Chinese pepper 'Aji dulce'

Capsicum chinense

How to grow Chinese pepper 'Aji dulce'

  • Full Sun

  • Medium

In zone 9 these peppers reseed easily. All I do is wait till they have 4 or 5 true leaves and transplant them where I want them to grow. They need a lot of sun and are pretty much care free. They appreciate a drink of water but are drought tolerant. They also appreciate fertilizer but can do without. I use ‘worm tea’ as fertilizer and also worm castings.

Try to plant in a location that enjoys full sun and remember to water moderately. Keep in mind when planting that Aji dulce is thought of as tender, so remember to wait until your soil is warm and the night time temperature is well above freezing before moving outside. Aji dulce tends to grow best in a soil ph of between 7.0 and 8.5 meaning it does best in neutral soil - weakly alkaline soil.

Growing Aji dulce from seed

Easily germinating (actually they self seed in zone 9 and above). However, just sow the seeds in individual planters (2 in. in diameter). Put the seed on top of the soil and cover lightly with more soil. They should germinate in 5 to ten days. Keep soil moist but not wet.

Try to aim for a seed spacing of at least 1.95 inches (5.0 cm) and sow at a depth of around 0.2 inches (0.5 cm). Soil temperature should be kept higher than 18°C / 64°F to ensure good germination.

Transplanting Aji dulce

These peppers can be started indoors in peat pots or small planters. They do not suffer transplanting shock if gently handled when transplanting to the place they are to stay.

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Aji dulce is a tender plant.

Harvesting Aji dulce

These peppers can be picked when they start turning red or can be left on the plant until they are fully red. I use them green, orange, and red to make my ‘sofrito’ look green with red tones. The more you pick, the more the plant produces. In zone 9 I have noticed they went through the winter and are still growing and producing.

Chinese pepper Aji dulce Etymology

The name Aji Dulce is from South American Spanish. Aji meaning “chile” and dulce, meaning “sweet”.
In Puerto Rico, the ají dulce is shortened to one word “Ajíce”.1

Other Names for Chinese pepper 'Aji dulce'

Seasoning pepper

Footnotes

fn1: seedaholic.com