Keep weeds down during growing period. Note: Growing chayote requires a warm 6 month growing season. They also require humidity, as they are tropical plants. These chayote originally came from my friend Joe Pierce of cob oven fame. These grow on vigorous and cold-sensitive vines, coming from the cucurbit family, which is the plant family including cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and squash. Place it in a light or white room if it’s possible, as this would reflect sunlight. Chayote seeds germinate reliably at temperatures between 80 and 85 degrees. This is a pear-shaped and light-green fruit, which is known as the vegetable pear in the US, and chayote in Mexico. Chayote can grow as an annual as far north as plant hardiness zone 7. Buy a chayote fruit. After it sprouts, … It does come in a couple of different varieties. Thegardenprepper.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. You can use your fingers to feel the soil, and if it doesn’t feel moist, water it. The vines will grow to about 30 feet or more before it blossoms and set fruit. They are…. Chayote (Sechium edule), also known as a mirliton squash, is a warm-season perennial fruit from the gourd family.Due to its light-green skin and pear shape, chayote is also known as a vegetable pear. (Chayote do not grow from proper seeds. Just choose unblemished fruit that are mature, and t… Store the container in the cool basement or garage until spring arrives, watering it lightly once a month or so. Characteristics of Chayote Squash: The vine of the Chayote plant reaches up to 30 feet in length; the structure of the stem is to get curled by the tendrils. I only ever got one white chayote … To start your vines, grow a sprout from a choko fruit in the spring. Again, the vines would die back from the first frost, though its fruits won’t be damaged until a first hard frost. Come winter season, protect the chayote plants with thick mulch that’s about 10-15 inches thick before the first frost. Then plant (or move) it outside again in your garden, when the weather warms up. Instead, the fruit surrounds a … Chayote vines need something to grow on, as the fruit may rot if it sits on the soil. How to Grow Chayote – Fertilizing Several weeks before planting, add a dose of compelte fertilizer. About Chayote Plant Flowers. Chayote plants require regular watering, never allow their soil to dry out. When planting for the first time, in the fall buy a few large chayotes from the produce market. It is also a good choice for container gardening. The larger the fruit, the less flavor. The vines produce both male and female flowers, and are heavy enough that they will need support. Enjoy your chayote. It is…, Although many people know peat moss is a natural product, they may realize peat moss is actually a small unnoticeable…, Peas are a typical springtime crop being planted as soon as the earth is unfrozen enough to turn. That way, you have fruit to harvest and cook for your next meals! Just make sure that you provide the right space, nourishment, among other necessary nutrients and necessities, so it can grow and stay healthy. More from David the Good: 10 Reasons to Garden NOW! Also known as chayote, choko is a perennial vine that produces pear-shaped, squash-like fruit. Select a mature chayote fruit from your grocery store. Vines can grow 6 to 9 metres (20 to 30 feet) in a season, and produce as many as 50 to 100 squash per plant. Chayote requires a lot of water, to keep the vine growing. In its native climate, chayote bears fruit for several months, but here it doesnt flower until the first week of September. Put the chayote container in a location with full sunlight, and if placed indoors, it should be an area that’s within 2 feet of a window that faces west or south, receiving a lot of sun. Come February, the seedlings should be 6 inches long. The first thing you need to do when learning how to grow chayote is to start a sprout. The fruit should be buried about 4-6 inches deep, and the tip barely showing, slanted with its sprouted end down and its stem end leveled with your soil. Howtogardenadvice.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This warm-season and tender perennial can be grown from a container and its vegetables are delicious! A 30-day period of frost free weather is then needed to achieve fruit. The chayote produces both male and female blossoms, which…Read more → The chayote is a pear-shaped squash which originates from Mexico. Established chayote plants will resprout in spring, producing large quantities of fruit. It should be hard, green, and its surface should be smooth. Make sure they have plenty of space to grow. Prepare for a growing period of approximately four to five months, as this is the time needed for chayote to reach its full ripening stage. Chayote doesn’t do well with competition from weeds. In short-summer regions, grow chayote in a container so that it can be brought indoors when the temperatures cool. I buried mine half-way in the ground and they did fine. How to Grow Chayote Squash. Native to Mexico, the edible plant grows best in tropical or warm climates and is widely cultivated in Latin America and the Southwestern United States. Chayote vines require a 120 to 150 day growing season between the hard frosts, which is a circumstance that’s a bit difficult to come by in the United States unless you’re from the south. Start by planting the chayote fruit in a 5-gallon and 24-inch-deep container with a moist soil mixture, containing equal parts peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite. The seed will sprout from the bottom of the chayote and begin to grow a vine. Today ginger is grown all over tropical and subtropical regions in Asia, in parts of Africa and South America, and…, Onions are one of the most popular vegetables in the world, and growing onions is a snap in the home…, The Crown of thorns is also known by the names Christ plant, Christ thorns, and Euphorbia milii. Gardening Tip for Growing Chayote – During cold snaps, you can keep the plant in a pot inside. After harvesting and before winter arrives, cut the vine back to 4 shoots. They do grow well with corn, peppers, pumpkin, and squash plants. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In many areas with cooler temperatures, the vine dies down over winter, but will grow anew in the spring. Chayotes are best planted by purchasing a fruit from the store. Make sure the fruit you choose is healthy and mature. Place one plant per container to prevent it from overcrowding until such time you transplant it outdoors. It’s also best to side-dress it every 4-6 weeks during the growing season and aged compost during the midseason. How to Grow Vegetables: Chayote. I grow my own chayote and usually come across prickled once. If your chayote is full of pickles, it doesn’t mean that chayote is not edible.