Chayote growing herbaceous vine of the genus Sechium also known as Chayote squash or Chuchu, Chayote is perennial plant but can grow as annual plant, mostly used for edible fruits also the tuber and the leaves edible can grow in mediterranean, subtropics or tropics climate and growing in hardiness zone 8-10 as annual and 11+ as perennial.
Leaves are edible when they are young and tender after that the leaves become hairy, the shape of the leaves is maple leaf shape.
Flower color is white, there are female and male flower.
Chayote fruits
Fruits are pear shaped, the color fruit are green or yellow. The weight is 100-900 gram. The size 7-20 cm, seeds are green-white and edible. The taste reminds kohlrabi taste when eaten raw, recommend to harvest the fruit when it’s still soft.
Tuber is edible brown skin and white from the inside
Chayote for sale – Seeds or Plants to Buy
Requirements for Chayote growing and care:
Trellising, mulch, frost free, well-drained soil, slightly acid
What is the best way to start growing?
Seedling / Seed / vegetative reproduction
Is it necessary to graft or use vegetative reproduction?
No
Difficulties or problems when growing:
Aggressive
Planting season:
Spring
Pests and diseases:
Powdery mildew, aphids, moth, virus, beetles
Pruning season:
No need. But possible all the season
How to prune:
Infected leaves needed to take out, also try to clean them
Size of the plant?
5-10 m, 15-30 feet
Growth speed in Chayote:
Fast growing
Chayote Irrigation Water Management:
Average amount of water
Water requirement:
Full Sun
Is it possible to grow as houseplant?
No
Growing is also possible in a planter /flowerpot / containers:
Yes
Blooming information
Bloom season:
Late spring
General information about the flower
White flower with five lobs, there are female and male flowers
Thinning the bloom:
Sometimes happened because disease or not enough water
Pollination is done by:
Bees and more pollinators, by hand
Edible Fruits
Fruit harvest season:
Summer
Fruits pests or diseases:
Powdery mildew
What can be done with big quantities of Chayote fruits?
Cooked, baked, grilled, stir fry, fry, eaten raw
Work requirements on the fruit:
Trellising
How long does it take to bear fruit?
120-150 days (4-5 month)
Grow from seeds
Sowing requirement:
The seed germinate while inside the fruit., the seeds have short life
Saving seeds until sowing:
As long as the fruit alive the seed alive
Sowing season:
Spring
Planting spacing:
20-30 cm
Depth of Sowing:
1-2 cm from the top
Conditions for seeds germinate:
Moist soil, full sun
Watering requires for Seeds:
Average amount of water
Germination time:
10-20 days
Condition of seedling:
Warm weather, big amount of water, full sun, place to trellising
Do the seeds require burying?
No
Edible leaves
Leaves harvesting season
All year
How to harvest the leaves?
From the base of the leaves
Information about leaves:
The shape of the leaves is maple leaf shape, the color light green
Uses of Chayote leaves:
Cooked, staffed leaves, stir fry, salad
Edible Roots
Information about Chayote’s tuber:
Brown skin and white from the inside
When to pull up Chayote’s tuber:
At least 10 month from planting can be all year long, in cold area in the autumn
Uses of Chayote tuber:
Cooked, staffed leaves, stir fry, salad
Scientific name:
Sechium edule