Plant Care Library

Other Names:  Chili Pepper

Brand:  PanAmerican Seed

Description:

This unique hot pepper has more vigour, higher yield and is earlier ripening; Narrow, conical fruit with a citrus medium heat, are crispy and thin walled; excellent fresh or cooked, green or red; benefits from support, and best in the ground

Edible Qualities

Aji Rico Pepper is an annual vegetable plant that is commonly grown for its edible qualities, although it does have ornamental merits as well. It produces green narrow peppers (which are technically 'berries') which are usually ready for picking from mid summer to early fall. The fruit will often fade to red over time. The peppers have a spicy taste and a crisp texture.

The peppers are most often used in the following ways:

• Fresh Eating
• Cooking
• Drying
• Seasoning
• Sauces

Planting & Growing

Aji Rico Pepper will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. Because of its vigorous growth habit, it may require staking or supplemental support. This vegetable plant is an annual, which means that it will grow for one season in your garden and then die after producing a crop.

This plant can be integrated into a landscape or flower garden by creative gardeners, but is usually grown in a designated vegetable garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America, and it is considered by many to be an heirloom variety.

Aji Rico Pepper is a good choice for the vegetable garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.