Peppers

Pepper plants growing in the PVC hydroponic channels alongside lettuce

Heat-loving, semi-permanent residents. Peppers occupy hydroponic positions for months — they're not rotation crops. They thrive in exactly the conditions that kill lettuce.

Optimal Conditions

Parameter	Range	Notes
Day temperature	75-85°F	Can tolerate 90°F+, but fruit set drops above 90°F
Night temperature	65-70°F	Fruit set requires warm nights
VPD	0.8-1.2 kPa	Moderate transpiration needs
DLI	15-25 mol/m²/d	More light = more fruit. Above 30 mol is diminishing returns
pH (hydro)	5.8-6.3	Slightly less acidic than lettuce
EC	2.0-3.5 mS/cm	Heavy feeder during fruiting
Photoperiod	14-18 hours	Day-neutral but benefits from long days

Diurnal Target Profile (Spring)

This table drives the greenhouse control band. The tightest envelope across all active crops becomes the setpoint the ESP32 chases.

Hour	Temp Min (F)	Temp Max (F)	VPD Min (kPa)	VPD Max (kPa)
0 (midnight)	60	68	0.30	0.70
1	60	68	0.30	0.70
2	60	68	0.30	0.70
3	60	68	0.30	0.70
4	60	68	0.30	0.65
5	61	69	0.32	0.70
6 (dawn)	63	72	0.40	0.80
7	65	75	0.50	0.95
8	68	78	0.60	1.10
9	70	82	0.70	1.25
10	72	85	0.75	1.40
11	72	85	0.80	1.50
12 (noon)	72	85	0.80	1.50
13	72	85	0.80	1.50
14	72	85	0.80	1.45
15	72	83	0.75	1.35
16	70	80	0.65	1.20
17	68	78	0.58	1.10
18 (dusk)	65	76	0.48	0.95
19	63	73	0.40	0.80
20	61	70	0.35	0.72
21	60	68	0.30	0.70
22	60	68	0.30	0.70
23	60	68	0.30	0.70
Peppers are the heat lovers. They push the temp_min up during the day (72F minimum at peak) and tolerate the widest temp range (up to 85F). In the composite band, peppers constrain the low end during daytime hours.

Varieties for This Greenhouse

Variety	Type	Days to Fruit	Heat	Scoville	Notes
Shishito	Sweet/mild	60-80	Excellent	50-200	Primary pick. 1/10 pods are spicy.
Jalapeño	Hot	70-80	Excellent	2,500-8,000	Classic, reliable
Mini Sweet	Sweet	55-65	Good	0	Snacking peppers, compact plants
Habanero	Hot	90-120	Excellent	100,000+	Needs the south zone heat
Banana	Sweet/mild	65-75	Good	0-500	Good for pickling
Recommendation: Shishito as the primary pepper. Compact, prolific, and the east zone’s temperature profile (91°F peak) is within their sweet spot. Reserve 4-6 hydro positions as semi-permanent.

Zone Recommendation

Primary: East Zone hydroponic (for most varieties) Alternative: South Zone shelving (for heat-lovers like habanero)

Zone	Peak Temp	Fit
East (hydro)	~91°F	✅ Ideal for shishito, jalapeño, mini sweet
South (shelving)	~100°F+	✅ For habanero, superhots that want maximum heat
West	~mid-range	✅ Viable for all varieties
Peppers tolerate the greenhouse’s hottest days. Even the south zone’s 100°F+ peaks don’t damage established pepper plants — fruit set just slows above 90°F. The east zone’s more moderate temperatures (75-91°F range) optimize for both plant health AND fruit production.

Hydroponic Growing Notes

Semi-permanent: Pepper plants occupy positions for 3-6 months. Plan positions accordingly.
Support: Plants get 18-24” tall. Net cups may need stakes or ties.
Nutrient transition: Start at EC 1.5-2.0 during vegetative growth. Increase to 2.5-3.5 during flowering/fruiting.
Pruning: Remove first flowers to encourage branching. Top at 12” for bushier growth.
Harvest: Pick when color turns. Frequent picking encourages more production.

Longmont-Specific Notes

Growing season advantage: The greenhouse extends peppers from Longmont’s outdoor 90-day frost-free window to year-round production.
Light is adequate: At 17-27 mol/m²/d estimated actual DLI, the greenhouse exceeds pepper minimum (15 mol) and hits optimal range (20-25 mol) on clear days.
Pollination: Peppers are self-pollinating but benefit from vibration. The exhaust fans provide air movement; occasional gentle shaking helps. → See All Crops → See South Zone for the heat-loving zone profile

Current Light Availability

Catalog Entry

Peppers

Slug peppers; category fruit.

warm

Cycle 90-120; scientific name —.

22.0

Default DLI; default VPD 0.80-1.20 kPa.

Launch Taxonomy

Active Control

Counts as active control. Occupied east-zone record in v_position_current; warm-crop profile participates in active control.

Source Check

Current occupied positions from v_position_current: EAST-HYDRO-41.

Target Bands

No target profile

No hourly target profiles defined for this crop yet.

Current Plantings

EAST-HYDRO-41seedling

Planted 2026-04-01; 37 days in place.

Latest Vision

Latest pepper camera observation from greenhouse_2

2026-05-08 06:00greenhouse_2 · east · health 6/10

Pepper seedlings show some yellowing, indicating potential nutrient deficiency or stress.

2026-05-08 02:00greenhouse_2 · east · health 6/10