Late Blight

Late Blight

So there it is, Late Blight, day four, and the tomato plants are showing the devastating destruction it always leaves behind. I like to keep things positive, and you should know I have way too many tomatoes in my bedroom and hallway, so I’m very happy with the harvest. I wanted to show what this affliction will do to a tomato/potato plant. Had we left the tomatoes on the vine to ripen they would all be mush by now.

Mexican Husk Tomatillos

Frank Sinatra once sang “every cloud must have a silver lining”, and I’ve found the silver in this situation. At one end of the tomato patch, there is a small green island untouched and unaffected by the evil blight spores. This is the home to my Mexican Husk Tomatillo’s, which technically are not tomatoes, but they sure do look similar. The veggies that decend from the leaves of this plant have a husk similar to the one on corn cobs, and the center edible portion is usually green in color, with some variation depending on the variety grown.

Husk on a Tomatillo

Here we see the husk in more detail. When it dries, and begins to crack open, the tomatillos are ripe, and can be eaten. I personally do not like the taste, but their blight resistance is very attractive, and several members of my family absolutely love them. They will always have a place in the tomato patch.