Crop type: Peppers
Capsicum annuum ‘Corno di Toro Rosso’
Common name: Sweet pepper ‘Corno di Toro Rosso’
Crop slug: peppers
This Allotment Pro editorial draft summarises the cited RHS cultivar profile and its linked crop guidance. Check the sources and adjust cultivation decisions for local conditions.RHS cultivar profile
1 - Overview
‘Corno di Toro Rosso’ is a popular AGM sweet pepper named for its long bull's-horn shape. Large tapering fruits reach 25cm, ripening from green to bright red. Their thin skin, crisp texture, sweet flavour and very low seed count make them excellent for eating fresh, grilling and roasting.
The long fleshy horns need a full warm season and strong support, but provide a form and texture unlike any blocky bell pepper.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 0.5–1 metre
- Ultimate spread
- 0.1–0.5 metre
- Time to maturity
- one year; relatively late cropping
- Fruit size
- tapering horn-shaped peppers up to 25cm long
Plant one per 30cm or larger container, or 38–45cm apart. Cane the upright plant and support fruiting side shoots.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soils
- Loam or sand
- Moisture
- Moist but well drained, or well drained
- Preferred pH
- Acid or neutral
Use fertile soil or compost and maintain even water as the exceptionally long fruits expand. Feed weekly with a high-potassium liquid fertiliser after fruit set.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun
- Aspect
- South- or west-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- Hardiness
- H1c
Protected cropping best supplies the long warm season. Outdoor plants need nights above 12°C and the sunniest sheltered position available.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
An upright green plant bears simple ovate leaves and white flowers. The distinctive fruits are long, slender and curved like horns, tapering to narrow tips and changing from pale or medium green to glossy bright red.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Solanaceae
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Columnar upright
- Name status
- Accepted
Genus
Capsicum plants bear simple alternate leaves, small pale flowers and glossy many-seeded fruits. Cultivars encompass sweet peppers and pungent chillies.
Safety
The fruit is edible. Do not eat foliage, stems or treated seed.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Sow indoors from mid-February to early April at a constant 18–21°C. Transplant seedlings into individual pots at two true leaves or around 15cm tall, then grow in bright shelter.
Plant after frost, support with canes, water regularly and feed with high-potassium liquid fertiliser after fruit set. Pick green for a crisp less-sweet crop or wait until the horns are glossy bright red and fully sweet.
Propagation
Propagate by seed sown indoors.
Suggested locations
- Greenhouse or conservatory
- Polytunnel
- Large patio container
- Sunny sheltered wall
- Warm vegetable bed
Pruning
Pinch the growing tip to encourage branching if needed, then tie fruit-laden shoots to canes.
Pests
May be susceptible to aphids, glasshouse whitefly and glasshouse red spider mite.
Diseases
May be susceptible to grey mould and blossom end rot. Ventilate and keep moisture steady.