. Spanish and Portuguese explorers imported the species to Florida and Europe. Eventually, they traveled across the continent with their delicious discovery, distributing it to Asia and India. Legend follows that the fruits of the guava tree were once inedible. A young boy, wanting to feed a hungry beggar, prayed for the gods to make the fruit edible. The gods obliged the boy, impressed with his kindness and compassion, giving the fruit a sweet, tangy, tart flavor we now love. Characteristics ‘Thai White’ is a mid-sized, evergreen fruit tree that will grow to about 15′-20′ left to its own devices. You can prune it to keep it to a more manageable size, making it easier to harvest the round, green fruits. The fruit is green with white flesh and has higher sugar, vitamin C, and fiber content than a pink guava. It also tends to have more seeds, lending to its more fibrous texture. The entire fruit, including the peel, is edible. According to the National Library of Medicine, the fruit, eaten with the peel is, very healthy. It can lower blood glucose levels and triglycerides, making it a great addition to a healthy diet. The plant is attractive and fits well into a tropical landscape. It usually has one or two central trunks and a many-branched, umbrella-like canopy. The leaves are broad, medium green, and have prominent veining. Native Area Guavas are native to Central and South America and the Caribbean. Portuguese travelers brought the white guava to Asia in the 17th century, where it became a popular fruit to grow and eat. The Thai people refer to the fruit as farang, which denotes a foreign person of white race. Planting Spring and early summer are the best times to plant your ‘Thai White’ guava. The plant is in an active growth phase at this time and will establish quickly. If you want to grow it in a container, it’s fine to re-pot it any time of year. It will need to come indoors when the temperature drops below freezing. This tree is invasive in certain areas of North America. In these areas, grow in a container. Loose soil will help this tree to develop strong roots. Dig a hole three times as deep and wide as the root ball to loosen the soil. This may seem like a lot, but it is ideal for root development. Backfill the hole to the depth of the root ball and position it so that the root ball is level with the surrounding earth. You won’t usually need to amend the soil, so simply backfill, tamp down the soil, and water deeply. The roots of the guava can be extensive, growing beyond the drop line. For this reason, plant it a fair distance away from your home, structures, or concrete slabs.

Love or hate the taste, cilantro is a popular addition to many cuisines. If you're growing cilantro you have probably had the problem of it bolting easily, which simply means that the plant sends up a flower stalk and goes to seed. Since cilantro is a cool-season herb, warming temperatures will signal to the plant that it's time to flower and go to seed rather than continue producing leaves. It's very sensitive to warmer temperatures, so if you're seeing signs of flowering, that's likely why. Bolting is the plant is doing what comes naturally, but you can slowly down the bolting with these some growing tips. Learn more ahead about cilantro bolting. Why Does Cilantro Bolt? Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) is a short-lived annual, cool-season herb.1 Once temperatures begin to rise and reach the 70s, the plant responds by bolting (flowering and going to seed) as a way to continue its life cycle. Producing seeds means that the species has a chance for another crop. 6 Ways to Keep Cilantro from Bolting While it can be difficult to stop cilantro from bolting, there are some ways to extend the life of the plant before it goes to seed and dies. Keep it Cool Whether you are growing cilantro in the garden or indoors in containers, temperature is a huge factor in how long the plant will last before it bolts. You can extend the harvest season by planting it in the early spring and fall when day and nighttime temperatures or lower. If growing cilantro indoors keep the plants around 70 degrees or lower. Control the Sunlight Cilantro needs only about six hours of bright sunlight. Select an indoor or outdoor spot that doesn't receive high-noon heat. Lighting for indoor pots of cilantro is easily controlled with grow lights. If planting outdoors in a hot climate, consider placing the plants where they can receive some afternoon shade. Too much heat from direct sun can cause the plant to bolt early. Water Regularly Plants that receive too much or too little water are placed under stress. To survive the stress, the plant bolts to produce some seed to extend the species. Whether growing in containers or the ground, keep the soil evenly moist but be sure the roots are never waterlogged. Pinch or Prune Often For new plants, once they reach about six inches tall pinch back the tips. Harvest or prune the leaves often (once a week) to remove damaged growth, yellowing leaves, or flowers that form. Practice Succession Planting This tip doesn't stop cilantro plants from bolting but it does help you keep tender, tasty cilantro on hand. Wait two to three weeks between each time you start seeds or plant new cilantro seedlings. This is called succession planting or planting the same crop several times during the growing season. Choose Slow-Bolting Cultivars There are cilantro cultivars that are less prone to bolting. Look for seedlings or seed packets that are described as bolt-resistant, heat-tolerant, or long-standing. Three choices are ‘Calypso’, ‘Slo Bolt’, and 'Leisure'. These cultivars are usually less sensitive to heat and can produce good-tasting foliage a bit longer into the growing season. Why Bolted Plants Can Actually Be Beneficial While it is disappointing to see a plant bolt and die, there are benefits to the natural process of bolting. The flowers that form will help attract much-needed pollinators to your garden. Many plants produce edible seeds after bolting that add flavor to prepared foods. The most beneficial effect of bolting is the production of seeds that can be saved to grow new plants. Backyard gardeners and commercial farmers have long known the value of allowing some plants to "go to seed" to maintain the longevity of a plant species.

