Pubescens in Texas

[Eephus Man]

I love, love, LOVE the flavor profile and texture of rocoto/manzanos.
 
But I have always struggled to get them to set fruit early enough here in Texas and our first freeze always seems to kill them. They seem very picky about temperature and moisture.
 
Has anyone in Texas (specifically Central or South Texas) had any luck with pubescens varieties? If so, how have you done it? I remember getting fruit set one time in about ten years of growing. 
 
They sure were good, though!

 

[Masher]

After doing some research for my own Rocotos this season, it says you need to be very light on nitrogen.
 
Nitrogen in Pubes causes no pod set/production....no experience myself yet.

 

[SavinaRed]

I just looked at the forecast through December 23 and my weather is a bit cooler than yours and I have 3 rocotto/manzano plants doing well outside. I have another that I've brought inside my house not under lights or anything and doing great. When its sunny I take it out in my front yard and give it 6-8 hours of sun. This is my first year growing them and all my pl;ants have pods on them and my Bitdumis Rocotto is still flowering and throwing out pods. 
 
Sorry about the pic I uploaded it on my phone and it turned out sideways. 
 
I just fixed the pic on my computer.

 

[Eephus Man]

After doing some research for my own Rocotos this season, it says you need to be very light on nitrogen.
 
Nitrogen in Pubes causes no pod set/production....no experience myself yet.

 
Thanks, Masher. Will remember that.
 

I just looked at the forecast through December 23 and my weather is a bit cooler than yours and I have 3 rocotto/manzano plants doing well outside. I have another that I've brought inside my house not under lights or anything and doing great. When its sunny I take it out in my front yard and give it 6-8 hours of sun. This is my first year growing them and all my pl;ants have pods on them and my Bitdumis Rocotto is still flowering and throwing out pods. 
 
Sorry about the pic I uploaded it on my phone and it turned out sideways. 

 
Well...it froze here last night. Haven't checked my one rocoto at home, but I'd be a little surprised if it made it. Your plant looks really good. Love those purple blooms!

 

[SavinaRed]

 
Thanks, Masher. Will remember that.
 
 
Well...it froze here last night. Haven't checked my one rocoto at home, but I'd be a little surprised if it made it. Your plant looks really good. Love those purple blooms!

I've been told they can take a freeze we will see lol. I have another outside in a container that will stay outside but when a freeze comes I'll place it on my outside patio. The others in the ground I'm leaving and if they do not survive then next season I'll grow the bitdumis in a container. 

 

[solid7]

After doing some research for my own Rocotos this season, it says you need to be very light on nitrogen.
 
Nitrogen in Pubes causes no pod set/production....no experience myself yet.

 
Less fertilizer more often, almost always gives better results.  I absolutely hate seeing a fertilizer with high numbers.  I get that they are supposed to be slower release, over a longer period of time.  But after much experimenting, I keep coming back to the good old 3-1-2 ratio.  I'm just not sure what people are doing when they start getting super heavy on things like nitrogen and phosphates. (aside for paying for unnecessary stuff)
 
I grew some beautiful rocoto plants with Neptune's Harvest Tomato and Veg this year.  I believe that it is a 2-4-2.  It's a little lower on N and a little higher on P, but it's close enough, and did a fantastic job.

 

[Masher]

 
Less fertilizer more often, almost always gives better results.  I absolutely hate seeing a fertilizer with high numbers.  I get that they are supposed to be slower release, over a longer period of time.  But after much experimenting, I keep coming back to the good old 3-1-2 ratio.  I'm just not sure what people are doing when they start getting super heavy on things like nitrogen and phosphates. (aside for paying for unnecessary stuff)
 
I grew some beautiful rocoto plants with Neptune's Harvest Tomato and Veg this year.  I believe that it is a 2-4-2.  It's a little lower on N and a little higher on P, but it's close enough, and did a fantastic job.

Good info, I too will be using tomato-based ferts since they are so closely related.

I did okay with Miracle-Gro last season but a friend was using a tomato-based fert last season and a much better harvest on peppers and tomatoes than I did.

 

[hogleg]

I've been told they can take a freeze we will see lol. I have another outside in a container that will stay outside but when a freeze comes I'll place it on my outside patio. The others in the ground I'm leaving and if they do not survive then next season I'll grow the bitdumis in a container. 

 
IMO
 
Light frost? sure 
 
A freeze? no
 
Mine come inside when there is an actual freeze.
 
Below 32f for more than 3 hours, I wouldn't risk it.

 

[Brix]

Can't say that I'm from Texas... but I have been growing C. Pubescens with great success. As far as temperature goes I've found that they really like the average Danish summer temperature of 16.1°C = 61 degrees Fahrenheit, they aren't happy for the occasional super heat of 30-33°C = 86ish degrees Fahrenheit. As for nutrients I always start them off with a homemade nitrogen heavy fertilizer, then when I feel they are bushy and big enough I switch them to a 4-1-6 or 3-1-5 and then flowering starts (found that they also had a flower explosion after day temperatures stabilised between 23-25°C). 

