Chayote is a warm-season, tender perennial. Plant the whole fruit 3 to 4 weeks after the last average frost date in spring when the weather has warmed. Chayote grows best where summer temperatures are very warm to hot, in tropical or subtropical regions. Chayote requires 120 to 150 frost-free days to reach harvest.
Description. Chayote is a tender perennial vine that produces a pale green to white, flattened-pear-shaped fruit that tastes like a nutty-flavored squash. Vine-like stems grow from a tuberous root and can reach up to 50 feet long. Leaves are hairy and resemble maple-leaves; male and female flowers are borne on the same vine. Young shoots, the fruit, and mature tubers are edible.
Yield. Plant 1 chayote vine per household of 4 persons.
Site. Plant chayote in full sun; chayote will grow in partial shade but the yield will be reduced. Grow chayote in loose, well-drained but moisture-retentive soil rich in organic matter. Chayote prefers a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.8.
Planting time. Plant chayote 3 to 4 weeks after the last average frost date in spring when the soil temperature has reached at least 65°F. Chayote grows best where summer temperatures are warm to hot, in tropical or subtropical regions such as Florida, the Gulf Coast, and California. Chayote requires 120 to 150 frost-free warm days to reach harvest. In short-summer regions, grow chayote in a container so that it can be brought indoors when the temperatures cool.
Planting and spacing. Set a whole chayote fruit about 4 to 6 inches deep, fat end down and at an angle so that the stem end is just level with the soil surface. Sow seeds or fruits 10 feet apart. Chayote is a vigorous climber; set a sturdy trellis or support in place at planting. Do not allow maturing fruit to come in contact with the soil; it will spoil and germinate while still attached to the vine.
Water and feeding. Give chayote even, regular water; do not let the soil dry out. Add aged compost to the planting bed before planting. Side dress chayote with compost tea every 4 to 6 weeks during the growing season. Side dress chayote with aged compost at midseason.
Companion plants. Pumpkin, peppers, squash, corn. Do not grow chayote with celery, mint, or snap beans.
Care. Put a trellis or stake supports in place at planting time. In cold-winter regions, protect chayote with thick mulch 10 to 15 inches thick before the first freeze.
Container growing. Chayote can be grown in a container, but the yield will not be significant. Grow chayote in a container about 24 inches deep. Chayote is a vigorous climber and a trellis or support should be set in the container at planting time.
Pests. Aphids may attack chayote vines. Hand-pick or hose them off with a strong blast of water.
Diseases. Chayote has no serious disease problems.
Harvest. Chayote will be ready for harvest when the fruit is tender and about 4 to 6 inches in diameter, usually 120 to 150 days after planting. Cut chayote from the vine with a knife or hand-pruner. Harvest chayote before the flesh gets hard.
Varieties. Plant the whole seed or whole vegetable of any variety available. Check with the area cooperative extension or nearby nursery for regional availability.
Storing and preserving. Chayote will keep in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Diced chayote can be frozen or canned for up to 1 year.
Common name. Chayote, chocho, chuchu, sou-sou, vegetable pear, one-seeded cucumber
Botanical name. Sechium edule
Origin. Central America
Grow 80 vegetables: THE KITCHEN GARDEN GROWERS’ GUIDE
My chayote ist sprouting and I want to plant it in a container, so I can bing it inside in the cold freezing winter and have it outsides from mid March to mid October. What size of container is recommended? Will it give fruits the first year?
The chayote is a perennial vine native to Central America. It will do best and come to harvest quickest if it is settled and happy in a warm place. If you transplant or re-pot the vine on a regular basis, you will set back root development and delay fruiting. The more settled and well watered and nourished any plant, the sooner it will flower and fruit. To repot your chayote, or any plant, consider the size of the root ball–the extent of rooting and the height and maturity of the plant. Usually you will pot-up one pot size–for example, from a five-gallon pot to a seven or ten gallon pot on the first repotting. If your chayote is taller than six feet, you may want to put it in a seven or ten gallon container to start; eventually you may pot up to a 15 gallon container–which should be sufficient for several years. Once potted up, your plant will do best if it is not set back in the ground on a regular basis; it will be a container plant which can either sit in the greenhouse or be set indoors during cold times of the year, that is below 60F for the chayote.