How to grow Chayote plant growing and care:
Trellising, frost free, well-drained soil, slightly acid
How to care:
Add organic matter, fertilize twice a year, cover with mulch
What is the best way to start growing?
Seedling / Seed / vegetative reproduction – cutting
Is it necessary to graft or use vegetative reproduction?
The seeds are part of the fruits and it’s impossible to separate them from the fruits, and it’s easy to start by cutting
Difficulties or problems when growing:
Aggressive
Planting season:
Spring in hardiness zone 8-10, spring to summer in hardiness zone 11, all the year in hardiness zone 12+.
How to plant:
Planting in well ventilated soil, dig bigger hole than the plant and put organic matter, humus and dead leaves
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, pruning mostly for design and easy pickup
Size of the plant:
5-10 m, 15-30 feet
Growth speed in Chayote plant:
Fast growing
Chayote plant Irrigation Water Management:
Average amount of water to big amount of water
Water requirement:
Full Sun
Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant?
No
Growing is also possible in a pot / planter /flowerpot / containers:
Yes
How to plant chayote in container:
Planting in containers need to be at least 20L (5 gallons), well-drained soil, the plant not react well to overwater, need to make enough holes in the container for good drainage also choosing soil for container important and need to be soil well ventilated, can be potting mix or peat soil with perlite, when use bottom for the pot need that it will dry in the same day.
Blooming information
Bloom season:
Late spring to summer autumn (in the tropical all year)
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 to autumn (in the tropical all year)
Fruits pests or diseases:
Powdery mildew
What can be done with big quantities of Chayote plant 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)
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 edible leaves:
Cooked, staffed leaves, stir fry, salad
Edible Roots
Information about tuber:
Brown skin and white from the inside
When to pull up tuber:
At least 10 month from planting can be all year long, in cold area in the autumn
Uses of Chayote edible tuber:
Cooked, staffed leaves, stir fry, salad
How to grow Chayote plant from seeds
Sowing requirement:
The seed germinate while inside the fruit, the seeds have short life and sprout plant from fruit
Saving seeds until sowing:
As long as the fruit alive the seed alive inside
Sowing season:
Spring in hardiness zone 8-10, spring to summer in hardiness zone 11, all the year in hardiness zone 12+.
How to plant:
Better to plant it in light soil that will be well ventilated and keep the moist like vermiculite
Planting spacing:
20-30 cm
Depth of Sowing:
Put the fruits on the soil and cover half of the fruits in 5cm (2 inches), possible without cover
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
Scientific name:
Sechium edule
Alternative names: Chayote squash, Chuchu, Mirliton plant, Sayote
Categories of growing
Planting Season: Autumn Planting, Spring Planting, Summer planting
Light exposure requirements: Full sun Plants
Climates that the plant can grow: Desert Climate, Mediterranean Climate, Subtropics Climate, Temperate Climate, Tropics Climate
Growing speed of the plant: Average growing plants, Fast growing plants
Plant life-form: Annual plant, Evergreen, Herbaceous, Perennial plant
Plant Uses: Edible plants, Ornamental plants
Requirements for watering the plant: Regularly water
Hardiness zones: Hardiness zone 10, Hardiness zone 11, Hardiness zone 12, Hardiness zone 13, Hardiness zone 4, Hardiness zone 5, Hardiness zone 6, Hardiness zone 7, Hardiness zone 8, Hardiness zone 9
Ornamental parts:
Leaf color:
Blooming season: Spring flowers
Flower colors: Yellow flower
Harvest Season: Autumn Harvest, Spring Harvest, Summer Harvest, Winter harvest
Edible Parts: Edible Fruit, Edible leaves, Edible Roots
Culinary uses: Eaten raw, Stuffed or Wrapped, Vegetables
