Growing Choko/Chayote, also Chayote squash, christophene, chouchou, mirliton

Sechium edule : Cucurbitaceae / the gourd family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec

Not recommended for growing in USA - Zone 5a regions

  • Easy to grow. Plant whole mature fruit when one produces a shoot at one end.. Best planted at soil temperatures between 15°C and 30°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 100 cm apart
  • Harvest in 17-25 weeks. Best when fruit is light green and not more than 6 cm long.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Cucumbers

Your comments and tips

11 Aug 21, phillip shegog (Australia - temperate climate)
The only white choko I`ve seen was some years ago,growing in an old lady`s garden,,in St.Marys in western Sydney.
04 Feb 12, Marcus Chin (Australia - temperate climate)
Planted chokos from fruits from veges shops. Healthy growth but no fruit set over the last 3 seasons. Fertilizer (complete formulation for fruit and veg) at early shoots and pre-flowering. Planted in full sun position. Can someone please help, thanks.
01 Mar 12, Wendy (Australia - temperate climate)
My choko vine is going crazy and it has flowers but no fruit when should I be expecting the fruit to come on?
11 Apr 12, Vans (Australia - temperate climate)
It is the season for the fruits. Mine has a lot of fruits and still more to come. May be your flowers need an attraction of bees or butterflies
06 Apr 12, peter (Australia - temperate climate)
when u peel chokos, they leave a gluey green mucus on ur hands that is hard to remove. my chef father taught me this tip---- before peeling, cut the top and bottom off (much like you would cut the top off a carrot) to expose the flesh beneath, and soak in warm water for a few minutes, u can see that stuff come out from the cut. then u can peel in peace
03 May 12, (Australia - temperate climate)
Wear gloves before you peel the skin - that will solve the problem and no wasting of the flesh! :)
07 Apr 12, Ernie (Australia - temperate climate)
Which way do you lay your choko in the ground , on its side or uprite
09 Apr 12, Chris (Australia - temperate climate)
upright to sprout .. any which way when growing
09 Apr 12, (Australia - temperate climate)
Can't remember as it's been there for years. Every other year we've had normal chokos, this is the first year they have been a funny shape & also we are normally picking them this time of the year & so far we havnt had any. There's lots of babies on there but I don't know as some of the leaves are starting to go yellow!!
07 Apr 12, Jo Webster (Australia - temperate climate)
Is there special fertilizers that go on chokos as some of our fruit are growing deformed?
Showing 31 - 40 of 263 comments

I bought a choko in Launceston in September and it was beginning to shoot. I kept it on the kitchen window sill and when the shoot was a foot long I transplanted it into a pot on the back veranda with a lattice construction to support it. It is in full sun and now has six growing shoots one of which is over two metres high. I live at St Helens on the east coast of Tasmania and this is my first attempt but am happy with results so far. It is the first time I have found chokos in Tasmania and am looking forwards to see how successful my new venture is.

- Dr Caroline Wright

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