Growing Choko/Chayote, also Chayote squash, christophene, chouchou, mirliton

Sechium edule : Cucurbitaceae / the gourd family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec

Not recommended for growing in USA - Zone 5a regions

  • Easy to grow. Plant whole mature fruit when one produces a shoot at one end.. Best planted at soil temperatures between 59°F and 86°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 39 inches apart
  • Harvest in 17-25 weeks. Best when fruit is light green and not more than 6 cm long.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Cucumbers

Your comments and tips

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24 Apr 19, Beverley Prior (Australia - temperate climate)
where can I purchase some choko vines which have been potted or bagged to help me get started. I live on the east coast about 100 klms from sydney but have the room to grow a healthy vine with perhaps cucumbers. Thank You
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21 May 19, Geoff (Australia - temperate climate)
Just buy a couple of chokos from the green grocer. Keep them in warm shade until they sprout then half bury them. Mine did much better in clay than sand.
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19 Jan 19, Gordon (Australia - tropical climate)
Can you grow chokos in cairns
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22 Jan 19, Mike Logan (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Go to the choko page and find out.
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21 Dec 18, Karen M. (USA - Zone 5b climate)
I read about this vegetable/ fruit on another website and was wondering how I can find it to grow here in NE Indiana.
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13 Nov 18, Bill (Australia - temperate climate)
New choko plant growing well,lower leaves are good but new leaves are curling on the outer edge. Can you advise, thanks
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15 Nov 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
A big guess - could be the hot weather. Check in the morning and see if it like this when it is cool.
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22 Nov 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
It could be some curly leaf virus also.
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14 Oct 18, Rick (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi I live in Bundaberg and have a choko vine that was planted in the summer, during the winter we had so much good looking fruit we gave it away to our friends. We find our fruit is now growing deformed, we have cut back new growth to stop the vine from taking over the garden, it is very healthy, we have some ants around and what garden hasn't !! could you enlighten me as to what could be causing the deformity ?
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15 Oct 18, Mike Logan (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I live coral cove. Hard to tell without looking at it. Maybe trace element deficient, some bug, disease ???? I'd suggest you may be better pulling it out and plant another one. Probably in a different position.
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Showing 91 - 100 of 267 comments
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Peel,seed, steam in slices, and serve as a side in a cheese sauce. Choko is known for its adaptabilty within other food media. Easy to grow, sometimes accidentally, in south east Queensland. Often over the outside dunny. Ha ha. We eat it nevertheless.

- Claire S

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