Chayote, a run-around vine that’s edible all around

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Behind the pear-shaped fruits lies a climbing perennial that runs 6 to 15 feet up any fence, and every part of it — spring shoots, young leaves, fruits and tubers — goes to the kitchen. Chayote (Sechium edule) isn’t hardy, so shield it from frost: the fruits picked in October will then keep for months.

Chayote is a climbing perennial that is entirely edible, though most of us might only have encountered its pear-shaped fruits. Native to Mexico, it was quickly introduced in many countries like the West Indies, where it goes by the name “christophine”. As most tropical plants go, this one isn’t very hardy. Nonetheless, it’s still an option to cultivate it in more temperate climates as long as a few rules are followed.

Planting chayote

To grow chayote, a few environmental requirements must be heeded:

• a full sun exposure;
• in places where Winters are cold, it should be protected from freezing;
• the soil must be humiferous (containing lots of organic matter) and tilled quite deeply.

You’ll have understood that whether you’re planting in a vegetable patch or in a garden, you’ll have to get to work on the soil long before planting a single specimen of this vine.

Preparing the soil

To have soil that is fertile enough and has the right amount of humus, a great way forward is to amend the soil. In order to do so:

1. Layer manure or very ripe compost on the surface of the growing bed during the Fall that precedes the planting. If you have any, you can also sprinkle clean wood ashes.
2. With a spading fork, flip or loosen the soil over at least as deep as the blade is long, so that the soil layers mingle properly. Best is to avoid using a spade, since spades tend to slice worms in half and the soil structure is upended too much.
3. In the following Spring, just before transplanting your seedlings, work through the soil again without adding any amendments this time.

Planting

The first planting step takes place in February. Take a large pot filled with soil mix and nestle an entire fruit in it (horizontally is the surest option). Bury it by two-thirds, leaving one third jutting out. Place the pot in a sun-filled space that will stay warm and where it won’t freeze.

Planting chayote in the ground:

Once a strong seedling emerges, it’s time to transplant it to the ground, usually not before May (it depends on when the last frost date is in your area). Around mid-May, risks of freezing are nil. After planting the sprout, immediately set up a treillis that is tall and strong enough to bear the weight of the all the leafage and fruits to come. Simply grow it along a fence, for instance.

Chayote in pots

The needs of chayote as a vine make it near impossible to grow in containers. However, if you have a spacy lean-in or a spot that’s protected from the cold, such as a greenhouse, it might still grow well enough it bear fruit. You’ll need a large pot or garden box, that’s voluminous enough to fit the entire root system and not tip over under the weight of all the leaves.

Growing and care

Chayote won’t need much attention. Since it’s vulnerable to drought, though, it’ll need regular and abundant watering. It isn’t necessary to prune or trim the choko vine. A good way to increase foliage density at the beginning is to pinch (or cut) young sprouts after the 3rd or 4th leaf.

Diseases and pests

Chayote is a very resistant plant. It seems invulnerable to sickness, and pests and parasites seem to disregard it altogether.

• Water at the base rather than over the foliage, and keep the soil evenly moist while flowers and small fruits are setting, as a dry spell then makes them drop.
• Spread a top dressing of ripe compost around the foot during growth, because a single chayote vine builds several metres of leaf and a heavy load of fruit.

Harvesting and keeping chayote

Chayote fruits appear very late in the season (September). The harvest thus takes place in October, and sometimes even November if the climate permits. Once picked, the fruits will keep for a long time. Stored in a cool spot, they’ll hold for months after harvesting.

• Harvest chayotes before the first frost, since the vine is frost-tender and fruit exposed to freezing temperatures is prone to softening and bruising, which shortens its storage life.
• Set aside two or three unblemished fruits as planting stock, because the chayote seed germinates inside the whole fruit and cannot be saved on its own.

Which part of the chayote to eat, and how

Unusually for a vegetable, the whole plant ends up on the plate. Here is what each part of the vine gives you, and the familiar vegetable it stands in for.

Nothing on the vine goes to waste.

Peel raw chayote under running water or wear gloves, since the sap of cut fruits leaves a sticky film that can tighten and irritate the skin.

Cooking with chayote

As is the case for mashua, every plant part of the chayote vine is edible:

• young Spring shoots you can cook and pair just as you would asparagus;
• juvenile leaves do swell when they’re cooked similarly to other vegetables (such as spinach);
• the fruits are edible raw (in mixed salads for instance) and cooked (as a main ingredient for side dishes they are tasty when baked, stuffed, etc.);
• tubers can replace normal potatoes in every recipe.

• Some fruits harvested very young, such as baby zucchini and young cucumbers, have skins tender enough to be eaten without peeling, although this depends on the variety and growing conditions.
• Chayote contains a single flat seed at its centre, which is edible and mildly nutty, so it can be cooked and eaten along with the flesh rather than discarded.
• Chayote flesh is very mild, so treat it like courgette and lean on garlic, chilli or spices, as it soaks up whatever it is cooked with.