Growing Chayote

Growing Chayote from planting to harvest. Chayote is a warm-season, tender perennial vine of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), cultivated for its pale green, pear-shaped fruit. While it is botanically categorized as a fruit, it is most often prepared as a vegetable in savory dishes. Every part of the chayote squash is edible, including the rind, flowers and roots. This perennial vine is a prolific producer! One Chayote vine will yield enough fruit for a household of four people, so it is highly recommended to grow this versatile plant in your veggie garden.

Also known as chocho, chuchu, sou-sou, vegetable pear, one-seeded cucumber, mirliton, choko, and custard marrow, Chayote plants are native to Latin America, specifically southern Mexico and Guatemala.

Growing Chayote from Seed or Fruit

• Chayote grows best where summer temperatures are very warm to hot, in tropical or subtropical regions.
• Plant the chayote in an area that gets full sun. It will grow in partial shade but the yield will be reduced.
• It prefers loose, well-drained but moisture-retentive soil rich in organic matter, but will grow in clay or sandy soil as well.
• It is a vigorous climber, so do set up a very sturdy trellis or support structure, before planting.
• Plant the whole fruit 3 to 4 weeks after the last average frost date in spring when the soil temperature has reached at least 18°C.  You can also plant the fruit indoors first in a container and then transplant it once the soil temperature outside has warmed up. If you prefer, you can leave the fruit on the kitchen counter first, where it will readily sprout new growth and then plant it in soil. Alternatively you can also plant the Chayote seed itself instead of planting the fruit.
• Set a whole fruit about 10-15cm deep, fat end down, and at an angle so that the stem end is just level with the soil surface. Set the fruits 10 feet apart if planting more than one fruit.
• If planting the seed instead of the fruit, then simply put the flat seed in some potting soil and cover it with soil. Once germinated, let it grow until the root system is well developed, before transplanting.
• It can be permanently grown in a container, but the yield will not be significant. Grow it in a container about 24 inches deep. A trellis or support should be set in the container at planting time.

Maintaining  Chayote Plants

• Water regularly, do not let the soil dry out too much in between watering.
• Without pruning, Chayote vine may grow to more than 10 meters long. Prune vines for a better harvest.
• In cold-winter regions, protect Chayote with thick mulch 25-38cm thick before the first freeze.

Harvesting Chayote Fruit

• Chayote will be ready for harvest when the fruit is tender and about 10-15cm in diameter, usually 120 to 150 warm, frost-free days after planting.
• Cut chayote from the vine with a knife or hand-pruner.
• Harvest chayote before the flesh gets too hard.

Storing and preserving.

• Chayote will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• Diced Chayote can be frozen or canned for up to 1 year.