Small glass cup of tamarillo jam surrounded by fruit clusters and blossoms on a blue surface

How To Grow Tamarillo Seeds

Updated on Feb 14, 2024
By Baillie Blankenship

(Cyphomandra abutiloides) One of the easiest fruits to grow indoors or in a pot, this distant cousin of the tomato is a small herbaceous shrub and produces tons of small berries that taste like apricots and vanilla!

HISTORY

This South American native plant produces an abundance of sweet, tangy tropical fruits. Dwarf tamarillo presents a shrub-like structure, but with a long enough season they can grow into small trees.

USES

  • Tamarillo fruit can be eaten fresh or used for juicing, pies, and preserves.

tiny white five petaled blossom among dark green seed pods and yellow and orange tamarillos, with a deep blue background showing at the bottom and top corners

 

  • Start seeds indoors 12-24 weeks before the last spring frost.
  • Surface sow and lightly cover the seeds. 
  • Ideal soil temperature for germination is 70-80 F.
  • Seeds should sprout in 14-21 days.
Scattered orange tamarillos, some sliced and some whole, with a few white blossoms in front of a glass jar of preserves, all on a dark green leaf on a blue surfaceScattered orange tamarillos, some sliced and some whole, with a few white blossoms in front of a glass jar of preserves, all on a dark green leaf on a blue surface

 

  • Transplant outdoors after the last spring frost.
  • Plant a minimum of 18” apart in full to partial sun.
  • A location with fertile, well-draining soil is ideal.

PESTS/SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

  • Tamarillos are fairly pest resistant.
Branch with bunch of tamarillos ranging from green and unripe to bright yellow and ripe against dark green leaves.Branch with bunch of tamarillos ranging from green and unripe to bright yellow and ripe against dark green leaves.

 

  • Scoop seeds from overly mature fruit.
  • Mix seeds with a small amount of water and let it ferment for a few days.
  • Rinse seeds and lay them out on a screen to dry.
  • Store in a cool, dark, and dry place until next season.
Cluster of tamarillo fruit with a blossom on a light blue backgroundCluster of tamarillo fruit with a blossom on a light blue background