How to Grow Tamarillos UK
On this page
In the UK, tamarillos go in the ground early February to late March.
Timing is the decision that matters most in the UK: sowing early February, and that same window applies across all 4 regions covered here.
The short answer
- Plant
- Early February to late March
- Site
- 6+ hours of sun, soil pH 6–7
- Biggest risk
- Powdery mildew
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.
Tamarillo (Solanum betaceum)
2 sources cited · Verified
When to Plant Tamarillos in the UK
When to plant tamarillos in the UK: in Southern England, sow early February to late March. Find your area in the table below.
| Region | Sow |
|---|---|
| Southern England | early February to late March |
| Midlands | early February to late March |
| Northern England | early February to late March |
| Scotland | early February to late March |
Southern England - detail & sources
RHS gives no UK-region-specific dates; sow indoors/under glass from late winter to early spring, since this frost-tender plant must be raised under cover before eventually going outside for summer only. Applied as one UK-wide window across all four sub-regions.
Midlands - detail & sources
RHS gives no UK-region-specific dates; sow indoors/under glass from late winter to early spring, since this frost-tender plant must be raised under cover before eventually going outside for summer only. Applied as one UK-wide window across all four sub-regions.
Northern England - detail & sources
RHS gives no UK-region-specific dates; sow indoors/under glass from late winter to early spring, since this frost-tender plant must be raised under cover before eventually going outside for summer only. Applied as one UK-wide window across all four sub-regions.
Scotland - detail & sources
RHS gives no UK-region-specific dates; sow indoors/under glass from late winter to early spring, since this frost-tender plant must be raised under cover before eventually going outside for summer only. Applied as one UK-wide window across all four sub-regions.
Quick Facts
At a Glance
Soil & Growing Conditions
Growth Stages
Harvest & Storage
Diseases
Pests
Tamarillo Photo Gallery
Plan your Tamarillos planting
When to sow and plant Tamarillos depends on your own frost dates. Check the UK vegetable planting calendar. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.
Growing Tamarillo in another region
Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.
References
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Native to the Andes of Peru, and probably Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia, at 5,000-10,000ft elevation. Does best above 50°F; frost at 28°F kills small branches, though mature trees can recover from infrequent light frost -- seedlings/cuttings are frost-tender in their first year. Full sun, except partial shade in hot dry areas. Fertile, light, organically rich soil with perfect drainage -- standing water for days can kill the plant. Needs wind protection (shallow roots, brittle branches). Cannot tolerate prolonged drought; needs ample water in dry periods, mulch helps. Fertilise 0.5-2lb per tree of 5:6:6 NPK annually, half in early spring/half in midsummer, plus 0.5lb superphosphate every other year in late winter. Propagate by seed (produces tall erect trees) or cuttings (shorter, bushier); freezing washed seed 24 hours before sowing speeds germination. Prune new trees to 3-4ft to encourage branching; remove fruited branches annually afterwards. Harvest when fruit shows full yellow or red colour; stores refrigerated up to 10 weeks (not below 38°F). Pests: green aphids, fruit flies, nematodes (occasional). Diseases: powdery mildew (can cause serious defoliation if uncontrolled); resistant to tobacco mosaic virus but susceptible to cucumber mosaic virus and potato viruses; die-back can affect flowers and new shoots.
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Clay, loam, sand or chalk, moist but well-drained, acid/alkaline/neutral. Full sun, south/west-facing, sheltered. Hardiness H1B (10-15°C min) -- grow in a container outside in summer, under glass in colder months, or in a glasshouse. Height 4-8m, spread 2.5-4m, 2-5 years to maturity; fruits from second or third year if grown from seed. Propagate by seed or softwood cuttings. Evergreen. Fruit ripens late summer/autumn, orange or red, oval. No regular pruning needed; prune in autumn if size reduction is wanted. Pests: aphids, glasshouse red spider mite. Diseases: honey fungus (rarely), powdery mildews. Native to South America. Family Solanaceae.
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 sow tamarillos in the UK?
In Southern England, from early February. In Scotland, wait until early February. Treat these as a guide rather than a fixed date — the governing rule is to sow only once frost risk has passed and temperatures are reliably warm enough.
When do I sow tamarillos?
Sow early February to late March.
What soil pH do tamarillos need?
A pH of about 6–7. 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.
What problems affect tamarillos?
Our data links 3 diseases and 4 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.
Plan next season before the problems start
Most of the advice on this page comes down to timing and spacing — sowing at the right moment, rotating beds, and giving plants enough airflow. The UK Garden Planner lays your plot out month by month so those decisions are already made before the season starts.
Get the UK Garden Planner →Instant PDF download · Written for UK growing conditions
How this guide is put together
The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against RHS and Met Office guidance. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.
Related Problem Guides
Last verified 2026-09-03
Plan Tamarillos by month
The months this guide gives for sowing or planting, each with the full list of jobs for that month in the UK:
More from the same group (the potato & tomato family):
Growing advice for your part of the UK
Timing and conditions change a lot inside one country. These guides cover frost dates and growing seasons region by region.
Where To Go From Here
Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.
Keep going
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.