How to Grow Tamarillos USA

By the SoilCommander Editorial Team, under the guidance of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder · · How we check our facts

On this page
  1. Tamarillo (Solanum betaceum)
  2. Quick Facts
  3. At a Glance
  4. Diseases
  5. Pests
  6. Soil & Growing Conditions
  7. Growth Stages
  8. Harvest & Storage
  9. Plan your Tamarillos planting
  10. Growing Tamarillo in another region
  11. Sources
  12. Frequently Asked Questions

Tamarillos are frost-tender shrubs that do best where temperatures stay above 50°F (10°C) — a frost of 28°F (-2°C) is enough to kill small branches, so start seed indoors and keep young plants under cover until all danger of frost has passed. Freezing washed seed for 24 hours before sowing speeds germination.

The short answer

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)

Ripe red tamarillo fruit hanging on the tree — “12 Banos de Aqua Santa (24)” by Ljuba brank is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

2 sources cited · Verified

Quick Facts

Ripe red tamarillo fruit hanging on the tree
Ripe red tamarillo fruit hanging on the tree. Photo: “12 Banos de Aqua Santa (24)” by Ljuba brank, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Factor Value
Soil pH 6 - 7
Sunlight 6-8 hours direct sun
Soil texture Clay, loam, sand or chalk (RHS); fertile, light, organically rich preferred (CRFG)
Drainage Moist but well-drained; perfect drainage essential, cannot tolerate standing water (RHS; CRFG)
Lifecycle Fast-growing, tender, woody evergreen (RHS); short-lived perennial tree (CRFG)
Edible parts fruit
Documented problems 3 diseases, 4 pests

At a Glance

A tamarillo plantation with mature trees
A tamarillo plantation with mature trees. Photo: “Starr-121108-0765-Solanum betaceum-habit with Kim and Angela-Pali o Waipio-Maui (25196178085)” by Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us.
Solanum betaceum Tamarillo Powdery mildew Cucumber mosaic virus Honey fungus Glasshouse red spider m… Fruit flies Root-knot nematodes Aphids DISEASES PESTS

Diseases

moderate

Both RHS and CRFG name powdery mildew; CRFG notes it can cause serious defoliation if uncontrolled.

Cucumber mosaic virus
low

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)

CRFG names cucumber mosaic virus as a disease risk, though the plant resists tobacco mosaic virus.

Honey fungus
low

Armillaria spp.

RHS notes honey fungus rarely affects this crop.

Pests

Two-spotted red spider mite with silk threads, magnified — Gilles San Martin, CC BY-SA 2.0
Gilles San Martin, CC BY-SA 2.0
Glasshouse red spider mite (two-spotted spider mite)
low

Tetranychus urticae

Named directly on the crop's own growing-guide sources.

Fruit flies
low

Tephritidae (various spp.)

Named directly on the crop's own growing-guide sources.

Root-knot nematodes
low

Meloidogyne spp.

Named directly on the crop's own growing-guide sources.

low

Aphididae (various spp.)

Named directly on the crop's own growing-guide sources.

Soil & Growing Conditions

A tamarillo plant grown in a container
A tamarillo plant grown in a container. Photo: “Cyphomandra betaceae” by Nikolaus.schueler, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Soil pH range

6 7

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

Growth Stages

Young green unripe tamarillo fruit on the branch
Young green unripe tamarillo fruit on the branch. Photo: “Solanum betaceum (14588095235)” by Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Stage BBCH Notes
Sowing and establishment 0 Propagate by seed or softwood cuttings (RHS); freezing washed seed for 24 hours before sowing speeds germination (CRFG). Prune young trees to 3-4ft to encourage branching (CRFG).
Vegetative growth 3 Grow in full sun (partial shade in hot, dry climates) in fertile, well-drained soil with wind shelter -- roots are shallow and branches brittle (CRFG). Frost-tender, especially in the first year.
Flowering and fruit set 6 Feed annually with a balanced NPK fertiliser, split between early spring and midsummer, plus a superphosphate application every other year (CRFG).
Harvest 8 Fruiting begins in the second or third year from seed (RHS). Harvest once fruit is fully coloured; remove fruited branches afterwards to stimulate new growth (CRFG).

Harvest & Storage

Close-up of ripe tamarillo (tree tomato) fruit
Close-up of ripe tamarillo (tree tomato) fruit. Photo by Ajtjohnsingh, CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to pick: Ripens late summer and autumn (RHS); pick once fruit shows full yellow or red colour (CRFG). Stores refrigerated up to 10 weeks, but not below 38°F/37°F (3°C) (CRFG).

Plan your Tamarillos planting

When to sow and plant Tamarillos depends on your own frost dates. Check the USA 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.

Sources

The full list of 2 sources behind this guide (California Rare Fruit Growers (CRFG), Royal Horticultural Society) is in the references of our UK guide to tamarillos; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

SoilCommander Editorial Team — under the guidance of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder

Every growing guide is checked against RHS, USDA Cooperative Extension, and other named horticultural authorities before publishing. How we check our facts.

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 USDA hardiness-zone and frost-date data, with Cooperative Extension sources cited directly where one exists for a crop. 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.

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Last verified 2026-09-03

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