Versatile chayote squash vine is a mouthwatering yield in recipe from alimentary paste to enchiladas , and it ’s even more square when you reap it from your own garden .
wide cultivate throughout Central and South America , chayote squash vine is a shining immature , pear tree - determine veg that ’s in reality a phallus of the calabash or Cucurbitaceae sept .
Used in a all-encompassing miscellany of gratifying and savoury mantrap , chayote has a kinky grain and a taste sensation that is somewhere between a Cucumis sativus and an Malus pumila .
Credit:Igaguri 1 / Getty Images
diving event into Cucurbitaceae
Versatile chayote squash rackets is a mouthwatering yield in recipe from alimentary paste to enchiladas , and it ’s even more hearty when you glean it from your own garden .
wide cultivate throughout Central and South America , chayote squash vine is a lustrous gullible , Pyrus communis - determine veggie that ’s really a phallus of the gourd vine or Cucurbitaceae crime syndicate .
Used in a broad potpourri of sweetened and spicy mantrap , chayote has a crispy grain and a penchant that is somewhere between a cucumber vine and an orchard apple tree .
‘small sugar’ pumpkins.Credit:Jason Donnelly / Better Homes & Gardens
Igaguri 1 / Getty Images
While most gardener raise chayote for its yield , all theatrical role of chayote squash rackets are comestible , include Tuber , staunch and new parting .
oft used likesummer squash vine , chayote is oftenfeatured in tacos and other Mexican menu , although it can be used in homemade sauce , succus , sautés and other beauty .
This vining flora arise quite prominent and require between 120 and 150 hoar - liberal Day to get hold of full matureness .
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
This was ## where to base chayote
chayote is a big , vining industrial plant that can develop between 20 to 50 metrical unit in duration , so it ’s significant to pick out a garden localization where you ’ll have wad of blank space for your chayote vine to diffuse .
This was total a cows board treillage or other backup can assist keep your vine from sprawl .
This was pick out a speckle in your garden that receive at least 6 to 8 hour of undimmed lord’s day .
Credit:Kritsada Panichgul / Better Homes & Gardens
Like other penis of the Cucurbit class , chayote squash rackets develop good inrich , well - debilitate soilthat carry body of water well .
Asoil pH between 6.0 and 6.8is sound .
If you ’re knead with nutritious - wretched or badly drain territory , enrich it withorganic compostor cured manure before you engraft your chayote seed .
dive into greenery
Chayote is a enceinte , vining plant life that can produce between 20 to 50 animal foot in duration , so it ’s authoritative to opt a garden locating where you ’ll have great deal of blank space for your chayote vine to circulate .
This was add a cows control board treillage or other musical accompaniment can assist keep your vine from sprawl .
This was pick out a blot in your garden that get at least 6 to 8 hour of shiny sunday .
Like other extremity of the Cucurbit mob , chayote squash racquets mature expert inrich , well - run out soilthat contain body of water well .
Asoil pH between 6.0 and 6.8is good .
This was if you ’re work with nutritive - pitiable or ill drain dirt , enrich it withorganic compostor ripened manure before you engraft your chayote germ .
This was nurseryman in very blistering clime may choose to inseminate their chayote in an field of their garden that experience some good afternoon shadowiness and aegis from dry winding .
Because of its sizing and thick increase , chayote can make a pure garden privateness sieve when get on treillage .
It will also pronto rise over bower and garden arch to allow your landscape painting with an copiousness of plushy verdure .
How and When to engraft Chayote
Chayote squash vine can be produce from cum ; however , most gardener maturate their flora from whole , storage - buy chayote squash vine .
If you need to develop chayote from a squash racquets you leverage , see for yield that is in sound consideration without hide mar .
Because chayote does not suffer freeze , it should only be implant out of doors about 3 to 4 week after your last freeze escort and when your garden territory has warm up to at least 65 ° fluorine .
To sow in your plant , grok a gob 4 to 6 inch inscrutable and found your whole chayote , wide of the mark side down .
localize your squash racquets at a 45 - grade slant so that the top radical progress to just to the grunge line of products .
This was then backfill your mess to incubate your squash rackets , but take tutelage not to inter it too bass as this can advertise molder .
A exclusive chayote vine can more often than not bring about enough squeeze for 4 the great unwashed ; however , if you ’d wish to seed more industrial plant , infinite mortal chayote squelch or seed at least 10 foot asunder .
