Chayote is a vegetable that has a lot of fiber, vitamins A, B1 and C, potassium and iron. Because it is digestive, it is a great diuretic and has excellent action in controlling hypertension and kidney problems.
After all, in addition to its health benefits, it is also easy to plant and grow, growing in small spaces. In this way, a place with plenty of shade and very cool is enough for the chayote to develop.
Below, we separate some tips for those who want to start planting chayote.
How to plant chayote?
Before talking directly about how to plant chayote, it is interesting to mention that, in Brazil, it is among the 10 most consumed vegetables by the population.
Chayote is a vegetable that has many health benefits, such as controlling hypertension and kidney problems.
Chayote does not have many demands on the soil. It develops even in the most acidic places. However, its productivity is higher when planting in fertile soil, with adequate drainage and good fertilization.
In order for the culture to bring good results, it is important to have plenty of phosphorus, as this element helps in the development of roots.
The planting should be done after pre-sprouting and also placed on the ground in a shady place, with good ventilation and a little damp. When it is mature, its sprout normally germinates in 15 days, but the ideal is to plant only when it reaches 12 centimeters.
The sprouts will only be ready to plant after reaching at least 15 centimeters, being transferred to the holes or pots.
When this happens, place the whole chayote in the furrow, without putting soil on top. Just coming into contact with the soil, rooting will take place. Anyway, just reinforcing that at the time of planting, it is important to open a small hole for the bud, filling the area with the ideal fertilizer.
The chayote bud fruit should always be planted upside down, so the roots are covered by earth, in the case of planting with a defined location, or substrate, in the case of pots. This makes it easier for the roots to grow healthy in the soil and the bud can develop unhindered.
make a heck
In fact, this plant has tendrils responsible for fixing the branch in place and supporting the weight of the fruit. In this sense, it is important to make a vine whose size will depend a lot on the branch. But, it should be around six meters from the main branch.
After planting the chayote, it is necessary to plan a vine that facilitates the development of the fruit.
With a view to marketing, the average duration is 3 years, but depending on the care it can last much longer, with great productivity.
Necessary care
One of the main precautions to maintain its productivity is irrigation. This plant does not adapt to a lot of water, so it is necessary to check that the soil is really dry before watering again. Watering should be done by furrow, in order to water each plant.
Chayote adapts better to mild temperatures, between 15ºC and 25ºC. Excessive cold ends up preventing the plant from developing, as well as heat and rain cause flowers to fall and the emergence of fungi.
chayote harvest
Between 80 and 110 days after planting and the sprout germinating, it is possible to start harvesting. A tip: the fruits must be harvested before they reach their full maturity. That’s because, if they go beyond the ideal point of harvest, the fruit begins to open at the end. And they are even tastier when they are tender.
After harvesting, the chayote can be used in different dishes, mainly stir-fried, being very appreciated.
When you are at your point of harvest, you may need to harvest every other day, due to the production.
The flowers of this vegetable are white and small and the fruits are large and oval, with hard pulp. High productivity is one of the greatest features of this plant.
Benefits of chayote to our health
As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, chayote is a food that brings many benefits to our health. It has very important nutritional properties, preventing and fighting various types of disease.
Check out some of these benefits:
- Chayote has large amounts of dietary fiber, substances that help control sugar levels in the body. Therefore, it is recommended for diabetic people;
- Source of minerals, such as calcium, consumption of this food prevents and fights osteoporosis. In addition, it has magnesium and phosphorus, which also favors bone and teeth strengthening;
- Chayote has a high concentration of antioxidant agents. These substances are responsible for strengthening and defending our immune system from the actions of free radicals (viruses and bacteria), which can cause health problems;
- It gives shine and volume to the hair, making it stronger, shiny and voluminous. This is due to the large amount of water in the food, in addition to nutrients such as zinc and vitamin E;
- Rich in vitamins, it also helps to make our body more willing and strengthened because it has natural energy agents for the body;
- With few calories and the presence of antioxidant agents, the consumption of chayote is also responsible for cleaning and detoxifying the body, helping to deflate the body and in the natural loss of localized fats;
- It is good for the kidneys due to the good amount of potassium, favoring the filtering of nutrients, in addition to preventing problems such as stones or kidney stones.
How about a cooking recipe for chayote?
Did you like our post on how to plant chayote and the benefits of this food to our health?
Now, in closing, check out the video below, a different option, how to plant chayote in a pot:
Source: Orchard and Vegetable Garden in Vases
Want to know more about how to plant certain crops? Our suggestion is to follow our article on how to make a vegetable garden at home. Check out!
