Chayote (Sechium edule) 佛手瓜
Chayote (Sechium edule)– male flower and fruiting squash, ants are getting the nectar 佛手瓜雄花與所結的瓜, 螞蟻們在享用其花蜜
Chayote (Sechium edule) — female flower 佛手瓜雌花
Chayote (Sechium edule) harvest time! 佛手瓜收成了!
Chayote (Sechium edule) is native in Mexico. It is an annual vine here in cold climate, it is perennial vegetable in warm climate. Its shoots and fruit are vegetable. Very easy to grow in any full sun to partial shade location in moist soil with support to cling on. Plant has male and female flowers. Male flower is small with 5 pale yellow petals and yellow centre. Female flower with a tiny undeveloped mini squash.
Squash can be cooked for stir-fry, soup… Its fast growing tender shoots is great for stir-fry.
In late summer to fall the squash can be harvested when the outside layer is tender. When squash got harvest late the outside layer is tough, when you cook the squash you will need to peel the layer. There is a seed in the squash. When you place the squash in sunny location such as window sill indoor, the seed will start to sprout. Then you can plant the sprout squash in the pot or ground to grow.
佛手瓜是容易栽種生長快速的不耐寒多年生草本藤蔓. 嫩莖葉可摘下炒食,稱為龍鬚菜. 雄花和雌花外觀不同,雌花有迷你的未授粉的小瓜很容易辨認,雄花則無小瓜連著. 瓜應在成熟後外皮尚嫩時收成,這時可連皮煮食;倘若收成太晚瓜皮變粗硬則應削皮再煮. 可炒或煮湯的很多料理的方法.
要種的話取成熟度較高外皮較硬的瓜,裡面的種子較為成熟適合用來種植. 將瓜放在有光線溫暖的室內靠窗處讓它裡面的種子發芽,發芽的瓜可以種在大盆或是地植在適當的地方,最好是全日照到半日照的環境,保濕並需有支架供其攀爬. 很快就有瓜可收成.
Thank you so much for your highly informative posts! You put so much work into them and I am grateful for it. Your pictures are also wonderful. Thank you so much. Blessings to you.
Thank you! I am glad you like my post! 🙂 I like to experiment the plant I haven’t grown before. I think it is the best way to learn a plant to go through from seed to fruit/seed the whole life cycle!
That is a wise way to learn about the plant you are growing!
It is easy to get seed from some common plants, but some very difficult for rare ones. 😦
With your talent for growing plants, I hope you are able to acquire all the seeds you want! Good luck to you and I cannot wait to see what you grow next!
Thanks! 🙂
I wonder if this vegetable is related to one that is somewhat similiar and can be found in southern Italy? I wrote about it prickly zucchini squash. They aren’t commonly available at big chain supermarkets, but most often found in smaller grocery stores or open markets.
Prickly Zucchini – Zucchine Spinose. Chayote (Sechium edule). Yes, they are different same but different variety.
I will have to try this next year. thanks!!
Then you will fun! 🙂
Those are some b’ful pics there, do you think it has a common garden variety name and which is the best time of the year to plant it? If I read it correctly, you just need to buy the fruit and the seed will sprout anywhere any time? I stay in one of the most sunny spots on earth – the Middle East 🙂 so any help on this I’ll be grateful
Yes, when the fruit (the squash) is mature enough (finger nail can not dent the surface) the seed inside is good for planting use. You can start in a pot with some good soil and plant the sprouting squash until the soil quickly fill with its root. Then transplant it to big pot or in the ground where is sunny and warm. Keep the root moist so it can grow very fast! It does need a good support because it is a fast growing vine after all. You can save the kitchen scrap for the plant fertilizer. Just simply bury them in the potted soil.
I had my fun growing it and I am having many fruit growing now. 🙂
Good luck and have fun with it!
Actually p.s to my comment above, I looked up the common name of the Chayote and it is a vegetable we often cook! called Chouchou – India – personally I don’t like it very much, but I will try using the leaves as a stir fry as suggested. I will let you know if I’m able to grow this one.
I actually like the its young shoots more than fruit. I like tender fruit (cube it with other meat or veggies) for soup. Yes, you should try the shoots as vegetable, so green and tender, yum! Have fun of growing it! 🙂
Thanks! will do and let you know how it goes. 🙂
Great!
I miss this veggie!
You can grow one! 🙂