• To not miss anything and get all the information to succeed in your pepper planting, check out our Ultimate Pepper Growing Guide

The Red Rocoto Pepper, also called Manzano Pepper for its resemblance to a small apple, originates from the Andes in Peru. It has a rather oval to round uniform appearance with a smooth texture to the touch and has the particularity of containing black seeds! Not common for a pepper! Rated between 30,000 and 50,000 on the Scoville scale, it's a rather hot pepper. The plant can reach one meter in height. It is harvested once red, apple red even!

• heat level: 30,000 to 50,000 on the Scoville scale.
• plant size approximately 100 cm.
• medium-sized fruit, approximately 5cm long.
• fruit color: Green during growth, Red at maturity.
• genus: Capsicum Pubescens.
• ideal germination: between January and April.
• harvest: between September and November.

What Equipment Do I Need for Growing My Peppers?

To optimize your results, we recommend equipping yourself with:

Red Rocoto Pepper seeds.
An enclosed growing space like a mini greenhouse.
Coco coir pellets, peat, or cotton (to germinate the seeds).
Labels (to avoid mixing up your seedlings).
Potting soil (ideally a mixture of 50% black peat and 50% blonde peat) or flowering-specific potting soil, which will also work.
Pepper fertilizer or tomato fertilizer, or 5-5-10 fertilizer for those in the know.
A water sprayer or watering can.
Gloves (if you don't like contact with soil).
Pots with a diameter of 7 or 8 cm at first, before using 10-liter or larger pots depending on the pepper for transplanting

To make your life easier, we offer our mini greenhouse for growing your peppers.

How Do I Germinate My Pepper Seeds?

Growing peppers is a process that requires patience and some knowledge, but don't panic, we'll explain everything you need to know to germinate your pepper seeds!

Pepper seedlings are typically started at the beginning of the year, generally between January at the earliest and March for early spring. To do this, you'll need the equipment listed above.

You then have 2 options:
Plant directly in a pot full of potting soil with your seed at half a centimeter depth
Place a seed on a coco coir pellet or on a piece of cotton.

In both cases, once the seed is in place, you'll need to spray enough water to moisten the soil or cotton without soaking it, then place your coco coir pellet or cotton in a container like a mini greenhouse that will retain heat and humidity, thus providing oxygen. If you're using a flower pot, you can simply stretch plastic wrap over it and make small holes with a toothpick to oxygenate the plant.

The ideal is to maintain a constant temperature of 28 degrees. You can store your container behind a sunny window, on or near a radiator, or on a heating mat designed for this purpose.

OUR TIP:

Place your mini greenhouse on your internet router!

Remember to air out your growing area from time to time to prevent the appearance of fungi while keeping the soil moist. Once the first leaves appear, you'll need to ensure your seedlings get enough sunlight for 12 to 14 hours per day. Once the second set of leaves is well developed, you can then transplant them.

Once in a pot, keep your plant near a heat source and exposed to sunlight (ideally try to filter the light to avoid heat stress)

After the Ice Saints around mid-May, you can move your plant outdoors and plant your pepper in the ground if you wish, or leave it in a pot and place it on a balcony, a window sill, or even along a wall, preferably on the south side.

How do I water my Red Rocoto Pepper?

When watering your Red Rocoto pepper, be careful not to overwater. Too much water can drown the plant and lead to its demise. You simply need to let the soil dry between each watering to avoid insect proliferation and drowning the plant.

Once the plant is well developed (once your plant reaches about thirty centimeters), you can cause water stress by stopping watering the plant for several days before resuming watering (however, be careful not to overuse this technique, it would be a shame to let your pepper plant die).

How Do I Properly Prepare for My Harvest?

Once your pepper plant is in place, here are our tips to optimize your future harvest:

When your pepper plant reaches a height of 15 to 20 cm, you can pinch the top of the stem (without breaking it), which should allow the plant to grow bushier and produce a bit more.

If flowering is early for one of your plants, remove the first flowers to prevent them from demanding too much energy from the plant.

If your pepper plant is outdoors, insects will take care of pollinating the plant, which will then produce peppers. If your plant is indoors, you'll need to do this manually: take your clean finger and rub it lightly against each flower, from one to another.

Don't hesitate to use a bamboo stake or rod to support your plant.

When should I harvest my Red Rocoto Pepper?

For harvesting your Red Rocoto pepper, as with the others, you'll need to watch its color! This pepper is harvested once it turns Red.