Edible plant · fruiting

Scotch bonnet

Capsicum chinense

Also known asBonney pepper · Bahama Mama · Jamaican hot pepper · Caribbean red

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

Use in garden planner Calculate nutrients

Days to harvest

90–110

Yield / plant

0.7kg

Spacing

60 cm

Daily light

22–32DLI

Environment

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

Temperature

5°C15°C25°C35°C

21–32°C

45.578.5

5.8–6.8

EC (hydro)

01234

2–3 mS/cm

Daily light

515253545

22–32 mol/m²/d

Light strict; fails outside DLI band

Continuous harvest

Climate and zones

USDA zones: 9–13 (winter low around -7°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	2
flowering	1	2	3	2.4
fruiting	1	2	3	2.8

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

Culture is identical to habanero. EC 2.0-3.0 mS/cm. pH 5.5-6.5. Temperature: 24–32°C (C. chinense; needs sustained warmth). High light (DLI 18-28 mol/m2/day). Plants are compact to medium (40–70 cm). Long season: 90-120 days from transplant to ripe fruit. Each plant produces 30-60 fruits. Harvest fully colored. Handle with gloves. For jerk seasoning: blend Scotch bonnets with allspice, thyme, green onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, lime juice, and brown sugar. The resulting paste is the marinade for jerk chicken and pork. For Caribbean pepper sauce: blend ripe Scotch bonnets with mustard, vinegar, garlic, and salt. The fruity chinense flavor is what makes Caribbean pepper sauce taste Caribbean rather than generically hot. Plants are perennial in warm conditions. Seeds available from Caribbean seed suppliers and mainstream pepper seed companies.

Notable varieties

Cultivar	Type	Days	Notes
Yellow Scotch Bonnet	open pollinated	95	The classic Jamaican variety. Bright yellow at ripeness, 100,000-250,000 Scoville, intense apricot-mango aroma. The pepper Walkerswood and Grace use.
Red Scotch Bonnet (TFM)	open pollinated	100	'Trinidadian Foodie Market' strain, deep red, slightly hotter than yellow. The variety used in many Trinidadian pepper sauces.
Chocolate Scotch Bonnet	open pollinated	105	Dark brown at ripeness, slower-cycling. Slightly hotter and more complex than yellow; growers compare the flavor to dried apricots.
MOA Scotch Bonnet	open pollinated	95	'Ministry of Agriculture' Jamaican government-released stable strain. Reliable yields, classic flavor, the workhorse commercial variety.