Lulo: Cultivation, Care and Harvesting of the Naranjilla

The Lulo originally comes from South America. Below you can find out how you can grow the Quito tomato yourself and what the fruits taste like.

The lulo is particularly popular in South America, where it is used in numerous dishes and drinks. We present the plant, also known as the Quito tomato, in the profile and give tips for growing it in the garden and on the balcony.

Lulo: fruit, characteristics and origin

The Lulo (Solanum quitoense) is also often referred to as naranjilla or quito tomato. The perennial plant, one to three meters high, belongs to the nightshade family (Solanaceae) and is therefore closely related to tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and eggplant (Solanum melongena) related. Like its relatives, the lulo comes from the Andes and is often cultivated by the local population at altitudes of over 1000 meters.

The richly branched lulo plant forms wide-toothed, very large, downy leaves with deep purple leaf veins and individual spines. In the young plant phase, the plants are very reminiscent of aubergines in appearance. The stalks are just as densely hairy, sometimes also thorny. If started early, Naranjilla will start flowering five months after sowing. In Central Europe, it blooms between mid-July and early August. The white to violet flowers are in clusters on short peduncles in the leaf axils. The fluffy, hairy, round lulo fruit matures after pollination to a size of about 4 - 6 cm and turns orange-yellow at harvest time from September. The skin of the berries is tough and up to 4 mm thick, which is why they are not eaten. Inside the naranjilla fruit is yellow-green, juicy flesh. The seeds of the Lulo can be removed, cleaned, dried and then stored in a cool, dark and dry place for years to come in the garden. The plants themselves can produce fruit for five years, which is why overwintering the Quito tomato is particularly worthwhile.

Growing lulo fruit: location and procedure

Naranjilla plants are cultivated from seeds early in the year. The Lulo is cultivated between the end of January and the beginning of March on a bright, warm window sill. Like tomato seeds, the seeds should only be covered sparsely with soil. A nutrient-poor potting soil, like ours Plantura Organic Herb & Seed Soil, promotes root formation and at the same time offers a loose, permeable structure, which prevents waterlogging. Young Lulo plants are pricked out after the first real leaf has formed and individually transplanted into nutrient-rich potting soil. The planting takes place from mid-May after the ice saints. Lulos thrive in beds - but a planter with a capacity of at least ten liters is also ideal, especially if the perennial plant is to be overwintered.

The ideal location for the Naranjilla is warm, sheltered and light, at best partially shaded. Direct sun should be avoided. Lulos prefer nutrient-rich, rather moist soil that rarely if ever dries out. Temperatures around 18 – 20 °C are ideal for growth. You should allow about one square meter of space for each Lulo plant due to the sprawling leaves. For planting in pots, but also to improve poor garden soil, we recommend using a nutrient-rich organic potting soil such as ours Plantura organic tomato & vegetable soil. Dig a sufficiently large planting hole and put the young plants in, no deeper than they were in the pot before. Now fill up with substrate, press lightly all around and then water the Lulo vigorously.

Care of the Lulo

Lulos are generally easy to care for, requiring no pruning or pinching like many tomatoes. However, the plants always need sufficient moisture and therefore need to be watered. The fertilizer requirement of the Lulo can be compared to that of tomatoes. Fertilization makes sense from around mid-June, when the Naranjilla begins to develop the first flower buds and the nutrients from the potting soil have been largely used up. An organic liquid fertilizer like ours Plantura Organic Tomato & Vegetable Fertilizer, can be easily applied over the irrigation water. Fertilization is carried out regularly, about once a week, in a dosage of 15 - 25 ml per 5 l of water.

Is Solanum quitoense hardy? The Naranjilla is not hardy, it only thrives in temperatures above freezing. However, since it is a perennial plant, it is worth wintering. Lulos should be relocated to bright, heatable winter quarters from temperatures below 5 °C. With sufficient light and not too warm temperatures around 15 - 18 °C, the Lulo can also be overwintered in the house or apartment. Watering is extremely economical in winter and only when necessary to prevent plant diseases such as gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) to be avoided in winter quarters. Fertilization is not necessary until spring of the following year.

Harvest, use and taste of the Lulo

For fresh consumption and processing, the berries are harvested when they are fully ripe. The fruit of the lulo turns distinctly orange-yellow when ripe and the fruit stalk appears dry and brown. In Central Europe, the first naranjillas ripen one after the other from September. If the fruits are not yet fully ripe when they are stored for the winter from the end of October, they can still be harvested and continue to ripen indoors at cool temperatures above 10 °C. Ripe berries can be stored in a cool place for about a month.

The taste of the Lulo can be described as fruity and sour. The fruits contain larger amounts of vitamins A and C. The aromatic, sour flesh of the lulos is preferably sprinkled with a little sugar and then spooned out of the thick skin of the fruit. In South America, the fruits are particularly popular for making ice cream or the popular soft drink Lulada. Only the fluff is rubbed off the berries and they are then pureed whole with water, sugar and ice. In addition to desserts such as pastries or baked fruits, Lulo juice, jams, syrup and fruit wine can also be made to extend the shelf life.

A relative of the Lulo is the pear melon or also Pepino (Solanum muricatum). We introduce the exotic and give tips for growing it in your own garden.