How to grow Tamarillo

Needs a rich, moist, well drained soil & will not tolerate waterlogging or drought. The roots are very shallow, so keep well mulched and water daily or every other day, depending on your soil drainage². It survives light frost by dropping affected leaves and shooting back in spring. Seedlings should have their growth tip removed to encourage multiple trunks. This makes the fruit easier to reach and reduces the risk of a heavily laden tree toppling over. ¹ It is a heavy feeder – feed every two weeks². In hot, dry climates, the plant will do better with half-day shade². They may be easier to care for when planted in containers².

Slow to germinate, but fast grower once germinated. Requires heat to germinate at a reasonable rate, grow from seed with a heat mat, in a heated greenhouse, or over a warm area in the house. Or sow in spring when the soil temperature reaches 24-29deg. Easily propagated from cuttings taken in Spring and Autumn, 60-90cm long.. ¹

Ensure a distance of 9.75 feet (3.00 metres) between seeds when sowing - look to sow at a depth of approximately 0.39 inches (1.0 cm). Soil temperature should be kept higher than 24°C / 75°F to ensure good germination.

Seedlings should be kept in a sheltered area until 1.5m tall³.

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Tamarillo is a tender plant.

By our calculations*, you should look at planting out Tamarillo about 14 days after your last frost date.

Fruit can be eaten raw, in salads or fruit salads, cooked as a fruit sauce or made into jam. Nutritionally tamarillos are high in Vit.A Vit.B6, Vit.C, Vit.E, iron and low in carbohydrates. ¹

As for any of the Solanum family, the seeds are mature when the fruit is ripe. One or two fruits my be left to over-ripen on the plant to ensure fermentation and control of seed-borne disease. Scoop seeds from the fruit, wash and dry on a paper towel for 1-2 weeks. Store in dark air-tight jars.

These estimates for how long Tamarillo takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

Our when to plant Tamarillo estimates are relative to your last frost date.

Prior to 1967, the tamarillo was known as the “tree tomato” in New Zealand, but a new name was chosen by the New Zealand Tree Tomato Promotions Council in order to distinguish it from the ordinary garden tomato and increase its exotic appeal³. The choice is variously explained by similarity to the word “tomato”, the Spanish word “amarillo”, meaning yellow, and a variation on the Maori word “tama”, for “leadership”³. It is still called Tree Tomato in most of the world.

Andes of Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Bolivia³. Popular as a Mexican drink.

tomate de árbol, tree tomato, terong belanda, dutch eggplant, tamamoro

Solanum betacea, Solanum crassifolium, Cyphomandra betacea, Cyphomandra crassifolia, Pionandra betacea, Solanum insigne

¹ Green Harvest, growing information

² Growing Tamarillo Trees

³ Wikipedia entry on Tamarillo