Blessed Garden, I am in Austin as well. There are at least 3 (if not alot more) types of tomatillo. I am currently growing the purple tomatillo. I do have seeds of the green tomatillo (which I do not believe is the same as the pineapple tomatillo). Remember if you grow tomatillo, you need to have at least 2 plants growing in close proximity to one another as they do not self pollinate. I made the mistake of growing only one last year and it bloomed profusely however I never got any fruit out of it. I thought it was self pollinating like a tomato or pepper but I was wrong. I believe I have a small amount of green tomatillo if you would like (very tiny amount), and if you are willing to wait the purple tomatillo once both are mature and producing fruit. I have one mature plant and another that is maybe a week or two behind it. The mature plant is blooming already, just waiting for the other plant to bloom as well. The tomatillo is a very weak seedling when it starts off and you'll want to keep it away from wind, once it takes off it really grows fast but in the early stages as a seedling its very weak. Let me know if you want the green tomatillo, or if you like you could wait for the purple tomatillo and email me later on in the summer (maybe mid-late june) to see if I have the purple tomatillo seeds by then. Danny

Yes, I realize that the husk forms first, these were yellow, dropped husks that looked exactly like the ripe ones, only missing a fruit inside. I did look inside for a tiny fruit, all I saw was a tiny spot near the center top that looks just like the spot that the mature fruit is connected to the husk. I would think if it failed to pollinate, wouldn't the flower just drop? Seems strange to me that the plant would grow a husk for a fruit that has no chance of forming....

Under ideal conditions, ground cherries drop when ripe, and those are the ones which are eaten. They should never be picked off the plant. If ground cherries fall from the plant prematurely (the green ones) they will not ripen further with time... green ones stay green. Premature drops can be caused by dry soil, rough handling, strong winds, or heavy rainfall. A couple days of strong thunderstorms knocked many of mine down this week. Green ground cherries should not be eaten. They won't kill you, but will likely cause upset stomach if you eat too many. I've eaten a few half-ripe ground cherries mixed with ripe ones, and had no ill effects. Its worth mentioning that while the green ones should not be eaten, the seed within is mature. If the green ones are thrown on the ground, many seeds will germinate the following Spring... maybe even hundreds. That's why I never have to plant them. ;-) ....(The same can be said of tomatillos.) Other than cutting off a branch that was in the way, I've never trimmed ground cherries; but I don't see why not, as long as it is less than 1/2 of the plant.

Can you give us a botanical/Latin name Nancy? If you're talking about Physalis edulis, a small relative of the tomatillo family: I let them ripen on the vine until they're yellow. Most get eaten while I'm in the garden. I bury the ones the birds get to first in one place, mark it, and have seedlings for next year. Surplus? Substitute for apples in any pie recipe, but I'm not sure about acid/pectin content when making jam.