Chayote today

[Squash64]

i am going to ask a stupid Question, but do you plant the whole thing or are there seeds in the big round green thing? ???

Not at all a stupid question - I wouldn't have known either if someone hadn't told me.

When you buy one, look in the 'crease' for signs of a shoot.  It might be tiny but so long as one is there it should soon grow.

I then stand the whole thing in something to keep it upright, in the greenhouse.  After a week or two, the shoot gets longer and little roots start to appear at the base of the shoot. 

Once you can see the roots, fill a smallish pot with compost and rest the whole thing on top, making sure the roots are in contact with the compost. Put a little compost around the roots, but there is no need to cover the fruit entirely.

The plant is frost-tender so if you intend to grow it outdoors you need to start it off inside and not plant it out until there is no danger of frost.

I have seen it growing inside a very large conservatory at Ryton Organic Gardens.  There wasn't anyone around for me to ask if they got fruit off it.

Hope this all makes sense!

[Squash64]

[thifasmom]

just rereading your post and realised you said its growing in a bucket. why not try cutting it back this winter and over wintering it in the greenhouse with a thick layer of bubblewrap around the bucket for insulation and an organic mulch on top. the rootstock might then survive the winter, to re grow for you next year.

by the way what sort of soil/ compost mixture do you grow it in?

there is a place down here that sells it from time to time i think I'll grow one next year in a large container too.

That's a good idea about overwintering it in the greenhouse.  I think the roots may have gone through the bottom of the bucket and into the soil though.  I will try to move it, but not yet because it looks so good at the moment.  Do you think a thick layer of straw wrapped around the bucket and left where it is would work?  that would be easier than moving it into the greenhouse.  I've just had a lot of straw delivered.

I used a multi-purpose commercial compost, can't remember the name at the moment.

If you can't find one to grow next year, let me know and I'll post you one.

i think that if it has grown through the bucket then a generously thick layer of straw around and over the bucket should work, hopefully :-\.

are those flowers starting to form at the end of the vining stems?

I had a close look today but they don't look like flowers.  I think they are just the ends of the shoots. 

darn :(, i was silently hoping.