Rainline Garden My garden plan
Green tomatillos in their papery husks
Photo: Pexels

When to plant tomatillos in Hood River, OR

Start tomatillos from seed indoors Mar 6–20, then plant the young plants in the garden in Hood River May 1–29.

Easy Plant young plants (starts)

Difficulty
Easy
Sun
Full sun
Spacing
3 feet apart
Planting depth
Bury the stem up to the first leaves, like tomatoes
Frost
Killed by frost
First harvest
About 75 days after planting

Why these dates

Hood River's typical last spring frost is April 20. Frost kills tomatillos, and warm-season crops also need warm soil. Soil here stays cold for weeks after the last frost, so planting waits until about May 1. Keep row cover or a frost blanket handy for the first couple of weeks, since a late frost is still possible.

Columbia Basin and low eastern valleys. Hot, dry summers and quick spring warm-up. Warm crops go in earlier than west of the Cascades, and irrigation matters more than rain.

How to grow tomatillos in Hood River

  1. Start seeds indoors Mar 6–20 in trays or small pots under a grow light or in your sunniest window. Or skip this step and buy young plants (starts) at a garden center.
  2. Harden off the young plants: about a week before planting, set them outside for a few hours a day, a little longer each day.
  3. Plant them in the garden May 1–29, 3 feet apart. Bury the stem up to the first leaves, like tomatoes.
  4. Water deeply once or twice a week rather than a little every day, and mulch once the soil is warm.
  5. Harvest: Pick when the fruit fills and starts to split its papery husk. Stored in their husks in the fridge, they keep for two weeks or more.

Key numbers

Growing notes

What makes the difference in Northwest gardens, in plain language.

Why you need two plants

Tomatillo flowers can't pollinate themselves, so pollen has to come from a different plant, carried by bees. A lone plant blooms happily but sets few or no fruit, leaving empty papery husks. Plant at least two, close enough for bees to visit both. Toma Verde, Grande Rio Verde and Purple all cross with each other.

Tomatillos handle cool Northwest summers better than tomatoes, setting fruit in weather that would stall a tomato.

Planting and support

Start seeds indoors six to eight weeks before your last frost, and plant out once nights stay above about 50°F. Like tomatoes, they root along buried stems, so plant deep. Plants grow wide and floppy, often 3 to 4 feet tall and across, so give them the full 3 feet of spacing and a large cage or sturdy stakes.

Average garden soil with some compost is enough. Too much nitrogen grows leaves at the expense of fruit.

Harvest and use

Pick when the fruit fills the husk and the husk starts to split or turn papery. Green types are best slightly underripe for tart salsa verde; purple ones turn deep purple and sweeter as they ripen.

Tomatillos keep two weeks or more in their husks in the fridge, and they freeze well whole after husking and rinsing. Fruit that drops and rots in the bed often leaves volunteer seedlings next spring, so clean up fallen fruit if you don't want them.

Common questions

When is the last frost in Hood River, OR?

Typically April 20. In 9 years out of 10, frost is over by May 9. These are 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals for Hood River.

Is it too late to plant tomatillos in Hood River?

The spring planting window runs through May 29. Later plantings may not have time to produce before the first fall frost, which usually arrives around October 13.

When should I start tomatillos from seed indoors in Hood River?

March 6 to March 20, which is 8 to 6 weeks before the May 1 planting date. Or buy young plants at a garden center instead.

Why are my tomatillo husks empty?

The flowers weren't pollinated, almost always because there's only one plant, or because bees were scarce. Grow at least two plants near each other and the husks should fill.

Why are tomatillos sticky inside the husk?

That's a natural coating on the fruit skin. It's harmless; just rinse it off under warm water after removing the husk.

Can you freeze tomatillos?

Yes. Remove the husks, rinse off the sticky coating, dry them and freeze whole on a tray before bagging. They soften when thawed, which is fine for salsa and sauces.

Also plant in Hood River around the same time

Planting dates for tomatillos in nearby areas

Full planting calendar for Hood River · Tomatillos in every city