 

[Pr0digal_son]

I love, love, LOVE the flavor profile and texture of rocoto/manzanos.
 
But I have always struggled to get them to set fruit early enough here in Texas and our first freeze always seems to kill them. They seem very picky about temperature and moisture.
 
Has anyone in Texas (specifically Central or South Texas) had any luck with pubescens varieties? If so, how have you done it? I remember getting fruit set one time in about ten years of growing. 
 
They sure were good, though!

 
 
What specific varieties did you grow? Some of the larger podded varieties aren't as productive. They are grown commercially further south of where you are,so using your climate to your advantage will help. 
 
 
I have a ludicrous amount of different varieties if you want to try some new ones,and a couple that I feel confident will produce for you down there.

 
IMO
 
Light frost? sure 
 
A freeze? no
 
Mine come inside when there is an actual freeze.
 
Below 32f for more than 3 hours, I wouldn't risk it.

 
+1
 
They get wiped out by frost as fast as any other Capsicum. The only one that I have grown to date that is unaffected by light and heavy frost is C.flexuosum. I have two of them outside in zone 5 currently and they have flowers and berries on them after seeing mid 20 F temps.

 

[Eephus Man]

 
Less fertilizer more often, almost always gives better results.  I absolutely hate seeing a fertilizer with high numbers.  I get that they are supposed to be slower release, over a longer period of time.  But after much experimenting, I keep coming back to the good old 3-1-2 ratio.  I'm just not sure what people are doing when they start getting super heavy on things like nitrogen and phosphates. (aside for paying for unnecessary stuff)
 
I grew some beautiful rocoto plants with Neptune's Harvest Tomato and Veg this year.  I believe that it is a 2-4-2.  It's a little lower on N and a little higher on P, but it's close enough, and did a fantastic job.

 
Thanks, solid. I have always struggled (even with my other peppers/tomatoes) to find the right balance of how much/how often to fertilize. I usually wait for signs of need before I do, but I think because of that, my plants aren't as strong as they could be. I'm actually going to try and do every other watering this year (especially in the summer). I've been using a mix of bird/bat guano, kelp and a top dressing of compost every now and then.
 

Can't say that I'm from Texas... but I have been growing C. Pubescens with great success. As far as temperature goes I've found that they really like the average Danish summer temperature of 16.1°C = 61 degrees Fahrenheit, they aren't happy for the occasional super heat of 30-33°C = 86ish degrees Fahrenheit. As for nutrients I always start them off with a homemade nitrogen heavy fertilizer, then when I feel they are bushy and big enough I switch them to a 4-1-6 or 3-1-5 and then flowering starts (found that they also had a flower explosion after day temperatures stabilised between 23-25°C). 

 
Hehe. It stays between 61-86F here for about 30 days per year, I'll bet.
 
Seriously though, we reach 86F less than 30 days into our grow season most years. It's 90F by 40 days in, and 100F 70 days in. Usually, with some variation. I think that's the problem here. Two distinct, but short, grow seasons. It works great for annums, baccatums and tomatoes, and pretty good most years for chinenses. But yeah, it sounds like I may be talking with prodigal about some varieties more suited to my area.
 
Thank you for the fert regimen. I'm going to pay much closer attention to mine this year.

 
 
What specific varieties did you grow? Some of the larger podded varieties aren't as productive. They are grown commercially further south of where you are,so using your climate to your advantage will help. 
 
 
I have a ludicrous amount of different varieties if you want to try some new ones,and a couple that I feel confident will produce for you down there.

 
+1
 
They get wiped out by frost as fast as any other Capsicum. The only one that I have grown to date that is unaffected by light and heavy frost is C.flexuosum. I have two of them outside in zone 5 currently and they have flowers and berries on them after seeing mid 20 F temps.

 
I was growing garden-variety (haha) orange and red rocoto/manzanos. I can't even remember where I got the seed. I think I raided a Fiesta supermarket, made some pickled rocotos (Mmmmmm) and planted the seeds the next spring.
 
I would *love* to try some varieties that might produce better for me. This'll be my first real grow since I moved a couple years ago and my life settled down a bit. I'm looking forward to trying out a few new varieties and making powder for the first time in years (I love making smoked powder). I've purchased everything already, but rocotos/pubes are the one thing that I do not have any seed for.
 
Thank you very much for your offer. Please let me know how I can get you my address and any compensation (directly or to a good cause - or seeds!) I can offer.

