Tomatillo

Earlier this spring I posted about moving cinder blocks to create a new border for a raised bed at the farm. I reused the cinder blocks in an area further from the house and created a nice look for the beds. Last summer, I posted about how I haven't planted tomatillos in many years at One Love Farm, yet they come back year after year, sometimes in spots hundreds of feet away from the original planting.

This week those two ideas, cinder block raised beds and tomatillos joined forces. As usual, the tomatillos sprouted anywhere a seed dropped last fall. In planting beds, in pathways, in the yard. Many of these I pull out, but many of them I allow to mature and give fruit. The interesting thing is that lots of tomatillos took root in the holes in the cinder blocks (see pictures above).

I believe the reason they like this location is because the hole in the cinder block is protected from wind and harsh conditions, yet it still gets rain. In addition, this location has the radiant heat that the cinder block absorbs during the day to keep the seedling warm at night. Not that the tomatillo needs much pampering. They grow like weeds in any spot they can find. But I think these cinder blocks give them another boost for growing.