Tales from the Backyard Farmer. 1st Installment: The Tomatillo Monster.

Summer 2004:

Well, the flowers are starting to morph into buds which means fruit is in the mail. I haven't applied any fertilizer and this plant is growing quite well. I believe it has another 6 inches to grow under otherwise harsh conditions. Where I have it planted, it receives roughly 6 hours of sun a day, and is in the catch canal of an unguttered garage, so it has taken some harsh blows in the past couple weeks. Worse yet, the soil it is growing in below the 2 inches of fresh top soil is old and weeded, much less un-tilled.
A second plant is growing from the base. I need to get this one away from the large roots before it becomes too entangled. I can plant this one in a different area with more sun now that the days are long. The seeds I get from these plants I can have growing in the house over winter. Extract the seeds from that and I have only a 25% hybrid. Low enough to begin serious cropping.
Considering the large farming communities in the far NW suburbs, and their migrant workers, having an acre or two up there growing this stuff would be a pretty good idea. Keep it small enough that it can be greenhoused in the off season for continual growth. Roadside stands, farmers markets, and short shipping distances mean good for business.