Edible plant · fruiting

Anaheim chile

Capsicum annuum

Also known asNew Mexico chile · Hatch chile (specifically grown in Hatch, NM) · California chile (dried form) · Long green chile

beginner warm-season frost-sensitive hydroponic-ready aquaponic-ready continuous

Use in garden planner Calculate nutrients

Days to harvest

70–90

Yield / plant

2kg

Spacing

50 cm

Daily light

22–30DLI

Environment

The bounded range this crop tolerates. Strict on light; outside the DLI band, yields drop sharply.

Temperature

5152535

18–32°C

45.578.5

5.8–6.5

EC (hydro)

01234

1.8–2.6 mS/cm

Daily light

5152535

22–30 mol/m²/d

!Light strict; fails outside DLI band

✓Continuous harvest

Climate and zones

USDA zones: 5–12 (winter low around -29°C)
Frost: frost sensitive (dies at first frost)
Season: warm (summer, frost-sensitive)

·Outdoor year-round (in zone)

✓Outdoor in growing season

✓Unheated greenhouse / hoop

✓Heated greenhouse

✓Indoor (heated home)

✓Indoor hydroponics + grow lights

Growing systems

Root mass: moderate.

·Deep water culture (rafts)

·NFT channels

·Vertical / aeroponic tower

✓Drip / Dutch buckets

✓Media bed (ebb and flow)

·Wicking bed

✓Soil bed

Growing media

Medium	pH effect	Retention	Bacterial surface
Expanded clay pebbles (LECA)	neutral / inert	low	high
Coco coir (Coconut coir)	slightly acidic	high	moderate
Perlite (Expanded volcanic glass)	neutral / inert	very low	low
Rockwool (Mineral wool)	alkaline until pre-soaked	very high	low
Soil-based mix (Potting soil)	varies	high	high

Nutrient demand by stage

NPK ratios are relative weights. EC targets shift through the plant's life.

Stage	N	P	K	EC (mS/cm)
seedling	2	1	1	1.2
vegetative	3	1	2	1.8
flowering	1	2	3	2.2
fruiting	1	2	3	2.4

Companion-growing notes

Heavy uptake of potassium, calcium. Co-grown crops with the same demand will end up deficient even at "correct" EC.

Aquaponics suitability

Compatible

Fish waste provides enough nitrogen for healthy growth. Supplemental potassium, calcium, and iron may still be needed depending on fish stocking density.

Care notes

A productive hydroponic pepper for growers who want big, mild chiles to roast and stuff. Hold EC around 1.8-2.6 mS/cm and pH near 5.8-6.5. Run temperatures about 21–29°C with full sun or strong light, on the order of 22-30 mol/m2/day. Plants are medium, roughly 60–80 cm, and crop well in Dutch bucket, deep water culture, or drip. The fruit is large and heavy, so stake or cage the stems as the load builds. Pick green for fresh use around 70 to 80 days from transplant, or let pods ripen red for drying nearer 90 to 100 days. Keep calcium steady against blossom end rot, with potassium and magnesium important through fruiting. A well-fed plant carries 15 to 25 fruits in a season. For the New Mexican fire-roasted style, pick full-sized dark-green pods and char the skin on a grill or under a broiler; the thick walls take roasting well. Roasted, peeled pods freeze nicely in flat bags for year-round green chile.

Notable varieties

Cultivar	Type	Origin	Days	Notes
Anaheim	open pollinated		75	The original California variety, mild (500-1,000 Scoville). What most supermarket 'Anaheim peppers' are. Productive, easy.
NuMex Big Jim	open pollinated	New Mexico State University (Roy Nakayama with Jim Lytle), 1975	80	Holds the Guinness record for longest chile pepper at 13.5 in (about 34 cm). A hybrid of New Mexican chiles with a Peruvian pepper; rated mild to moderate (around 2,500-3,000 Scoville). A classic chile relleno pepper, named for Jim Lytle.
NuMex Sandia	open pollinated	New Mexico State University, 1956	80	Hotter than Anaheim (5,000-8,000 Scoville), thinner walls, the variety most Hatch Valley growers plant. Skin slips easily after roasting.
NuMex Joe E. Parker	open pollinated	New Mexico State University, 1990	80	Disease-improved Anaheim type, moderate heat (1,500-3,000), the most-grown New Mexico chile for home and small commercial use.