How to Grow Aji Chillies from Seed
A complete UK guide to Capsicum baccatum, the aji chillies of Peru and Bolivia. Tall, generous plants with fruity, citrus-bright pods, from sweet Aji Delight to hot Lemon Drop.
In Peru and Bolivia, the everyday chilli is an aji, and nearly every aji is a Capsicum baccatum. It is the species behind Aji Limon (Lemon Drop), Bishop's Crown and the many yellow, orange and peach ajis prized for flavour as much as heat.
Baccatum sits between the easy annuum and the demanding chinense. It needs an early start and plenty of room, but tolerates cooler nights better than habaneros and rewards you with some of the heaviest crops of any chilli.
Quick Facts at a Glance
Species
Capsicum baccatum
Sowing Time
January to March, heated propagator
Germination
1 to 3 weeks at 22 to 28°C
Harvest
August to October
Plant Size
Tall and spreading, needs staking
Difficulty
3 out of 5, moderate
Understanding the Species
Baccatum comes from the Andean foothills of Bolivia and Peru, where it has been grown for thousands of years. Aji is simply the South American word for chilli.
How to recognise it
Baccatum is the easiest species to identify in flower. The white or cream petals carry distinctive yellow or green spots near the centre, which no other commonly grown chilli has. Plants are tall, open and branching, often reaching well over a metre under glass, with long, smooth leaves.
Flavour first
Ajis are grown for their fruity, citrus and sometimes apple-like flavour. Heat ranges from none in Aji Delight and Aji Crujiente to genuinely hot in Aji Limon, but the method is the same for all of them.
Handling hot varieties
Wear gloves when cutting or deseeding hot ajis, and keep your hands away from your eyes and face.
Our baccatum varieties
When & How to Sow
Sow from January to March, ideally in February. Baccatum needs a long season to grow into its full size and ripen a heavy crop.
Plan for space
A single well-grown baccatum can fill a square metre of greenhouse. Grow fewer plants in bigger pots rather than many crowded together.
Sow warm. Sow seed 5mm deep in moist seed compost in small pots or modules, and keep at 22 to 28°C in a heated propagator.
Give light. Seedlings appear in one to three weeks. Move them into strong light immediately, using a grow light in winter if you have one.
Pot on in stages. Move into 9cm pots at two or three true leaves, then into 2 to 3 litre pots.
Final pots. In May or June move into 10 to 20 litre pots or a greenhouse bed, with a sturdy cane in place.
Growing On Tips
Under glass
A greenhouse or polytunnel gives the size and ripening baccatum needs in Britain.
Stake and tie
Tall, branching plants carrying heavy crops need canes or string supports.
Cooler tolerance
Copes with cooler nights better than habaneros, but still no lower than about 10°C.
Water well
Large plants in summer drink a lot. Water deeply, then let the surface dry slightly.
Feed weekly
Use high-potash tomato feed once flowering starts.
Pollinate
Under glass, tap or brush open flowers every few days.
Overwintering
Baccatum plants are long-lived perennials. Cut back hard in October and keep frost-free in bright light at 10 to 15°C, watering sparingly, for an earlier crop next year.
Common Problems & How to Fix Them
| Problem | Likely Cause | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Slow or patchy germination | Compost too cool | Use a heated propagator at 22 to 28°C. |
| Branches snapping | Heavy crop, no support | Stake and tie in main branches early. |
| Lots of leaf, few fruit | Too much nitrogen or poor pollination | Switch to high-potash feed and hand pollinate. |
| Fruit slow to colour | Sown late or cool autumn | Sow in February; bring plants inside to finish in October. |
| Flowers drop | Very hot days or dry compost | Ventilate, damp down and water evenly. |
| Sticky leaves, curled tips | Aphids | Squash or rinse off early and encourage predators. |
When to Harvest
Ajis usually start ripening in August and crop heavily into October. Pick when fully coloured for the richest fruity flavour.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🌱 Sow, heated | ||||||||||||
| 🪴 Final pots | ||||||||||||
| 🌶️ Harvest |
Species Specifications
Fruity, citrus-bright chillies from the Andes
Sow early, give them room and a cane, and enjoy big crops of flavour-packed ajis from late summer.
Shop Aji Limon Seeds →
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