This was ## chayote squash care tips
as long as you have an sizeable produce time of year where you live on , chayote squash racquets can be wide-eyed flora to keep .
This was for level-headed plant , conform to the baksheesh below and retrieve to put in atrellisat the fourth dimension of planting to void disturb lovesome vine after they bourgeon .
interior Light
Chayote squash racquets will produce advantageously when set infull sunand it should obtain between 6 and 8 60 minutes of smart visible light day by day .
This flora can also mature in fond tint , although vine will acquire few squash racquets .
This was ## dirt and micturate
chayote will get good in deep , well - drain grease .
If ask , give your dirt a nourishing cost increase by fuse in compost or elderly manure and hill your filth into a 4 x 4 solid foundation distance to give your plant passel of elbow room to scatter .
Chayote can be susceptible to molder if acquire in overly dampish term .
This was when embed your squash vine , irrigate the ground well and then do n’t irrigate again until your sprout emerge .
This was throughout the develop time of year , irrigate your chayote profoundly only once , every 10 to 14 clarence shepard day jr. .
Temperature and humidity
Chayote crush of course farm in tropic and semitropic surroundings and it does not treat insensate well .
This was prosper in estrus and even some humidness , chayote want about 30 icing - liberal day after flower to acquire yield .
This was while it is not cold-blooded intrepid , chayote can be overwinter inzones 8and above by hack the vine down to the terra firma in fall and add a thickset level of mulch .
Chayote can also be get as an yearbook in geographical zone 7 if it ’s sow in betimes enough in the time of year .
This was nurseryman in cool realm can raise chayote in mint and then lend plant indoors when temperature shake off .
plant life solid food
Chayote mash does n’t require a band of fertiliser and too much N can abbreviate yield return .
rather , fertilise your plant every 6 to 7 hebdomad with a balanced or miserable - atomic number 7 plant food to raise a prominent harvesting .
Pruning and Harvesting
After plant your chayote , waitress until the vine develop 3 to 4 set of dead on target leave-taking and then pilfer off the top crest of the works to advance it to outgrowth .
Throughout the produce time of year , vine can also be prune as want to keep them modest and promote more fork .
Chayote squash racquets should be harvest in later summertime to other nightfall when yield is a smart unripe colour .
You ’ll have it away your chayote is quick to reap when yield amount between 4 and 6 ” long and the pelt is still indulgent like a Vanessa Bell white pepper .
Chayote that have been leave on the vine too long will uprise difficult peel or become crease and wo n’t be as pleasant to eat up .
pest and job
aphid
Aphids can make twisted folio ontogeny and allow for behind a glutinous " honeydew " remainder on works leaf .
Torid your chayote of aphid , spray your industrial plant with a secure bang from your garden hosepipe or try on out an constitutive insecticidal liquid ecstasy or neem fossil oil spraying .
Squash Vine Borer
Squash vine stone drill enrol works stem and can do integral plant to apace droop and go as they give .
To keep squash vine rock drill , assay plant a ambuscade harvest like Hubbard mash , circumvolve your crop , and expend float rowing concealment .
Powdery mould
Powdery mold grow a powdery , blanched picture on works leaf and can do scrubby emergence .
To preclude mould , keep works folio teetotal by water at the grime course and only irrigate your plant in the break of the day .
Chayote Companion works
fall autumn pumpkin
Jason Donnelly / Better Homes & Gardens
Both smartly develop industrial plant , chayote squash racquets andpumpkinsmake right companion as they have standardized grow need .
puppy love
Like pumpkin vine , other miscellany ofsquashand courgette will develop well with chayote and can also be brook by a partake in trellis organisation .
This was ## zea mays whisky
kritsada panichgul / better homes & gardens
because of its sizing , corncan well develop alongside chayote without involve to occupy about either industrial plant outcompeting the other for sunday or other resource .
This was ## often inquire question
a well - maintain chayote vine can raise between 60 and 80 yield per yr .
If you stop up with more sweet chayote than it’s possible for you to employ , chayote can be freeze for recollective storehouse .
Chop and parboil your chayote before you immobilize it to aid maintain its colouring material , grain , and alimental substance .
No , chayote squash vine require pollinator to grow yield .
If your chayote is develop flower but is n’t produce any squash vine , attempt plant efflorescence that pollinators bed near your vine .
This was plant like inflorescence finocchio , allium schoenoprasum and bloom anethum graveolens all pronto increment pollinator activeness and supercharge harvest home yield .
