Rocoto Pepper (Capsicum pubescens)
2 sources cited · Verified
The short answer
- Plant out
- Early March to late March
- Site
- 6+ hours of sun, soil pH 4.3–8.3
In the UK, rocoto peppers planted out early March to late March.
Rocoto peppers (Capsicum pubescens) — Woody perennial (PFAF).
Timing is the decision that matters most in the USA: there are 7 separate regional planting out windows, ranging from early February in Deep South & Gulf Coast to early May in Intermountain West.
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.
Regional Planting Calendar
| Region | Plant out |
|---|---|
| Pacific Northwest derived | early March to late March |
| Northeast & New England derived | early April to mid April |
| Lower Midwest & Ohio Valley derived | mid April to late April |
| Intermountain West derived | early May to mid May |
| N. Plains & Upper Midwest derived | late April to early May |
| Mid-Atlantic & Upper South derived | early April to mid April |
| Deep South & Gulf Coast derived | early February to mid February |
Rows marked derived are interpolated between regions our sources do state, because no source we consulted gives a figure for that region specifically. They are deliberately wider to reflect that uncertainty.
Pacific Northwest - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. Sow in a warm greenhouse in late winter to early spring; transplant outdoors only after the final frosts, since it is not reliably hardy below about -5C. Applied to a mean last frost of 8 March (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 8 March to 22 March. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Northeast & New England - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. Sow in a warm greenhouse in late winter to early spring; transplant outdoors only after the final frosts, since it is not reliably hardy below about -5C. Applied to a mean last frost of 6 April (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 6 April to 20 April. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Lower Midwest & Ohio Valley - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. Sow in a warm greenhouse in late winter to early spring; transplant outdoors only after the final frosts, since it is not reliably hardy below about -5C. Applied to a mean last frost of 16 April (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 16 April to 30 April. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Intermountain West - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. Sow in a warm greenhouse in late winter to early spring; transplant outdoors only after the final frosts, since it is not reliably hardy below about -5C. Applied to a mean last frost of 6 May (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 6 May to 20 May. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
N. Plains & Upper Midwest - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. Sow in a warm greenhouse in late winter to early spring; transplant outdoors only after the final frosts, since it is not reliably hardy below about -5C. Applied to a mean last frost of 25 April (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 25 April to 9 May. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Mid-Atlantic & Upper South - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. Sow in a warm greenhouse in late winter to early spring; transplant outdoors only after the final frosts, since it is not reliably hardy below about -5C. Applied to a mean last frost of 4 April (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 4 April to 18 April. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Deep South & Gulf Coast - detail & sources
DERIVED from this region's own frost normal, not quoted for the region. Sow in a warm greenhouse in late winter to early spring; transplant outdoors only after the final frosts, since it is not reliably hardy below about -5C. Applied to a mean last frost of 2 February (NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 for the USA; Environment and Climate Change Canada normals for Canada), that gives 2 February to 16 February. Your own local frost date is what matters — a region spans a range, and this figure comes from one representative station within it.
Quick Facts
Soil & Growing Conditions
Growth Stages
Harvest & Storage
Rocoto Pepper Photo Gallery
References
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Suitable for light, medium or heavy soils, prefers well-drained soil, pH tolerance 4.3-8.3. Full sun essential, cannot grow in shade. Perennial to 3m x 2m. Sow seed late winter to early spring in a warm greenhouse; germinates in 3-4 weeks at 20C; prick out seedlings into individual pots, transplant outdoors after final frosts. Prefers consistently moist soil. USDA zones 8-11, hardy to UK zone 9, tolerates down to -5C. Flowers August-September, hermaphroditic, precede thick-walled pungent fruit used raw or cooked -- as a condiment, sauce ingredient, stuffed, baked, dried or ground into powder. Native to the Andes region of South America.
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Andean domesticate cultivated at mid- to high elevations of the central Andes; one of five independently domesticated Capsicum species. Distinguished from related species by pubescent (hairy) leaves, purple flowers and black seeds -- unlike the white flowers and tan/yellow seeds of other cultivated Capsicum. Fruit colour ranges yellow to orange to red at maturity. Field trial (Arequipa, 1296m, arid climate, mean annual temp 19.2C): average plant height 92.65cm, maturation cycle around 248 days. Chemically distinctive: dihydrocapsaicin-dominant rather than the capsaicin-dominant profile of most other peppers. Commercial cultivation in Peru covers around 14,000 hectares farmed by over 11,000 smallholders, mainly in Pasco and Junin regions, producing over 200,000 tonnes/year.
2 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I plant rocoto peppers out in the USA?
In Deep South & Gulf Coast, from early February. In Intermountain West, wait until early May. Treat these as a guide rather than a fixed date — the governing rule is to plant out only once frost risk has passed and temperatures are reliably warm enough.
What soil pH do rocoto peppers need?
A pH of about 4.3–8.3. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.
Plan next season before the problems start
Almost everything on this page resolves to your own frost dates rather than the calendar — the last spring frost moves by roughly two months between zone 3 and zone 10. The USA Garden Planner works from your zone so the timing is already decided before the season starts.
Get the USA Garden Planner →Instant PDF download · Written for US growing conditions
Last verified 2026-09-03
Where To Go From Here
Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.
Plan the next step
Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.