Edible plant · fruiting

Jalapeño

Capsicum annuum var. annuum

Also known asHot pepper · Jalapeño · Cuaresmeño (large variant) · Mexican chili pepper

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

Use in garden planner Calculate nutrients

Days to harvest

70–100

Yield / plant

1kg

Spacing

45 cm

Daily light

22–30DLI

Environment

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

Temperature

5152535

20–30°C

45.578.5

5.5–6.5

EC (hydro)

01234

1.8–2.8 mS/cm

Daily light

5152535

22–30 mol/m²/d

!Light strict; fails outside DLI band

✓Continuous harvest

Climate and zones

USDA zones: 10–13 (winter low around -1°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: heavy. Thin-channel systems can't hold this crop.

·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	1	1	1	1
vegetative	3	1	2	2
flowering	2	2	3	2.3
fruiting	1	2	4	2.6

Companion-growing notes

Heavy uptake of potassium, calcium. Co-grown crops with the same demand will end up deficient even at "correct" EC.
High transpiration. Regular reservoir top-ups needed during fruiting.

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

One of the most productive and reliable hydroponic peppers. EC 2.0-3.0 mS/cm. pH 5.8-6.5. Temperature: 20–30°C. Moderate to high light (DLI 18-25 mol/m2/day). Plants are compact (40–60 cm) and bushy. DWC, Dutch bucket, NFT (for smaller plants), or drip systems all work. From transplant to first harvest: 65-80 days. Each plant produces 25-40 peppers over a season under good conditions. Harvest at the green stage (the standard for fresh use) or let them ripen to red for a sweeter, slightly hotter flavor. For chipotle: smoke red-ripe jalapenos over hardwood (pecan, hickory, or mesquite) at 90–100°C for 6-12 hours until dried and deeply smoky. Homemade chipotle is a transformative kitchen product. Calcium supplementation prevents blossom end rot on the thick-walled fruits. Jalapenos are beginner-friendly, productive, and culinarily versatile. Arguably the single best pepper variety for a first-time hydroponic pepper grower.

Notable varieties

Cultivar	Type	Origin	Days	Size	Notes
Early Jalapeño	open pollinated		65	25 g	Standard 6-7cm green-to-red pods, 3500-8000 Scoville. Compact plants suit container growing. Earliest to bear, useful in short-season zones.
Mucho Nacho	hybrid		75	45 g	F1 with fruit nearly twice the size of standard jalapeño. Heat similar to Early Jalapeño but the larger pods are easier to stuff. Vigorous plants, higher yield per square foot.
TAM Mild Jalapeño	open pollinated	Texas A&M	70	30 g	Bred by Texas A&M for low heat (1000-1500 Scoville) while keeping jalapeño flavor. Useful for fresh eating where standard jalapeños are too hot, or for canning where heat would intensify.
Jalapeño M	open pollinated		75	30 g	Mexican landrace selection, the parent of most modern jalapeños. Hotter than Early Jalapeño (5000-12000 Scoville). The classic flavor before commercial breeding mellowed the variety.