Do you ever experiment with growing fruits and vegetables that have sprouted in your kitchen? An avocado, garlic, or onion perhaps? I purchased a chayote squash and didn't use it before it started sprouting. Out of curiosity, I planted it to see what would happen . . . .
The chayote (Sechium edule) is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, which includes melon and squash. The chayote fruit has a flattened-pear shape, is about 4-6 inches in diameter, and is pale to bright green in color. The fruit grows on a vigorous, large vine that can reach up to 50 feet. The taste is mild and, in my opinion, takes on the flavor with which it is cooked. I use it in savory dishes now, but when I lived in the Caribbean, we would use it as the base for an “apple” pie since we couldn't get apples there.
Because the chayote grows in tropical and subtropical regions, I didn't expect to have any success. I was also daunted by the possibility of a 50-foot vine growing in my small backyard. But why not try?
I researched how to plant thechayote fruit and its need for full sun and regular water. I set the fruit about 4 to 6 inches deep in the soil and at a 45-degree angle so that the stem was level or slightly above the soil surface and the big end was deeper. I was not able to follow the recommendations for the planting season because the fruit was sprouting and ready to plant right away. The fruit takes 120-150 days until harvest and is ready when it is slightly tender. Because I have a small yard, I planted the fruit in a container with a trellis that would in no way contain or control a 50-foot vine. But it was all I had!
Not much happened at first. The vine that emerged was listless and underwhelming – not the monster I imagined. The plant underperformed so much that I almost pulled it out on several occasions. It produced small flowers eventually. Several months passed and then, all of a sudden, I noticed that the vine had massive leaves and was stretching out to be about 20' in length. I peeked under a leaf and found several fruit that were ready to be harvested! Thechayote experiment was a success!
Will I plant chayote regularly? No, not in my backyard. But it was a fun, easy, experiment and if I have a fruit that sprouts again someday, I may try it again.