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From:	S B (dialup-4.235.114.109.dial1.orlando1.level3.net)
Subject:	Warren: More info on chayote. One of my potted chayote vines survived...
Date:	May 28, 2006 at 10:09 am PST

through the winter in my large cold frame (sort of like a small green house). This spring, I cut the bottom out of the pot, transplanted a French marigold (to help with root knot nematodes) in the pot next to the vine, set the pot up against a fence, and am training the vine to grow up the fence. However, real strong sunlight seems to burn the leaves and this apparently has caused part of the vine to die back. Now, I have it partially shaded and the vine is growing back. Hopefully, one vine is all I will need.

I just did an internet search on growing chayote and copied and pasted some of these findings below my message. From these findings, it seems that the vines can grow quite large. They need some kind of strong support to climb (like grapevines on fences or arbors). They need to be planted one vine per hill with the hills 12 feet apart (I am assuming in all directions). Each vine has both male and female blooms -- like cucumber and squash vines. Vines can be started from rooted cuttings or by planting a WHOLE chayote fruit with a sprouted seed (the seed is too delicate to remove and plant by itself).

Chayote
(at http://www284.pair.com/florists/all-about-flowers/Chayote.htm)

CHAYOTE
Sechium edule (Jacq.) Swartz, family Cucurbitaceae

Chayote is also called Christophine (Purseglove 1968*), mirliton and tayote (Cook 1901), and trellis squash (Fairchild 1947). It is a cucurbit crop of minor importance, comparable to the gherkin and citron melon (Hawthorn and Pollard 1954*). It is grown in Australia, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and other subtropical countries. Bukasov (1930) reported that chayote was very common in Mexico and Guatemala below 6,600 feet. It has been grown in Louisiana, mainly in home gardens around New Orleans, and there was one small commercial planting in Florida in 1971 (D. O. Wolfenbarger, personal commun., 1971).

Plant:
Chayote is a robust, climbing, or sprawling herbaceous perennial with tuberous roots and with vines up to 12 yards long. It resembles a cucumber but is much more vigorous. It prefers shelter from wind and a place to climb (Whitaker and Davis 1962*). The leaves are strongly three- angled, rough textured, and deep green with white veins. The plant grows best at altitudes above 1,000 feet in the tropics in areas of moderate rainfall, but will grow wherever the soil does not freeze and there is sufficient moisture. The top is killed by frost.

The green, jade, or white ivory fruit is similar in shape and size to the avocado, with a single short-lived seed. The fruit is an excellent substitute for summer squash, the roots are comparable to yams, the young leaves are eaten like spinach, and the shoots are acceptable substitutes for asparagus tips.

Whitaker and Davis (1962*) stated that the cultivars are not clearly separated but are identified largely by the type of fruit such as the cvs. 'Round White', 'Long White', 'Pointed Green', 'Broad Green', or 'Oval Green'. The plant requires day lengths slightly over 12 hours before flowering can begin. For this reason, they do not flower in temperate regions before fall. The fruit reaches full size 30 days after anthesis. The entire fruit, with its single seed, is planted when a new plant is desired. Chayote yields 25 to 100 fruits per plant, averaging 1 pound each.

Inflorescence:
Cook (1901) stated that the l/4 to l/2-inch five-petal pistillate flower is solitary, otherwise it is not different from the more numerous staminate blossoms. The ovary is one-celled with one ovule. Knuth (1908*, p. 454, 458), citing Arcangeli, stated that there are two nectaries in both male and female flowers at the base of each of the five lobes of the corolla, 10 per flower. In the male, these nectaries form small narrow inconspicuous pockets, but in the female flowers they are larger and more conspicuous. The explanation offered was that insect visitors find only nectar in the female flowers, therefore the nectary must be more attractive, whereas both pollen and nectar are found in the male flowers.

Cook (1901) reported that the vines swarmed with bees and the plant was a good honey producer. He also stated that, in the United States, fields of chayote were recognized as good bee pasture, seemingly making up in numbers what the flower lacked in size. Pellett (1947*) listed chayote as a valuable honey plant. It blooms continually if not killed by frost. Wulfrath and Speck (n.d.) considered it a wonderful source of nectar.

