How to Grow Chayotes

Purchase a large chayote fruit from the market. Large fruits suggest they were picked when fully developed on the vine, meaning the seed inside is mature and able to germinate.

Dig an area in the garden with a crumbly, fertile soil with a garden trowel or hoe. Incorporate 2 to 4 inches of compost or well-rotted manure into the soil to a depth of 6 inches. Since chayote grows fast with long vines during the heat of summer, plant it next to a fence or wooden trellis arbor so the vines can climb upward throughout the growing season.

Plant the entire chayote fruit into a shallow hole in the prepared garden bed. Lay the fruit horizontally and cover it with a half-inch to 1 inch of soil. The germinating sprout emerges from the broadest end of the fruit, from the creased fold.

Remove any weeds from the planting area as you wait for the fruit to sprout. Do not water the fruit, as overly wet soil can cause the fruit and seed to rot.

Water the soil around the planted fruit once the emerging sprout grows at least 2 inches tall. Keep the soil evenly moist but never wet, supplementing natural rainfall as needed. Once growing across the warmth of late spring or early summer, a deep watering once a week should supply ample moisture for plant growth. Sandy soils require more frequent watering compared to clay soils.

Mulch the soil around the plant with coarse-textured compost or bark chips to conserve soil moisture, diminishing your need to irrigate. The organic layer eliminates the need for fertilization and conserves soil moisture so unnecessary waterings do not cause root rot.

Pick fruits any time after they appear in late summer to mid-fall. They are edible at any stage. Frost kills the plant but the heavy fruits dangle on the dried stems for several days later, allowing ample time to harvest fruits before the onset of colder weather.