Thinking of growing tomatillo in your garden this season but aren't sure where to start? Tomatillo is an amazing vegetable to add to any garden! They are easy to grow, and can compliment many other veggies in your garden. In this article, organic gardening expert Logan Hailey walks through how to grow and care for tomatillo in your vegetable garden, step by step! An essential ingredient in salsa verde and southwestern chili, tomatillos are tomatoes’ tart, more acidic cousin. Though their name technically means “little tomato” in Spanish, tomatillos are a different plant entirely. They are also remarkably vigorous, disease-resistant, drought-tolerant, and more distinctly flavored than their tomato counterparts. In early summer, the chartreuse husks of tomatillos dangle like little lanterns waiting to be filled with ripened, tropical-flavored fruits. These plum-shaped nightshades are native to Mexico and also go by the names “Mexican husk tomato”, miltomate, “mexican ground cherry” or the Latin names, ​​Physalis philadelphica and Physalis ixocarpa. If you’ve been wanting to add some diversity to your summer garden and enjoy the bold flavors of a zesty salsa verde, tomatillos are remarkably easy to grow and harvest! Let’s dig into planting, growing, and caring for these unique husk-covered temperate fruits. History and Cultivation Tomatillos are tomato relatives with a whole host of culinary uses and health benefits. Their husked green fruits are a pleasure to grow, harvest, preserve, and eat! Modern breeding efforts have generated incredibly vigorous varieties that are easy to grow and generous with their yields. Let’s explore the fascinating cultural and botanical background of the noble “husk tomato”! What Are Tomatillos? Tomatillos (Physalis ixocarpa) are annual nightshade-family plants that bear small, tart, plum-shaped fruits wrapped in husks. These frost-sensitive plants grow on farms and in the wild throughout the tropics. In temperate gardens, they are planted in late spring or early summer for warm season harvests. The tomatillo plant can be upright like a tomato (especially with the help of trellising) or it can vine and sprawl low to the ground (hence the name of the closely related, small-fruited “ground cherry”, Physalis philadelphica). The stems are slightly hairy and the leaves are ovate with jagged edges. When tomatillos flower, their distinct yellow blossoms have five fused petals and darker spots in the center. The plants need pollen from a neighboring plant to produce their tart fruits. You will notice the bright green husks forming first, and then the tiny fruit- technically a berry- begins to grow inside. Only the fruit is edible and the rest of the plant parts are considered mildly poisonous. Tomatillos are usually about 2-3 inches in diameter. They can be eaten raw or cooked, and are often included in traditional jams, chutneys, salsas, soups, and stews. Where Did They Originate? Most infamous for their inclusion in salsa verde recipes, tomatillos have been used in Mexican, Guatemalan, and other Meso-American cuisine for millenia. They were probably first domesticated by Azetc or Mayan farmers around 800 BC, but may have been collected from the wild for a long time before that. The word “tomatillo” comes from the nahuatl word tomatl. In Guatemala, it is called miltomate. Scientists at Penn State recently uncovered a pair of fossilized wild tomatillos over 52 million years old! That means tomatillos were growing at the same time when giant ancestral rhinoceroses and 8 foot tall carnivorous birds were roaming Meso-America. After their excavation in Argentina, these ancient lantern fruits completely changed the botanical world’s understanding of the nightshade plant family’s origins. Propagation Like most nightshades, tomatillos are predominately propagated by seed. Their flattened round seeds are reminiscent of yellow lentils and handled similarly to tomato seeds. When to Seed Tomatillos Most tomatillo varieties take 60-80 days to mature. You can start tomatillo seeds indoors 6 to 10 weeks before the expected last frost date for your region. This will prepare them to be planted out around the same time as you transplant their cousins, bell peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes. If you would like to directly sow tomatillo seeds in the garden, wait until outdoor nighttime temperatures are consistently above 55°F, typically in late spring or early summer at least 2-3 weeks after the final frost date. How to Propagate Tomatillos These seeds are easy to germinate and tend, but if you don’t have a seed-starting setup, tomatillo plant starts are also widely available. Keep in mind that unique varieties of purple or yellow-orange tomatillos may be difficult to find as nursery starts and need to be seeded in your home nursery or directly-sown in your garden. Filling Seed Starting Trays Prepare 6-packs or 4” pots with a quality, well-drained seed starting mix that is rich in organic matter. Don’t pack the medium into the cell too densley. Use your finger to make a small shallow imprint in the center of the cell about ¼” deep. Decide How Many Seeds To Plant Tomatillo plants produce impressively huge yields, so you don’t usually need to plant many of them (unless you really love salsa verde and plan to preserve massive amounts of it). These fruits are much higher yielding than their tomato relatives. For a small family who likes salsa verde, I would recommend planting just 1 to 2 tomatillo plants per person. However, you may want