Pollination Requirements:
Other than that the plant is monoecious, having staminate and pistillate flowers that are insect pollinated, little seems to be known about the pollination of chayote. Because only a single ovary and seed occurs within a flower, repeated visits by bees to a flower may not be necessary. Fairchild (1947) stated that when the flower is fertilized and fruit sets, it grows rapidly to maturity.

Pollinators:
Where honey bees are attracted to the flowers in sufficient numbers, additional steps to provide pollination is unnecessary. If production is on a big scale, there might be more flowers than the local supply of insects could pollinate. Should that occur, some provision for additional bees should be made.

LITERATURE CITED:
ARCANGELI, C.
1892. [SULL'IMP0LLINAZIONE IN VARIE CUCURBITACEE E SUI L0RO NETTARII.] Atti del Congresso Bot. Internaz. 1892, pp.441-454. Genoa. [ In Italian. ]
BUKASOV, S. M.
1930. THE CULTIVATED PLANTS OF MEXICO, GUATEMALA, AND COLOMBIA. Bul. Appl. Bot., Genet., and Plant Breeding Sup. 47: 1 - 553. [In Russian, pp. 470 - 553 in English.]
COOK, O. F.
1901. THE CHAYOTE: A TROPICAL VEGETABLE U.S. Dept. Agr. Div. Bot. Bul. 28, 31 pp.
FAIRCHILD, D.
1947. EARLY EXPERIENCES WITH THE CHAYOTE. Fla. State Hort. Soc. Proc. 60: 172-178.
WULFRATH, A., and SPECK, J. J.
[n.d.] [LA FLORA MELIFERA.] Enciclopedia Apicola, Folleto 28. Ed. 2. 96 pp. Ediciones Mexicanas, Mexico, D.F. [In Spanish.]
Source: USDA/ARS

Chayote, Mirliton, Vegetable Pear
(at http://www.rain.org/greennet/docs/exoticveggies/html/chayote.htm)

Sechium edule is a member of the Cucurbitaceae (gourd) family.
The chayote plant has climbing vines and leaves resembling those of a cucumber. In the tropics the plant is a perennial with stems 50 or more feet long and possessing tendrils. The plant produces separate male and female flowers, and bees are required for pollination. The light green, pear-shaped fruit contains a single, edible seed about one to two inches long. Varieties range from almost smooth to deeply ridged and from cream to apple green in color. It may have nonsticking prickles covering it. The fruit may weigh from eight to ten ounces to more than a pound and is three to eight inches long. It was cultivated centuries ago in Central America by the Aztecs and Mayans.

Other names. Tao tah (Hmong); hayato uri (Japanese); fut shau kua, ngow-lai choi, tsai hsio li (Chinese); sayote (Filipino); xu-xu, trai su (Vietnamese); cho cho (West Indies); mirliton (Louisiana); vegetable pear.

Market information
Marketing.
Chayote may be found in many ethnic markets including Asian, Indian, North American, Caribbean and Latin American. It has become a familiar sight in many major supermarkets. The prickly varieties aren't grown much anymore but could be good crops for a small grower because they are unusual and have different tastes.

Current production and yield. California, Florida, Costa Rica, and Mexico are main suppliers. It is available year-round, but most abundant September through May. Chayotes will yield 15 to 20 tons per acre.
Fresh and frozen chayote imported into the United States has increased steadily from 5,232,000 pounds in 1980 to 13,543,000 pounds in 1988.

Use. The chayote is served creamed, buttered, fried, stuffed, baked, frittered, boiled, mashed, pickled, in salads, in soups and stews, or in pies. It has crisp, pale flesh with an apple and cucumber flavor blend. In many countries the young shoots, flowers, seeds and roots are frequently eaten.

Nutrition. Low in calories (40 calories per cup), low in sodium and a good source of fiber. In many respects the nutritional value is similar to summer squash.

Culture

Climatic requirements. Plant in early spring or when the ground has sufficiently warmed. Sometimes, the fruit needs to be completely covered to protect it from cold damage.

