Pasilla bajío
Capsicum annuum
Also known as: Chilaca (fresh form), Pasilla (dried form), Chile negro, Little raisin chile
Quick facts
- Category
- fruiting
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Days to harvest
- 85 to 100 days
- Harvest type
- continuous production over weeks or months
- Spacing
- 60 cm between plants
Environment
- Temperature
- 18–30°C
- pH
- 6 to 6.8
- EC (hydroponic)
- 1.8 to 2.6 mS/cm
- Daily light
- 22 to 30 mol/m²/day (strict, will fail outside this range)
Climate and zones
- USDA zones
- 5 to 12 (winter low around -29°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
Pasilla bajío 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 (pasilla bajío 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 pepper for growers who make traditional Mexican mole and sauces. EC 2.0-3.0 mS/cm. pH 5.8-6.5. Temperature: 20–28°C. Moderate to high light (DLI 18-25 mol/m2/day). Plants are medium to large (60–90 cm). The fresh chilaca pepper is long, thin, and dark green, ripening to dark brown. From transplant to dark-ripe fruit: 85-100 days. Each plant produces 15-25 peppers. For drying: harvest when the peppers are fully dark brown (not green), then dehydrate whole at 55–60°C until leathery and wrinkled. The dried pepper should be flexible, dark brown-black, and have a fruity, raisin-like aroma. To use: remove stem and seeds, toast briefly in a dry pan, soak in hot water for 20-30 minutes, blend into sauce. For mole negro: combine toasted pasilla with chocolate, dried fruit, nuts, and other chiles. The authentic, freshly dried product has a depth of flavor that stale commercial dried pasilla can't match.
Plan a setup with Pasilla bajío
Verified against: chile-pepper-institute-nmsu, u-of-arizona-cooperative-extension, instituto-nacional-de-investigaciones-forestales-agricolas-y-pecuarias-mexico. Last reviewed 2026-05-15.