Pimenta de Neyde
Capsicum chinense
Also known as: Neyde, Pimenta da Neyde, Black Brazilian
Quick facts
- Category
- fruiting
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Days to harvest
- 100 to 130 days
- Harvest type
- continuous production over weeks or months
- Spacing
- 60 cm between plants
Environment
- Temperature
- 21–30°C
- pH
- 5.8 to 6.8
- EC (hydroponic)
- 1.8 to 2.6 mS/cm
- Daily light
- 25 to 35 mol/m²/day (strict, will fail outside this range)
Climate and zones
- USDA zones
- 9 to 13 (winter low around -7°C or warmer)
- Frost tolerance
- frost sensitive (dies at first frost)
- Season
- warm (summer crops, frost-sensitive)
Viable growing environments:
- outdoor in growing season (annual)
- unheated greenhouse / hoop house
- heated greenhouse
- indoor (heated home)
- indoor hydroponics under grow lights
USDA zone bounds reflect outdoor year-round survival. Anywhere outside the bounded zone range, this crop still grows as an annual in the warm months (outdoor_seasonal), under cover (greenhouse), or indoors under lights.
Growing systems
Pimenta de Neyde works in:
- drip / Dutch buckets
- media bed (ebb and flow)
- soil bed
Growing media
The substrate the roots sit in. Choice depends on the system (clay pebbles don't fit NFT channels; rockwool isn't used in media beds) and the crop (pimenta de neyde works in the media listed below).
| Medium | pH effect | Water 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 by source | high | high |
Bacterial surface area matters for aquaponics: clay pebbles, lava rock, and pumice double as biofilter substrate. Low-surface media (rockwool, perlite, pea gravel) work in hydroponics but need a separate biofilter in aquaponics.
Nutrient demand by stage
NPK ratios are relative weights at each growth stage; the nutrient mix calculator scales them to absolute grams or ml. EC targets shift through the plant's life: seedlings need a much lighter solution than fruiting adults.
| Stage | N | P | K | EC target (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. Plan around this in shared reservoirs.
Aquaponics suitability
Compatible with typical aquaponics nutrient profiles. 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 specialty ornamental-edible pepper for growers who want visual drama alongside culinary use. EC 2.0-3.0 mS/cm. pH 5.5-6.5. Temperature: 24–32°C (C. chinense; requires sustained warmth). High light (DLI 18-28 mol/m2/day; strong light intensifies the purple-black pigmentation). Plants are compact (40–60 cm) and exceptionally attractive in containers. From transplant to fruit: 90-120 days. The dark foliage and fruit make a striking visual statement in any growing system. Harvest when fruit ripens to deep red (the purple stage is underripe and less flavorful). Each plant produces 20-40 small peppers. For hot sauce, the deep color of the combined purple leaves and red fruit produces a visually unique product. Seeds are available from specialty pepper seed suppliers; the variety is less commonly available than mainstream C. chinense types. A conversation piece crop that combines genuine beauty with genuine heat.
Plan a setup with Pimenta de Neyde
Verified against: embrapa-brazil, chile-pepper-institute-nmsu, u-of-são-paulo. Last reviewed 2026-05-15.