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
                  P P P

(Best months for growing Choko/Chayote in Australia - temperate regions)

  • P = Plant tubers
  • 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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05 Dec 10, Chris (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
We've had lots of choko vines over the years, running along the fenceline in full sun.
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28 Sep 10, m.evans (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I live in Canberra and would love to grow a choko vine, can yougive me some clues
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26 Jul 10, Gracie Camilleri (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Have a choko that has a shoot. Would like to know how to plant it. Shoot up? or do I bury the whole choko? Await your advise.
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28 Sep 10, Kolwin (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Do not bury it whole...leave the shoot up. ensure the base of the shoot is touching some soil at least
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Showing 221 - 224 of 224 comments
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Hi Paul, Given that choko have little problem with diseases there could be 2 reasons for the yellow leaves. The first is that the soil pH is wrong for it. If the plant has a pH soil outside the range of 6.0 to 6.8, it will not be able to take up the nutrients present in the soil. Which brings me to the second reason; chokos like sandy loamy soil, so while they need good water, it has to be in a medium where the soil doesn't get soggy otherwise it can kill your plant. Your plant may wilt during the day from the heat (through transpiration) but that is not necessarily a bad thing and doesn't mean they are dry, and they will pick up again in the evening. To see if there is a problem with this you can check the soil up to 12 inches from the base of plant. Hope that helps Bret

- Bret Hemberg

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