Chayote is a perennial tropical vine. However, gardeners as far north as USDA Hardiness Zone 7 can successfully grow chayote. The plants thrive at lower elevations in California and the Southwest, and in the warmer valleys of Oregon and Washington. Growing chayote in Florida is simple, especially in the southern parts of the state.
In its native tropical climate, chayote bears fruit over a period of several months. Here in the United States however, it usually doesn’t even flower until the first week of September when the nights begin to get longer. At least 30 frost-free days are needed from the time the plant blooms until the fruits are ripe and ready to pick. In zone 7, it’s possible to harvest a dozen or so fruits from a single vine before the first frost. In warmer zones, where the frost comes later, you can expect to harvest two to four dozen fruits per plant.
You can grow your own chayote from fruits you find at your local grocery store. Choose those with few wrinkles or spines and the more mature, the better because they stand a better chance of sprouting. The smaller immature fruits may be tasty but they will probably just rot if you try to sprout them. A few mail-order companies may offer chayote, especially as the plant becomes more familiar to gardeners. And if you’re lucky enough to live in Florida, you might be able to find started plants at the more upscale garden centers.
To sprout your chayote, lay the fruit on its side in a one-gallon pot of soil. Tip the stem up about 45 degrees and cover the fruit with potting soil or sand until only the tip of the stem end shows. Keep the pot in a warm spot, 80° to 85° F. You don’t necessarily need a sunny window at this point, but use a heat pad if you can’t keep the temperature up. Water it occasionally and make sure it’s not standing in water in the saucer. The fruit should begin to split and a sprout will emerge in about a month. Now move the pot to a sunny area. Let three or four sets of leaves develop, then pinch the tip out of the runner to make it branch or else you’ll end up with a long straggly vine. More branches mean more fruits at harvest time.
While all this is going on, get a spot ready for your chayote plant in the garden. The best preparation method is to mix about 20 pounds of rotted manure deeply into a 4- by 4-foot area that gets full sun. Even though it may not be mounded up very much, this is called a hill in gardening language. If you have a heavy clay, also mix in a bushel of compost to improve drainage and loosen the soil. In zones 9 and 10, and in low desert areas of the West, choose a spot that will give the vines some afternoon shade and protection from drying winds. And remember, chayote is a tropical plant. Don’t transplant it outdoors until all danger of frost is past.
A strong trellis or a fence to support the heavy mass of vines is a must. Your chayote can grow up to 30 feet in a single season and you need to plan for that. Water your plants deeply every 10 to 14 days during dry weather to avoid excessively stringy or woody fruits. Fertilize with fish emulsion every two or three weeks and in high-rainfall areas, top-dressing with manure or compost every month will keep the vines growing vigorously.
If you live in zone 7, expect to grow chayote as an annual. Gardeners in zones 8 and warmer can over-winter chayote vines by cutting them back to near ground level and mulching them deeply with a loose material such as pine needles. Root-knot nematodes will probably weaken the vines after two or three years, so just sprout a new fruit to replace the old vine. To lessen nematode damage and lengthen the life of your chayote, apply a 2- to 3-inch-thick layer of pasteurized cow manure in the spring and replenish it during the summer. In the tropics of Mexico and Central America, chayote is a perennial that will produce fruits for up to seven years. However, we rarely see them live that long this far north.
