Manzano
Capsicum pubescens
Also known as: Chile manzano, Chile perón, Apple chile, Caballo, Canario (yellow form)
Quick facts
- Category
- fruiting
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Days to harvest
- 150 to 200 days
- Harvest type
- continuous production over weeks or months
- Spacing
- 90 cm between plants
Environment
- Temperature
- 12–26°C
- pH
- 5.8 to 6.8
- EC (hydroponic)
- 1.8 to 2.6 mS/cm
- Daily light
- 18 to 28 mol/m²/day
Climate and zones
- USDA zones
- 8 to 12 (winter low around -12°C or warmer)
- Frost tolerance
- tolerates light frost
- Season
- cool (spring and fall crops)
Viable growing environments:
- outdoor in growing season (annual)
- unheated greenhouse / hoop house
- heated greenhouse
- indoor (heated home)
USDA zone bounds reflect outdoor year-round survival. Anywhere outside the bounded zone range, this crop still grows as an annual in the warm months (outdoor_seasonal), under cover (greenhouse), or indoors under lights.
Growing systems
Manzano works in:
- media bed (ebb and flow)
- soil bed
Root mass is heavy - thin-channel systems (NFT, vertical towers) can't hold this crop mechanically, hence the system list above.
Growing media
The substrate the roots sit in. Choice depends on the system (clay pebbles don't fit NFT channels; rockwool isn't used in media beds) and the crop (manzano works in the media listed below).
| Medium | pH effect | Water retention | Bacterial surface |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coco coir (Coconut coir) | slightly acidic | high | moderate |
| Perlite (Expanded volcanic glass) | neutral / inert | very low | low |
| Soil-based mix (Potting soil) | varies by source | high | high |
Bacterial surface area matters for aquaponics: clay pebbles, lava rock, and pumice double as biofilter substrate. Low-surface media (rockwool, perlite, pea gravel) work in hydroponics but need a separate biofilter in aquaponics.
Nutrient demand by stage
NPK ratios are relative weights at each growth stage; the nutrient mix calculator scales them to absolute grams or ml. EC targets shift through the plant's life: seedlings need a much lighter solution than fruiting adults.
| Stage | N | P | K | EC target (mS/cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| seedling | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.2 |
| vegetative | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1.8 |
| flowering | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2.2 |
| fruiting | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2.4 |
Companion-growing notes
- Heavy uptake of potassium, calcium. Co-grown crops with the same demand will end up deficient even at "correct" EC. Plan around this in shared reservoirs.
Aquaponics suitability
Compatible with typical aquaponics nutrient profiles. Fish waste provides enough nitrogen for healthy growth; supplemental potassium, calcium, and iron may still be needed depending on fish stocking density.
Care notes
A specialty pepper with unusual cool-temperature requirements. EC 2.0-3.0 mS/cm. pH 5.5-6.5. Temperature: 15–25°C (critical distinction from all other hot peppers: manzano prefers COOL conditions and performs poorly above 30°C, which is opposite to most hot pepper species). Moderate light (DLI 14-20 mol/m2/day; tolerates lower light than tropical peppers). Plants are large (60–120 cm, semi-woody) and long-lived (perennial for many years in frost-free conditions). From transplant to fruit: 90-120 days. The thick-walled fruits are heavy and need support. Harvest when fully colored (red, orange, or yellow depending on variety). Each plant produces 15-30 fruits. The black seeds are viable and produce true-to-type plants. The cool-temperature preference makes manzano an excellent greenhouse pepper for climates too cool for habanero or other chinense types. The unique flavor and heat profile have no substitute.
Verified against: international-potato-center, instituto-nacional-de-investigaciones-forestales-agricolas-y-pecuarias-mexico, chile-pepper-institute-nmsu. Last reviewed 2026-05-15.