Planting Mexican Chayote

Site Selection and Planting Time

• Chayote needs a minimum of six hours of sun for good fruit production, but if you can plant it where it will get 12 hours a day, your plants will produce best. Spring is the best time to plant in frost-prone areas of the growing region. In frost-free areas you can plant chayote in the fall. Chayote seeds germinate when the soil warms above 55 degrees. Chayote germinates readily and will sometimes even start sprouting when the fruit is still attached to the vine.

Soil Preparation

• Chayote plants have a 12-foot-diameter root zone. When creating a planting area, clear a 12-foot-diameter area of weeds, sod and other plants to create enough space for the roots. Prepare the soil before planting by adding a 3- to 6-inch-deep layer of compost over the soil. Dig the amendment into the top 18 inches of the soil. In areas with poor drainage, you can increase drainage by planting chayote on 2-to 3- foot-tall mounds or hills. Use quality garden or top soil to create the mounds.

Planting

• Dig the planting hole 2 feet deep and 3 feet in diameter. Add nutrients at planting time by mixing two tablespoons of 8-24-24, granular fertilizer into the planting hole. Refill the hole, mixing the fertilizer into the soil. Plant the whole chayote fruit, with the seed inside, at a slight angle, about 45 degrees, with the wide end down and the top 1/4 inch of the fruit above the soil line. Firm up the soil around the fruit with your hands. Water after planting to slightly dampen and settle the soil.

After Planting

• Install a 6-foot-tall or taller trellis 6 to 12 inches from the chayote seed to provide support for the developing plant. After planting, chayote needs minimum care. The chayote fruit supplies water and nutrients for the seed during germination. Adding too much extra water, or fertilizer after planting, can do more harm than good by causing the fruit, and the seed to rot. Wait to fertilize until mid-growing season when the plant starts to flower.

Storing Seeds for Planting

• You can store chayote for six to eight weeks before planting. Just keep the fruit in a cool, 50-degree area until you plant. Though the outer fruit may shrink slightly or start to rot, the seeds inside will remain viable. It doesn't look as good as it did fresh from the vine, but it will still germinate and grow.