How to Grow Chayote? Detailed Explanation of Planting Methods and Key Technical Points

Chayote is also known as chayote, named because its shape resembles the hand of the Tathagata Buddha, and it has high application value. Besides being edible, it can also be used as medicinal material, so it is planted in many regions. So how do you grow chayote?

1. Land selection and plowing

Chayote has low soil requirements and is suitable for growing in relatively warm areas, so you can choose sandy soil with sufficient sunlight, fertile soil, good permeability, and moderate drainage and water retention capacity, or plant it in neutral soil with weak soil viscosity. After choosing the land, deep plow the soil and spread farmyard manure evenly, then make a small ditch in the field about every 1.5 m to facilitate later drainage and irrigation.

2. Sowing and raising seedlings

(1) Seed selection and seed treatment: Choose some healthy and plump seeds, then soak the seeds in warm water for about 1 hour, then remove the seeds and mix them evenly with a small amount of pesticide, then rinse them with clean water, drain off the water, and they are ready for sowing.

(2) Hole sowing: Sow in holes in the field at a row spacing of 40-50 cm and a plant spacing of 30-40 cm, then cover with soil after sowing.

(3) Transplanting: First cultivate chayote seedlings well on the seedbed, then transplant around May. The transplanting spacing is the same as for hole sowing. Whether you choose hole sowing or transplanting, you need to wet the soil before planting.

3. Field management

(1) Fertilizer requirements: From growth to maturity, chayote generally needs about 3 applications of fertilizer. Many crops need fertilizer after planting, but chayote cannot be fertilized at this stage, otherwise the chayote seedlings will wither, so you only need to water. When the plants enter the rapid growth stage, apply urea once. During the flowering stage of the chayote flower, spray a small amount of foliar fertilizer and apply a little decomposed farmyard manure to promote flowering and fruit retention. During the fruit-setting stage, spray an appropriate amount of boron fertilizer to promote the growth and maturity of chayote.

(2) Trellising: When chayote grows to 40 cm long, we need to trellis it. Although it can be allowed to crawl directly on the ground, trellising can not only increase the yield and quality of chayote but also avoid many diseases and pests. Secondly, during its growth process, we need to prune some branches and leaves, which can reduce nutrient consumption and also improve the success rate of fruit setting.