Organic Aji Cristal Pepper Seeds

Aji Cristal pepper is a must to grow in your garden if you love South American cuisine! These peppers add a spicy, citrusy flavor to hot sauces and other dishes. They are native to Chile and are commonly used to make pebre, a traditional Chilean salsa made with onions, garlic, peppers, oil, salt, and pepper.

Colorful and ornamental, the Aji Cristal pepper fruits transform from pale yellow to orange to a bright orange-red when fully ripe. Harvest them at the pale orange stage for peak flavor. Plants grow up to 3 foot tall with 3-4 inch fruits.

Planting by Zones

Zones 9-10

• Peppers are a warm-season crop in Zones 9 and 10. You can plant them in the spring through late summer. Many pepper plants can perennialize in Zones 9 and 10, but their production will diminish drastically.

Zones 2-8

• Start inside eight weeks before the last frost. Use a heating pad to ensure good germination rates.

Planting Aji Cristal Pepper Seeds

• In Zones 9 and 10, you can direct seed or transplant out your pepper seeds. We recommend starting them in early spring in starter pots and transplanting them out.
• Peppers need warm soil to germinate. If you are starting them in starter pots, a heating pad will speed up the germination process. If you are planting outside, make sure the soil is at least 80°F.
• To direct sow, plant seeds in debris-free, well-worked soil that has been deeply watered. Cover with 1/4″ of finely sifted soil. The minimum temperatures at night should be no less than 60°F.
• If you are planting seeds in starter pots, plant seeds into thoroughly moist high-quality seed starting soil. Place seeds on the top of the soil and cover with 1/4″ of finely sifted soil.
• Fertilize with an organic liquid fertilizer once your seeds have germinated and are 1-2″ tall. When the plants are 3-4″ tall, you can plant them out into the garden.
• Space plants at least 12″ apart.

Growing Aji Cristal Peppers

• Peppers are easy to grow once you get them established.
• Mulching heavily around your peppers will help with weed suppression and moisture retention.

Harvesting Aji Cristal Peppers

• Harvest peppers often to encourage more production. Aji Cristal peppers are at peak flavor in the pale orange stage. Cut fruits from their stems; do not pull.

Growing Peppers in Containers

• Peppers make excellent container plants. Make sure your container is at least 20″ deep and provide support for the plants to grow up. Keep in mind containers will dry out faster because they have more surface area and less soil to hold onto moisture. Mulch heavily on the top layer of soil in the pot to keep the soil from drying out or heating up too much.

Southern California Pro-tips

• Mulch heavily around your plants to ensure the soil does not dry out or heat up too much.
• When growing bell peppers, using shade cloth can help diminish sun scald that can scar the pepper’s skin.

Companion Flowers/Crops

• Interplanting flowers with your peppers will make your garden beautiful and reduce pest issues. Marigolds look stunning when interplanted with pepper plants. You can also grow zinnias, cosmos, and cornflower. 

Additional Learning Resources

• New to starting crops from seeds? Please watch our Seed Starting Presentation to learn the basics!
• Learn about growing all our crops on our YouTube page!
• Having pest issues? Check out in-depth information for pests that can be an issue to peppers at the UC Integrated Pest Management site.

If you love hot peppers, both fresh and dried, try our other unique pepper seed varieties like Black Pearl Pepper and Fish Pepper along with your Aji Cristal pepper seedsto enjoy an abundance of peppers all season long.