• To not miss anything and get all the info to succeed in your pepper planting, check out our Ultimate Pepper Growing Guide

The Aji Calabaza pepper is a Baccatum pepper variety discovered in 2014, from the Aji pepper family known for being extremely flavorful. The peppers ripen from green to red and can reach 3 cm in length once mature. The heat level of this pepper is rather mild, and you'll need to germinate the seeds ideally between January and March. The plant can reach up to 1.5m in height, is sensitive to frost, and must therefore remain in a pot indoors until all risk has passed.

• heat level: approximately 10,000 on the Scoville scale.
• plant size approximately 150 cm.
• medium-sized fruit, approximately 3cm long.
• fruit color: Green during growth, Orange at maturity.
• genus: Capsicum Baccatum.
• ideal germination: between January and March.
• harvest: between September and November.

What Equipment for Growing My Peppers?

To optimize your results, we recommend equipping yourself with:

Aji Calabaza Pepper Seeds.
An enclosed growing space like a mini greenhouse.
Coco coir pellets, peat, or cotton (for germinating seeds).
Labels (to avoid mixing up your seedlings).
Potting soil (ideally a mix of 50% black peat and 50% blonde peat) or flowering-specific potting soil, which will also work.
Fertilizer for Peppers or Tomatoes, or 5-5-10 fertilizer for those in the know.
A water sprayer or watering can.
Gloves (if you don't like contact with soil).
Pots with a diameter of 7 or 8 cm at first, before using 10-liter or larger pots depending on the pepper for repotting

To make your life easier, we offer our mini greenhouse for growing your peppers.

How to Germinate My Pepper Seeds?

Growing peppers is a process that requires patience and some knowledge, but don't panic - we'll explain everything you need to know to germinate your pepper seeds!

Pepper seedlings are typically started at the beginning of the year, generally between January at the earliest and March for early spring. To do this, you'll need the equipment listed above.

You then have 2 options:
Plant your seed directly in a pot full of potting soil at half a centimeter depth
Place a seed on a coco coir pellet or piece of cotton.

In both cases, once the seed is in place, you'll need to spray enough water to moisten the soil or cotton without soaking it, then place your coco coir pellet or cotton in a container like a mini greenhouse that will retain heat and humidity, thus providing oxygen. If you're using a flower pot, you can simply stretch plastic wrap over it and make small holes with a toothpick to oxygenate the plant.

Ideally, maintain a constant temperature of 28 degrees. You can place your container behind a sunny window, on or near a radiator, or on a heating mat designed for this purpose.

OUR TIP:

Place your mini greenhouse on your internet router!

Remember to air out your growing space from time to time to prevent fungus from appearing while keeping the soil moist. Once the first leaves appear, you'll need to ensure your seedlings get enough sunlight for 12 to 14 hours per day. Once the second set of leaves is well developed, you can then repot them.

Once potted, keep your plant near a heat source and exposed to sunlight (ideally try to filter the light to avoid heat stress)

After the Ice Saints around mid-May, you can move your plant outdoors and plant your pepper in the ground if you wish, or leave it in a pot and place it on a balcony, a window sill, or even along a wall, preferably on the south side.

How to Water My Aji Calabaza Pepper?

When watering your Aji Calabaza pepper, beware of overwatering. Too much water can drown the plant and lead to its demise. You simply need to let the soil dry between each watering to avoid insect proliferation and drowning the plant.

Once the plant is well developed (once your plant reaches about thirty centimeters), you can cause water stress by stopping watering the plant for several days before resuming watering (however, be careful not to overuse this technique, as it would be a shame to let your pepper plant die).

How to Properly Prepare My Harvest?

Once your pepper plant is in place, here are our tips to optimize your future harvest:

When your pepper plant reaches 15 to 20 cm in height, you can pinch the top of the stem (without breaking it), which should allow the plant to grow bushier and produce a bit more.

If flowering is early for one of your plants, remove the first flowers to prevent them from demanding too much energy from the plant.

If your pepper plant is outdoors, insects will take care of pollinating the plant, which will then produce peppers. If your plant is indoors, you'll need to do this manually: take your clean finger and rub it lightly against each flower, from one to another.

Don't hesitate to use a bamboo stake or rod to support your plant.

When to Harvest My Aji Calabaza Pepper?

For harvesting your Aji Calabaza pepper, as with the others, you'll need to watch its color! This pepper is harvested once it turns Orange.