The Germination of Corno di Toro Rosso Peppers

Starting Seeds Outdoors

• Direct outdoor sowing of Corno di Toro Rosso pepper seed is practical only if you live in an area with very long, warm summers. Pepper seeds require warmth to germinate, so wait until at least two weeks after the last frost date for your area to plant them. The soil should be rich and well-drained, with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Plant the pepper seeds 9 to 12 inches apart and three-quarters inch deep. Germination will be erratic. After the seedlings develop two sets of true leaves, thin the plants to 18 to 24 inches apart and insert a support next to the plant. Space plant rows 4 to 5 feet apart.

Starting Seeds Indoors

• Start your Corno di Toro Rosso pepper plants indoors six to nine weeks before the last expected frost date for your area. Fill trays, cell-packs or individual pots with sterile seed-starting medium, and then place the seeds on top of the medium. For cell-packs and pots, use two seeds; for trays, space seeds 4 to 6 inches apart. Cover the seeds with an additional three-quarters inch of medium and water well. Cover the trays or pots with clear plastic wrap, and place the containers in a warm spot, 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, for best germination. Remove the wrap when the seeds germinate and thin the seedlings to one per cell or pot and 8 inches apart in trays. Place the plants in a sunny windowsill or under grow lights. The ideal growing temperature is 70 to 75 F. Feed the developing plants weekly with a one-quarter strength solution of a water-soluble, general-purpose fertilizer.

Culture

• All peppers, including Corno di Toro, grow best in full sun locations with at least eight hours of direct sunlight each day. When transplanting, pinch off any flowers or small fruit that have already formed, to channel the plant's energy into leaf and root production. Stake the plants, which will be top-heavy once fruit production begins, to keep them upright. Feed peppers regularly with a specially formulated vegetable fertilizer; the amount will vary depending on the product chosen. Reduce moisture stress, which inhibits flower and fruit production, by mulching the plants with straw, compost or plastic, and water the plants often enough to keep the soil around them moist but not soggy.

Days to Maturity

• Corno di Toro Rosso matures late in the season, needing a minimum of 78 days after transplanting to produce full-sized fruit. Direct-sown plants require at least another month's time between sowing and harvest. You can harvest the peppers while they're still green, but they won't be as sweet as when left to mature and turn red on the vine, which requires another 10 to 14 days. In pepper trials at Penn State, Corno di Toro Rosso required 94 days for full color development. If you live in a short-summer area, consider growing the variety Italia instead. This sweet Italian pepper is similar to Corno di Toro but has a shorter ripening time, 67 to 76 days.