The Physalis plants looked particularly healthy:
Four days later, this is what one of them looked like:
Dead. No doubt about it. I dug up this plant to carry out a "post-mortem", and found that the stem had been completely eaten through, about an inch below ground level. I suspect something like a cutworm, a vine weevil larva or a chafer grub. I searched thoroughly, but I could not find the culprit.
I have now re-planted this pot with my only spare Physalis plant - I have given away all the others (I hope not prematurely). Let's hope I have more luck this time...
I have never grown Physalis before, so I am not exactly sure what to expect, but I think it will be something like a smaller version of the Tomatillo, but with fruits that are sweet rather than savoury.
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| Tomatillo (Summer 2010) |
Hi Mark, I have cutworm damage to anything I put out unless I use a paper towel cardboard "collar" around the stem of plant. Hope your remaining plant makes it!
ReplyDeleteOh no! I hate cutworms. Last year I thought "well, cutworms never eat my plants so I'm not going to bother cutting up all those toilet paper tubes to use as collars" and found out the hard way that the reason I didn't have cutworm problems was because I always used the collars. Not this year. I ran out of toilet paper tubes and started cutting up anything made out of posterboard to make more. Everything from cereal boxes to Krispy Kreme donut boxes (which crack me up adorning my healthy veggie plants).
ReplyDeleteAs for physalis, which one is it? I love the heck out of ground cherries, yum yum! I hope your other one does well (you're going to wish you had more than one though).
I had a go at physallis a few years ago, but wasn't very successful. The tomatillo looks great.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your second physalis - we did grow the ages ago and I seem to remember they tasted like a very sweet tomato.
ReplyDeleteMy mother lives in Wales and has been a able to grow Tomatillos successfully, so heard hoping that your second planting of physalis grow and are bountiful.
ReplyDelete