Type: Open Pollinated / Heirloom
Relative Days: 65 - 70
Life Cycle: Annual
Characteristics:
Aunt Molly’s ground cherry is a sprawling cousin of tomatoes and tomatillos that grows about two feet tall and four feet wide and yields golden fruits one-half to three-quarters of an inch in diameter enclosed in papery husks that turn from green to gold before dropping when ripe, offering a sweet tomato-pineapple flavor perfect for preserves, pie filling, or fresh snacking; the husked fruits store up to three months, giving growers an extended shelf life.
Ground Cherry (Physalis pruinosa)
Commonly known as ground cherry, dwarf cape gooseberry, and strawberry tomato, this plant produces a small, yellow, edible berry surrounded by a papery husk. Ground cherries typically produce hundreds of fruits on each plant.
Temperature
Plant when soil is thoroughly warm before transplanting outdoors.
Soil
Raised beds are best for growing ground cherries, especially in heavy clay soils, because the plants need good drainage. Work a couple inches of compost into the soil before planting.
Planting
Sow seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before the last frost, ¼″ deep, 4–6 seeds per inch in flats. Transplant out when danger of frost has passed; plants grow without support.
Spacing
NOTE: Seeds are slow to germinate compared to tomatillos and tomatoes, requiring about 2 weeks—keep soil moist until emergence. Transplant outdoors 18–24″ apart; allow at least 2′ between plants due to their sprawling habit.
Harvest & Storage
Harvest when the papery husk turns tan and splits open. Ground cherries bear about 70 days from transplant (late July–August) and continue until heavy frost. Ripe fruits drop—collect fallen husks, let ripen at room temperature in their husks until deep apricot gold. Store in husks in a mesh bag at about 50°F for up to 3 months.
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