Page 40 - SV 3 2024

Tomatillo
Physalis ixocarpa
It is also called the Mexican Husk Tomato as the fruits are surrounded by a papery husk which is the remains of the calyx. The fruits are green to start with but ripen to yellow, purple or red when ready to pick. They are not related to tomatoes so do not suffer the same pests and diseases.
Tomatillos need a sheltered sunny site
or are better grown in polytunnels or greenhouses, they can be started under cloches or cold frames. A moisture retentive soil with good drainage is required and it
is better that the soil is pre-warmed with cloches or black polythene to reduce the chance of checks to growth.
Sow the seeds indoor as for tomatoes into seed trays or modules in a temperature of 18 to 21°C, sow thinly into a multipurpose compost and cover the seeds lightly.
Once germinated and approx. 30mm tall prick out into 9cm pots and grow on in a
temperature of 15 to 18°C. When the plants are 10cm high harden then off and then plant outdoors at 45cm apart in rows 90cm apart. They can be planted through black polythene to help warm the soil, reduce moisture evaporation, and prevent weed growth.
The plants can be a bit sprawling so
are best if supported with bamboo canes, tie the plants to the canes as you would tomatoes. If the plants are grown under cloches or low tunnels the growing tips can be pinched out to keep them bushy and smaller.
Do not allow the plants to dry out so water and feed as for tomatoes. The fruits are not ready to harvest until late summer but harvest when ripe and if any drop off pick up and ripen on a windowsill. They can be stored in a fridge for a couple of weeks or frozen.
Tomatillo Physalis ixocarpa ‘Purple’ (Tomatillo)
Winter Purslane
Monitia perfoliata
It used to be called Claytonia perfoliata hence the sometimes- used common name of Claytonia, it is also known as miners’ lettuce. The perfoliata part of the name refers to how the leaves are attached around the stem. It is a hardy annual with soft pale green leaves and very small white flowers which can be eaten along with the leaves and has a mild flavour. Winter purslane will grow in sun or part shade and prefers a well-drained soil but will grow in poor dry soils as well; it is an easy plant to grow and will self-seed and grow on its own accord.
It can be sown from April to August for harvesting from July to December, it is most commonly sown in late summer / autumn to harvest from October to December and
then again in March / April. I have a patch that
An easy plant to grow for winter salads and well worth a try.
Summer Purslane
Portulaca oleracea
As you can see from the Latin name it is not related to the winter purslane and it is only half hardy so cannot be grown for winter salads but is available for summer salads and like the winter version has a mild flavour. The leaves are succulent and there are green or yellow types available, both are low growing so ideal for small gardens, raised beds or container growing.
Sow from May to July in a sunny sheltered area into well drained soil, aim to sow successionally to give a harvest period over the summer season from July to October. The successional
self-seeds and germinates in the autumn and is
ready to harvest by March. Although as stated
above it can be sown in the spring and early
summer for summer harvesting there are plenty
of other salad plants to grow and harvest then
and this can be saved for the winter. If it is grown
in polytunnels, cold greenhouses or frames it
can be picked most of the winter. Sow the seeds
1cm deep thinly in rows 23cm apart, once the
plants are growing, they can be thinned out to 10
to 15cm apart and the thinning’s used in salads.
Winter purslane can be grown as a come and
cut again crop and are grown closer together
when using this technique. If grown as a come
and cut again crop they can be broadcast sown (like sowing a lawn) to make good use of the area.
Plants are ready to start picking in 10 to 12 weeks and the leaves and stems can be picked as can any flowers but leave
the lower 5cm of the plant to allow the plants to regrow to keep up the successional cropping. If the flowers are left the will produce seed and these will easily grow, self-sown seedlings can be carefully lifted and transplanted if required, take care as they have a very shallow root system that can be damaged so lift using a trowel or hand fork.
Regular picking encourages new growth but do not over harvest, leave a few leaves to keep the plant growing
crop should be sown when the previous crop has two true leaves. Early crops can be started indoors and grown in modules then planted out after the last frost to start cropping in late June. Sow the seed thinly 1cm deep in rows 15cm apart and the final spacing in the rows should be 15cm, thin out once the seedings are established and use the thinning’s in salads.
Plants are ready to harvest in 4 to 12 weeks and pick the young leaves as soon as they are large enough; regular picking encourages new growth but do not over harvest, leave a few leaves to keep the plant growing. Remove any seed heads as soon as they start to grow to prevent seeding and water in dry weather.
Summer purslane can be grown as a come and cut again plant or as individual plants to pick as required.
As plants take up little space, they are useful for growing in polytunnels or greenhouses for a May / June harvest or sown in late summer for an autumn harvest. If sowing early they can be started in a propagator and pricked out into modules; grown on and planted out after any frosts.
As usual with salad crops slugs and snails are the main problem so use your normal preventative methods.
40 Simply Vegetables