to start double this amount of seeds to have backup or replacement plants in case anything goes wrong. Remember that you need at least 2 plants in your garden to ensure proper pollination (tomatillos have self-incompatible pollen and need a neighboring plant to actually produce fruit). Tomatillo seeds usually stay viable for 3 years under proper storage conditions (cool and dry in their seed packets). Sowing Seeds Sow tomatillo seeds ⅛” to ¼” deep at a rate of 1-2 seeds per hole. Lightly cover with a thin layer of potting mix or vermiculite and gently water in. Keep the seeds consistently moist and warm until germination. Water, Warmth, Thinning, and Tending Tomatillos love a warm, cozy environment. A heating mat will speed up germination and promote even sprouting amongst your seedlings. Tomatillo seeds take 7-14 days to germinate and prefer temperatures between 75 and 95°F. Once they grow their first true lives, be sure to thin plants to 1 per cell. Grow the baby tomatillos for 6-8 weeks until they have robust root balls and the weather has thoroughly settled out in your garden. Planting Tomatillos If you’ve ever planted tomatoes, it will be very easy for you to plant and grow tomatillos as well. The process is almost identical and can be done at the same time as your other Solanaceous crops (eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes). When to Transplant Tomatillos Tomatillos are extremely frost-sensitive and shouldn’t be put out in the garden until night temperatures are reliably over 55°F. The ideal soil temperature in the garden is between 70 and 80°F. This is typically 2-3 weeks after the last frost of the spring, often between March and May in many parts of the United States. Due to their cold sensitivity, tomatillos are best planted about 2 weeks after your early tomatoes. The tomatillo seedlings should be at least 4-6” tall and have strong root balls before planting. Check that the plants have ample amounts of healthy, green leaves and any early flowers pinched off before transplanting. Flowers that grow on baby plants are often a sign of stress and should be removed to allow the plant to channel its energy into root and shoot establishment. Tomatillo Spacing Tomatillo plants can grow quite large and sprawl about. The full-grown plants grow 3-4 feet tall and spread 2-3 feet wide or more. Trellis or No Trellis? If you’re growing with a trellis, plant tomatillos about 24” apart in rows 1-2 feet apart. You can use classic tomato cages, stakes with string, or the “Florida Weave” method. You can also let tomatillos ramble up cattle panels or fencing. If you plan to let tomatillos sprawl along the ground, plant them 36-48” apart in rows 2-3 feet apart. Keep in mind that harvesting takes a bit more time when they aren’t trellised. Plant Deep Like tomatoes, tomatillos are eager to root all along their stems as they establish. This is called adventitious rooting, or the ability of plants to develop roots from any tissue (such as from their stems). This creates resilient, durable plants with deep root zones for scouring water during drought and holding strong in windy conditions. To get the most out of your tomatillos’ adventitious rooting preferences, plant the seedlings deep into the soil. Depending on the size of the start, you can even remove some of the lower leaves as long as there are 3-4 pairs of healthy leaves left above the surface. How to Transplant Tomatillos Prepare rich loam garden soil just like you would for the majority of your vegetables. Consider adding a generous helping of quality organic compost. Use a broadfork or digging fork to loosen the lower layers and ensure good drainage. Be sure the area is weeded and raked smooth. Hardening Off Before transplanting, ensure that you’ve properly hardened off your baby tomatillos. These nightshades are very cold-sensitive and need 1-2 weeks to adjust to outdoor temperature fluctuation. I prefer to harden them off along with my pepper plants by placing them in a protected area of the patio where they still receive plenty of light. A layer of lightweight garden fabric (row cover) can help keep them cozy at night while still getting them adjusted to the world outside the nursery. Measure, Dibble, and Tuck When you’re finally ready to get these babies in the ground, lay out a measuring tape to mark out your spacing. Use a hori garden knife or a shovel to prepare holes that are 1.5 to 2 times larger than the size of the root ball. Grasp the seedling by its base and gently wiggle it out from its cell. Place the baby tomatillo in the hole and backfill. There is no need to press down or compress the soil, as tomatillos prefer a loose soil with excellent drainage. Water in tomatillos thoroughly to help with establishment. These can be quite drought tolerant plants, but they need consistent moisture in the beginning to get established and prevent blossom end rot. Sporadic watering may lead to issues with the fruiting. At the same time, a soggy soil will lead to very slow-growing, even wilty or diseased tomatillos. Consider using drip irrigation or soaker hoses to keep the beds moderately moist. How to Grow Tomatillos When growing tomatillos, it’s important to cover all your bases. You want to make sure you plant them where they will get adequate light, water, the right type of soil, and the right type of fertilizer. You’ll also want to take companion planting with tomatillos into your thought process if you plan on growing them with other plants. Let’s take a look at each step in more detail.