Chayote
Sechium edule
Also known as: Mirliton, Christophine, Choko, Vegetable pear, Cho-cho, Chuchu
Quick facts
- Category
- fruiting
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Days to harvest
- 120 to 180 days
- Harvest type
- continuous production over weeks or months
- Spacing
- 240 cm between plants
Environment
- Temperature
- 15–30°C
- pH
- 6 to 7.5
- EC (hydroponic)
- 1.6 to 2.4 mS/cm
- Daily light
- 18 to 28 mol/m²/day
Climate and zones
- USDA zones
- 8 to 12 (winter low around -12°C or warmer)
- Frost tolerance
- frost sensitive (dies at first frost)
- Season
- warm (summer crops, frost-sensitive)
Viable growing environments:
- outdoor in growing season (annual)
- unheated greenhouse / hoop house
- heated greenhouse
USDA zone bounds reflect outdoor year-round survival. Anywhere outside the bounded zone range, this crop still grows as an annual in the warm months (outdoor_seasonal), under cover (greenhouse), or indoors under lights.
Growing systems
Chayote works in:
- soil bed
Root mass is very heavy - thin-channel systems (NFT, vertical towers) can't hold this crop mechanically, hence the system list above.
Growing media
The substrate the roots sit in. Choice depends on the system (clay pebbles don't fit NFT channels; rockwool isn't used in media beds) and the crop (chayote works in the media listed below).
| Medium | pH effect | Water retention | Bacterial surface |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soil-based mix (Potting soil) | varies by source | high | high |
Bacterial surface area matters for aquaponics: clay pebbles, lava rock, and pumice double as biofilter substrate. Low-surface media (rockwool, perlite, pea gravel) work in hydroponics but need a separate biofilter in aquaponics.
Nutrient demand by stage
NPK ratios are relative weights at each growth stage; the nutrient mix calculator scales them to absolute grams or ml. EC targets shift through the plant's life: seedlings need a much lighter solution than fruiting adults.
| Stage | N | P | K | EC target (mS/cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| seedling | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.2 |
| vegetative | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1.8 |
| flowering | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| fruiting | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2.2 |
Companion-growing notes
- Heavy uptake of potassium, nitrogen. Co-grown crops with the same demand will end up deficient even at "correct" EC. Plan around this in shared reservoirs.
- High transpiration. Reservoir level will need regular top-ups during fruiting or flowering.
Aquaponics suitability
Not recommended for pure aquaponics. Fish waste alone doesn't provide enough of the nutrients this crop demands (typically potassium, calcium, or boron). It can be grown in a hybrid system where the reservoir is supplemented with hydroponic-style nutrients, but expect to dose actively.
Care notes
A productive hydroponic vine crop for warm greenhouses. Propagation is unusual: plant the entire fruit (with the seed still inside) at a 45-degree angle in the growing medium with the stem end up and slightly exposed. The seed germinates inside the fruit and the vine emerges from the stem end. Large container (30 L) or media bed with strong trellis support (the vine grows 5–10 m in a season). EC 2.0-3.0 mS/cm. pH 5.5-6.8. Temperature: 20–30°C (tropical; growth stops below 15°C and frost kills the vine). High light (DLI 18-25 mol/m2/day). The vine produces small white flowers that are self-pollinating. Fruiting begins 90-120 days from planting and continues for months. Harvest fruits when they are firm and 8–12 cm long; overripe fruits become tough and fibrous. Each vine can produce 50-100+ fruits in a long season. For Latin American or Asian cooking, chayote is a useful and prolific crop. The mild flavor absorbs other flavors well, making it versatile in soups, stir-fries, and curries.
Verified against: u-florida-ifas, u-of-arizona-cooperative-extension, instituto-nacional-de-investigaciones-forestales-agricolas-y-pecuarias-mexico. Last reviewed 2026-05-15.