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 Australia - cool/mountain 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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25 May 18, Lina (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Our choko plant had thousands of little chooks but they all fell off, in all we picked 15 Can you please tell me why. Please lina
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28 Jun 18, Peter (Australia - temperate climate)
Could be a variation in the availability of soil water. Plants are better producers the more years they are in the one spot. Ours (in Sydney) was in the ground forever, trunk thicker than a forearm, and covered chook shed. Never watered so must have put down some really deep roots. So much fruit we'd play cricket with them. Not very good for soccer though ;)
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29 May 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Probably not many bees to pollinate the female flowers.
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22 May 18, Angie Tan De Souza (New Zealand - temperate climate)
I had planted my Choko Plant in end of 2016. Got a few melons in 2017 and quite a number of them in 2018. Of course it have flowers and melon only during warmer season. apparently there are a few new shoots are growing from the plant, so I would appreciate if someone can let me know how long does a choke plant can grow? Thanks and regards.
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28 Jul 18, Jenelyn (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Choko is perennial plant, it will keep growing but to the very cold places mostly died. If you can protect it from frost it will come out again when weather is warm enough.
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12 Apr 18, Jonathan Manglinong (Australia - temperate climate)
Im planning to plant chokos this month of april which is Autumn period. Do you think Sydney Area is ok to plant at now? Where the temparature is in between 15-30 degrees.
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13 Apr 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
If you looked up choko in the temperate zone on this website - is says plant DEC. The purpose of this website is that you work out your climate zone and then look in the vegetables and herbs section and read up about growing a crop.
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11 Apr 18, Nancy (Australia - temperate climate)
Chokoes have plenty of flowers but no fruit developing
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12 Apr 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Pollinates by wind or bees. Are they male and female or just male flowers.
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17 Mar 18, kathleen ingram (Australia - temperate climate)
Questioun Trying to grow a choko i live in cooma nsw can i grow it in a hot house (green house ) could u tell me when it will start flowering please any help would be gratefull thank u
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Showing 111 - 120 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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