Aji Santa Cruz Chili Seeds

Information: The Aji Santa Cruz Chili is a beautiful Capsicum baccatum variety from the USA, where it is mainly grown in the area around the city of Santa Cruz in Arizona. It has large, elongated, red fruits that are juicy and crisp and have a pungeant fruitiness with a medium heat. It an ideal replacement for the orange-hued (and sometimes harder to find) ají escabeche, typically used in northern Peruvian cooking. Furthermore, it is suitable for salsas, sauces, barbecues and even for drying.

Care: Germination temperature is between 22°C and 28°C (germination period: 8-21 days); it is therefore recommended to use a greenhouse and a heating mat. The plants need fresh, well-fertilised, permeable soil, and do not tolerate waterlogging. They should be planted in a sunny, protected place with at least 6 hours of sunlight - preferably more. Put the plants outside approx. 2 to 3 weeks after the last frost. As the plants have a particularly long maturation period, it is recommended to grow them in a pot, so that you can easily bring the plant inside when the temperature falls below 12°C during the day, allowing all the fruits to ripen. To keep the plant over the winter, cut it back by 20cm after harvesting and place in a light place where it is at least 15°C.

You can find plenty of useful tips for successfully growing chili plants in our Chili Cultivation Instructions and in the Chili Diary.