Pancho is an F1 hybrid tomatillo bred for reliable production and ease of use in the kitchen. It produces large, uniform fruits ready to harvest in just 60 days from transplants, thriving in hardiness zones 4 through 11. This variety handles the stress that often sets back other tomatillos, bouncing back from drought, heat, and cold once established, making it a dependable choice for gardeners across most of the U.S.
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Moderate
4-11
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High
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Large, uniform fruits make prep work faster and more consistent, whether you're making salsa or preserving your harvest. Once established, Pancho shrugs off the environmental stresses that challenge other tomatillos, tolerating drought, heat, cold, and lean soil without losing vigor. At 60 days to harvest from transplants, you'll be picking ripe fruits in the middle of summer rather than racing against fall frost.
Pancho is grown primarily for fresh salsa, where its large, uniform fruits speed up prep work. The tomatillos can be used fresh, cooked down for salsa verde, or preserved by freezing for later processing.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Sow seeds indoors in 50-cell trays 4 to 5 weeks before your transplant date. Alternatively, sow tightly in flats and pot up as seedlings develop. Keep soil consistently moist until seeds emerge, which typically happens within 7 to 10 days at warm temperatures.
Transplant outdoors after all danger of frost has passed, about 1 to 2 weeks later than your earliest tomatoes. Plant deeply to encourage adventitious rooting, spacing plants 24 to 36 inches apart depending on your training plan. At least two plants are required for successful pollination and fruit set.
Harvest when the fruit fills out the papery husk and the husk begins to split naturally. Pick fruits before they fall to the ground; mature tomatillos can be stored in the husk at room temperature.
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