Orange Manzano Pepper Seeds – Rocoto Apple Chili

Grow fruity, thick-walled Orange Manzano peppers for fresh salsa, sauces, and spicy cooking. Also known as rocoto or apple chili, this Capsicum pubescens pepper brings substantial heat and distinctive dark seeds to your home pepper garden. Its juicy fruit offers a different texture from thin-walled chilies.

Variety Highlights

• Variety: Orange Manzano, also called rocoto or apple chili.
• Botanical name: Capsicum pubescens.
• Ripe color: Orange.
• Fruit: Thick-walled with fruity flavor and substantial heat.
• Seeds: Distinctively dark.
• Habit: A branching pepper that may benefit from support as it grows.

Heat varies between fruits and growing conditions; no exact Scoville rating is guaranteed for this seed lot. Plants can live for more than one season when growing conditions are suitable and they are protected from frost.

Available Seed Packs

• Packet of 10 seeds
• 25 seeds
• 100 seeds
• 1,000 seeds

Select your preferred quantity before adding to cart. This listing is for planting seeds, not live plants or harvested peppers.

Starting From Seed

Sow approximately 1/4 inch deep in a clean, well-drained seed-starting mix. Keep the mix evenly moist without saturating it. Maintain consistent warmth and good air circulation; provide bright light once seedlings emerge. Germination may take several weeks and can be uneven, so start early.

Transplanting and Care

Harden seedlings off gradually before moving outside after frost danger has passed. Choose a sheltered, well-lit position with fertile, well-drained soil. Protect plants from frost and adjust sun exposure to local conditions, avoiding excessive heat stress.

Water consistently without leaving roots waterlogged. Feed according to fertilizer directions and plant needs. Staking or a suitable support can help manage larger branches. For containers, choose a roomy pot with drainage holes.

Harvest and Kitchen Use

Harvest ripe orange fruit with scissors or pruners rather than pulling. Wash peppers before preparation. Use small amounts in fresh salsa, sauces, and cooked dishes, increasing only to suit your heat tolerance. Refrigerate harvested fruit and use promptly for best quality.

Safe Handling

Wear gloves when cutting peppers or handling seeds. Avoid touching your eyes, face, or sensitive areas, and wash hands, utensils, and work surfaces thoroughly afterward. Use good ventilation when processing hot peppers. Keep peppers and seeds away from children and pets. Do not eat the planting seeds supplied in the packet.