 

[solid7]

Thanks, solid. I have always struggled (even with my other peppers/tomatoes) to find the right balance of how much/how often to fertilize. I usually wait for signs of need before I do, but I think because of that, my plants aren't as strong as they could be. I'm actually going to try and do every other watering this year (especially in the summer). I've been using a mix of bird/bat guano, kelp and a top dressing of compost every now and then.

It's really hard to go wrong with lower doses, fed more frequently. Most people have a tendency to "love their plants to death". So the more dilute solution helps with that. Plus, it's easier to keep a handle on problems that arise along the way.

 

[SavinaRed]

 
IMO
 
Light frost? sure 
 
A freeze? no
 
Mine come inside when there is an actual freeze.
 
Below 32f for more than 3 hours, I wouldn't risk it.

Ok then I'll cover the ones in the ground when it starts to get around 34 or below at nights. Thx !

 

[Pr0digal_son]

 
 
Thank you very much for your offer. Please let me know how I can get you my address and any compensation (directly or to a good cause - or seeds!) I can offer.

 
The orange Mexican varieties you were probably buying aren't the most productive. I have tried quite a few sources over the years and they all fall short of other pubescens in terms of prolificacy. They are my personal favorite for flavor so I always had them in the garden. 
 
No compensation needed,I don't grow peppers anymore,so I don't need the seeds. Just PM me your mailing addy and I will mail you out some stuff. 

 

[willard3]

If you know someone going to Méjico, have them pick up some landrace manzanos from the mercado and plant the seed.
 
I've seen manzanos from the sierras in Chihuahua where the climate is not that nice.

 

[Chewi]

I love, love, LOVE the flavor profile and texture of rocoto/manzanos.
 
But I have always struggled to get them to set fruit early enough here in Texas and our first freeze always seems to kill them. They seem very picky about temperature and moisture.
 
Has anyone in Texas (specifically Central or South Texas) had any luck with pubescens varieties? If so, how have you done it? I remember getting fruit set one time in about ten years of growing. 
 
They sure were good, though!

 
Cry me a river man! It doesn't get cold down there
Glad to see you around more bud!!!
 

 

[Eephus Man]

 
Cry me a river man! It doesn't get cold down there
Glad to see you around more bud!!!
 

 
Lol. Thanks, Chewi. Good to be back around. And I'm super grateful to be back to life as "normal" these days.
 
Time to grow some stuff!

 

[Thegreenchilemonster]

I would reccomend experimenting with several Pubescens cultivars per year to find out which thrive in your environment. I grow a handful of new to me Pubescens cultivars a year, and always find at least one or two that love it in my climate. I just don't grow what doesn't do well here in my garden the subsequent year.

I get bi weekly picks of Pubescens like this all Summer/Fall:



using bi monthly doses of this fertilizer and a sprinkle of epsom salts in the soil from May til Late August.



It is all about the Pubescens cultivar, if it can produce in your environment, how much light/shade you give it, and what nutes it is provided. Trust me, I have had some Pubescens not produce a single pod in a year, but the same year a different cultivar in the same conditions produced literally over a hundred pods.

 

[The_NorthEast_ChileMan]

I would reccomend experimenting with several Pubescens cultivars per year to find out which thrive in your environment. I grow a handful of new to me Pubescens cultivars a year, and always find at least one or two that love it in my climate. I just don't grow what doesn't do well here in my garden the subsequent year.


It is all about the Pubescens cultivar, if it can produce in your environment, how much light/shade you give it, and what nutes it is provided. Trust me, I have had some Pubescens not produce a single pod in a year, but the same year a different cultivar in the same conditions produced literally over a hundred pods.

 
I noticed in your profile quite a few C. pubescens. Two questions, where do you get all these varieties from and can I assume these are the savers with great production?

TIA

 

[Pr0digal_son]

I would reccomend experimenting with several Pubescens cultivars per year to find out which thrive in your environment. I grow a handful of new to me Pubescens cultivars a year, and always find at least one or two that love it in my climate. I just don't grow what doesn't do well here in my garden the subsequent year.

I get bi weekly picks of Pubescens like this all Summer/Fall:



using bi monthly doses of this fertilizer and a sprinkle of epsom salts in the soil from May til Late August.



It is all about the Pubescens cultivar, if it can produce in your environment, how much light/shade you give it, and what nutes it is provided. Trust me, I have had some Pubescens not produce a single pod in a year, but the same year a different cultivar in the same conditions produced literally over a hundred pods.

Couldn't agree more. There was such a stigma attatched to these when I first started growing them and from the start I noticed they weren't difficult at all.

Plant genetics and then cultivar are the two biggest keys to getting production. After those come technique and environment.

I always say,don't be your climates bitch,make it yours. There are windows of opportunity to grow these in every corner of the globe.


Try out PI585273 if you haven't already. Kilos of plum shaped goodness. They aren't as grassy as most reds either.