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

22 May 15, paula (Australia - tropical climate)
I am planting now and wondering if they like wet soil as I had a passionfruit in the same spot and didn't do that well due to wet feet
29 Apr 15, Ren (Australia - temperate climate)
I have just found this choko vine growing up the back of my shed t much amazement as nothing was planted there the summer weather has gone and there are a few of them on there a decent looking size how do i take them off just pluck like a lemon and should i cut it back now or let it run wild as i quite like the vines very intersting and it seems t have a mind of its own...
06 May 15, Kelly (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I just pick them off like you would a tomato I take what I need from my mils plant, the younger ones are nicer
09 Apr 15, (Australia - temperate climate)
i have just purchased chokoes for pickling and found that they are light brown in side.. are they suitable to pickle. i think they have been in cold storage /
17 Jan 15, D JAMES (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I take the first few cm of the new growth tendrils wash and eat like that no cooking yum
02 Dec 14, John (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I grew 5 plants about 2years goo I think it was, and had a great run of fruit, ten 4 of the plant died. I have one left but very little fruit has grown. I am wondering if I sprayed grass killer near them if that was the cause. I am very careful when spraying, I normally spray when there is no wind so that the spray dose not contaminate other areas. I thought that choco's were easy to grow, do they need a lot of water?
21 Oct 14, pam stacker (Australia - temperate climate)
do you need more than one choko plant I have 1 but did not get any flowers it has now started to shoot again is there anything special I should do thanks
29 Nov 14, Andrew (Australia - temperate climate)
Chokos might not bear fruit the first year, it needs to be big enough to sustain producing fruit and it knows when it is right, it senses this two way I think, the first is it has healthy rhizomes to sustain it through the winter to grow again in spring, as, the foliage dies off in cool climates in autumn/winter. The second is an abundance of moisture and food. they will grow in fairly poor soil, if you need a planting one let me know and I see what I can do!
29 Oct 14, Genevieve (Australia - temperate climate)
I have planting chokos now for 3 years and you would need to add an all round manure next to base and water well. I clip the plant if too many shoots appear, prefer to keep 2-3 to trail. Water regularly depending if its too hot and they don't seem to mind having wet feet.
20 Aug 14, Latha (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I am confused about how to get the chokos to sprout. Should I leave it on a warm sunny spot, like window still, or put them in a dark spot like deep burried in my kitchen pantry?. Please answer as different websites and videos give different information. Many thanks.
Showing 141 - 150 of 221 comments

You can try - the times here are only a guide - they are not perfect all the time - if it doesn't work plant earlier next time. An idea is to buy a choko a couple of months earlier than planting - put it down the bottom of the pantry in the cool dark place. It will probably start to shoot after awhile. Come Dec plant it in the soil.

- Mike

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