How to Grow Poblano 'Mulato'
Capsicum annuum 'Mulato'
Poblano 'Mulato' peppers are a beloved heirloom variety known for their deep chocolate color and mild, smoky heat. Gardeners prize them for roasting whole or stuffing them after they ripen to a dark purple-black hue.
📷 Wikipedia: Capsicum annuumStarting Poblano 'Mulato': indoors or direct sow?
🌾 Sow directly in the garden — Poblano 'Mulato' is not usually started indoors.
Do not transplant; wait until all danger of frost has passed and the soil is warm before moving seedlings outdoors.
Soil, care & harvest
Prepare warm soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.5 before sowing. As a warm-season crop, start seeds indoors only two to three weeks before your last expected frost date. Press seeds gently into the medium at a depth of roughly one-quarter inch. Expect germination within ten to twenty-one days once conditions are favorable.
Space plants eighteen to twenty-four inches apart in full sun to ensure proper air circulation. While they do not require trellising, sturdy stakes can support heavy fruit loads if needed. Provide about an inch of water weekly with deep watering preferred. Apply mulch around the base to retain moisture and feed regularly during the growing season.
Watch for aphids, pepper maggots, flea beetles, and cutworms; use insecticidal soap or row covers for prevention. Monitor closely for bacterial spot, cercospora leaf spot, and verticillium wilt by ensuring good airflow. Harvest fruits eighty to ninety days after planting when they reach your desired color stage.
When to Plant Poblano 'Mulato'
Planting windows vary by USDA hardiness zone. Look up yours by ZIP code.
| Zone | Start Indoors | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | May | — | October – August |
| Zone 2 | April – May | — | September |
| Zone 3 | April | — | September – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | — | September – October |
| Zone 5 | March | — | August – October |
| Zone 6 | March | — | August – October |
| Zone 7 | February – March | — | July – September |
| Zone 8 | February | — | July – September |
| Zone 9 | January | — | June – August |
| Zone 10 | January | — | May – July |
| Zone 11 | January | — | April – June |
| Zone 12 | January | — | April – June |
| Zone 13 | January | — | April – June |
Companion Plants for Poblano 'Mulato'
✓ Good companions
Repels aphids, spider mites, and thrips while potentially enhancing pepper flavor
Utilize different soil layers and carrots help break up soil for pepper roots
Repels aphids and may help deter larger pests like rabbits
Deters nematodes, aphids, and whiteflies with natural compounds
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles
Repels cucumber beetles and provides ground cover to retain soil moisture
Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies that prey on aphids
Similar growing requirements and can share trellising systems
✗ Keep away from
Can harbor verticillium wilt which easily spreads to pepper plants
Releases juglone which is toxic to peppers and causes stunted growth
Compete for similar nutrients and may stunt pepper growth
Inhibits growth of most garden plants through allelopathic compounds
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving (USDA FoodData Central)
