Tags: Heirloom Open Pollinated

Growing Practices: No Pesticides No Herbicides No Fungicides No Synthetic Fertilizers

Latin Name: Capsicum pubescens

Days to Maturity: 100

Description:

Orange Manzano Chile Pepper (Capsicum pubescens) is a species of the genus Capsicum (pepper), known as rocoto. Indigenous to the cloud forests of Central and South America. Because of their evolution in cloud forests, they will grow and tolerate cool weather. (These are some of the only kinds of chilies that grow in cool fog like is present in the Bay Area of California.) The species name, pubescens, means hairy, which refers to the hairy leaves of this pepper. The peppers have black seeds. They are perennial and live for years. They are very hot and delicious with thick walls and are suited for sauce, and drying. They are excellent fresh in stir fry, eggs, stews, and anything else that go well with fresh chilies. The beautiful orange color makes these chilies an excellent addition to your garden. They are extremely ornamental.They reach up to 7 feet tall if allowed to grow for several years in a light to no frost area.There is a yellow and red variety as well that we carry-see our other listings tab to the right of this page.
(aka Naranja Rocoto semillias)

We guarantee delivery (and germination too if you follow directions and grow them in a warm environment to start). By the way, the post office is sometimes slow and is beyond our control. But to keep your costs low we have no tracking number. Therefore if for some reason they do not
arrive-PLEASE CONTACT US. WE WILL RESHIP OF REFUND-GARANTEED. please contact eBay only to give us a rating (hopefully good). IF THERE IS A PROBLEM PLEASE CONTACT US FIRST-we will RESOLVE it to your complete SATISFACTION! We guarantee it! Thank you very much for your order. (by the way, if we were to add tracking numbers to your order it would be $dollars added to your cost for a 3.50 (+ or-) pack of seeds!) We believe it is better to just offer you a guarantee in writing and keep your

postage cost low. Thank you
Thank you for trying our MANZANO pepper seeds.

Story of this Seed:

More info on our rocote manzano chilies: Rocoto is the South American term for the chillies from the Capsicum pubescens species, while “Manzano” means apple-shaped. “Pubescens” means “hairy” and comes from the fact that the leaves of the plants are hairy. The clearest differentiator to other species are the violet coloured, decorative flowers. It is worth overwintering Rocotos, as they can reach quite a high age. Because their stems lignify quickly, they are also referred to as “tree chillies”. The Rocoto plants can tolerate the cooler nights of the Central European climate. With good care and the right conditions, Rocotos can live for 10 years or more.
The Rocoto Manzano Red fruits are thick-walled and juicy, and have a fantastic, fruity flavour which is reminiscent of apples. In South American countries they also have the nickname “Gringo killer” due to their spiciness. The Rocotos are excellent for making into salsas or for baking with various fillings. The most well-known recipe (Rocoto relleno - stuffed Rocotos) comes from Peru: Rocoto halves are pickled in milk overnight and then filled with mince, hard boiled and chopped eggs, and topped with cheese.

Growing Tips:

Care: The germination temperature is between 20 and 28°C (7 - 20 day germination period), therefore the use of a greenhouse and a heating mat is recommended. The plants need fresh, well-fertilized, permeable soil, and do not tolerate waterlogging. They should be planted in a sunny, protected place with at least 6 hours of sunlight - preferably more. Put the plants outside approx. 2 to 3 weeks after the last frost. As the plants have a long ripening time and are perennial, they should be cultivated in pots, so that the plants can be brought inside when the temperature falls below 10°C during the day. To overwinter after the harvest cut back by 20 cm and put them in a light place with a temperature of at least 15°C.