Chayote is a warm season crop. Vine growth is luxuriant in less favorable climatic conditions, but fruit production may be greatly reduced. Chayote blooms when daylight is shortened in late summer through fall. The fruit must mature before the cooler days of winter. In the San Diego and Los Angeles areas the plants do not bloom until late August or September. Winter frost usually causes the dieback of the vine. Vines will regrow with the return of warmer temperatures and can continue production for a number of years. Records from the Panama

Canal Zone, where day length is about 12.5 hours throughout the year, indicate that chayote blooms and produces fruit every month. The fruit reaches full size in about 30 days.

One source (Aung, 1990) said chayote could be grown in temperate climates by artificially controlling day length. After six to eight weeks of growth thc vines can be shaded with dark cloth on a frame to keep sunlight to eight hours each day for the next four to six weeks. The frame could be moved to shade the vines at about 4:00 pm and removed after sunrise at about 8:00 am. After flowers develop the vines can grow under normal daylength.

Propagation and care. Some type of trellis or support is required to produce chayotes. Structures similar to grape arbors are frequently used. With vine growth trained over the top, fruits can be harvested from below. Vertical trellises are also used. Plant one fruit per hill, in hills spaced 12 feet apart and in rows spaced 12 feet apart. Stem cuttings may provide greater uniformity of plant type.

Plant the whole fruit on its side with the stem end sloping upward. Fruit obtained from a supermarket will sprout when kept in subdued light, and are ideal for planting. Fertilization is similar to summer squash. In many areas both nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer is required. Irrigation may be required one to two times per week depending on temperature and soil texture. Over mature fruit will
sprout on the vine and are still edible depending on the cuisine prepared.

Pests. Leaf-eating beetles and snails occasionally reduce plant growth. Leaf-feeding insects, unless seriously damaging plant growth, seldom require control measures. Nematodes occasionally reduce chayote yields and have to be controlled several weeks prior to planting.

Postharvest Handling. (Section by Marita Cantwell, Postharvest Specialist, UC Davis). Chayote fruits are often individually wrapped in tissue paper or polybags (to reduce friction and water loss) in single-layer flats. Increased decay is sometimes observed on fruits stored in polybags since moisture condensation on the fruit surface is increased. Germination of the seed is a problem if the fruit is held at temperatures above 13-14c (56-58F). The chayote is also susceptible to chilling injury and show distinct chilling symptoms depending on the storage temperature. Surface bronzing occurs on fruits held at 2.5-5c (36-41F), and surface pitting, decay and internal browning appeared in storage at 5-7.5c (41-45F). A storage temperature of 7.5-10c (45-50F) should extend shelf life up to 4 weeks.

Sources
More information:
Yamaguchi, Mas. World Vegetables. AVI Publishing Company, Inc. Westport, Conn. 339-341 pp.
The Packer. 1989 Produce Availability and Merchandising Guide.
Stephens, James. Minor Vegetables. Univ. of Florida CE Bull SP-40, 1988.
Hall, B.J. Chayote Production. U.C. Ag. Ext. Service OSA 36, 1958 (out of print).
California Agricultural Statistics Service, CDFA. 1987 Agricultural Commissioner Data.
Economic Research Service. Vegetables and Specialties: Situation and Outlook Yearbook. USDA. Nov 1989.
Tropical Products Transport Handbook. USDA Agric. Handbook 668. 1987.
Aung, Louis H.; Amelia Ball; and Mosbah Kushad. Developmental and Nutritional Aspects of Chayote. Economic Botany 44(2): 157-164. 1990.
Cantwell, Marita. Postharvest Handling of Specialty Crops: Chayote. Perishables Handling, No. 61, April 1987. Vegetable Crops Dept., Univ. of California, Davis.
Captions:
Figure 1. The chayote fruit can be seen here hanging from the vine on a trellis structure. (Photo by Hunter Johnson).
Figure 2. Chayote squash on sale at a grocery store. (Photo by Charlotte Glenn).
Compiled by Claudia Myers, UC Small Farm Center; and Keith Mayberry, Imperial County Cooperative Extension as an update of Bernarr Hall's Chayote Production in California, leaflet OSA #36, 1958.
Reviewed by Hunter Johnson, 9/30/89.
Reviewed by Keith Mayberry, 5/1990.
Reviewed by Stephen Brown, 10/1991.
Reviewed by Marita Cantwell, 11/91.
7/14/92

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