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Cool-Season Mirliton Growing

by | Oct 20, 2024 | ,

 

We have a problem.

 

Anyone growing mirlitons for the past few years knows that if the heat waves don’t get your vines, the hurricanes will. The weather has changed, and the forecast is that it will only get worse- more heat waves and hurricanes.

But we have a solution. We have the perfect six-month season free of heat and hurricanes: November through April. Why not take advantage of it? It’s possible for you to get three crops in those six cool months: fall, winter, and spring!

You can plant your sprouts in the fall and let them grow on a small trellis throughout the winter. You can easily protect it from those few frost/freeze nights by temporarily tenting it with a tarp or plastic and adding a heating element. It’s additional work, but you will get a spring crop and head into the summer with a healthy vine with a good root structure. A strong, mature vine like that can make it through summer heat domes and you may even get a second fall crop.

Cool, ain’t it?

You don’t need anything fancy to cool-season grow mirlitons. Just a tarp or plastic to throw over the vine and a small space heater to keep the temperature inside the enclosure above 32℉. I use an inexpensive remote thermometer to monitor the temperature. If you use clear plastic, you can leave the enclosure up all winter and open up the sides on warm days to allow pollinators to access the vine.

As always, you will need a certified Louisiana heirloom mirliton to ensure success.

Even if you don’t attempt to grow year-round, the cool-season method will help you extend the fall season well beyond the normal frost date.

Here are the tools I use for cool-season planting:
Tarp or 6-mil plastic sheeting
Portable Heater (electric, propane, or heat lamp)
Wireless Remote Thermometer (click to view)

 

Michelle Glore inside her tented vine after the 2025 deep freeze and 10″ of snow.

 

 

 

 

Michelle Glore’s trellised and tented vine in the 2025 blizzard

Michelle’s winter mirliton crop is ready to harvest in early April.

Melissa Minevielle’s tented vine with a heater.

Deb Sepulveda’s tented vine before the freeze.

How to Plant a Spring Sprout to Prepare for a Fall Planting

by | Jul 1, 2024 | ,

Here’s a proven method of planting a spring sprout that you got too late for ground planting. Homer Baham told us about this simple method of container planting the mirliton for the summer and transplanting it into the ground in the fall.  Then he mulches it for the winter and it comes back and produces a spring crop. Here’s what Homer writes:

“I have successfully done this many times,  including last year after losing my 6-year-old vines in the heat dome. You should plant the sprouts in two-gallon pots and let them root and grow in the pots throughout the summer (they can be pruned back if necessary). After the 1st of September when the worst of the summer heat is over, plant them into a prepared raised bed garden or your garden. After they get over the transplant shock (1 to 2 weeks),  they will start growing. 

Feed them weekly with water-soluble miracle grow. Let them grow and vine wherever they will (you can use a tomato cage if necessary). They should show prolific growth. You will not get a fall crop but may see flowering. This allows the plants to establish a good root system. Before the first predicted fall frost, cut them back to 4 to 6 inches and cover them with 12-14 inches of leaves. ( I put an inverted plastic flower pot over them so I can find them later without damaging them).

In January when we start getting warm days, uncover them and expose them to the sun and warm weather. Water them and feed them with Miracle-Gro. Be prepared to cover them back up in the event of frost or freeze but leave them exposed as long as no frost or freeze. You should see growth very soon. Let them vine and grow, caring for them as normal with regular feedings and adequate water. Stop feeding the plant in April and you see them flowering and setting fruit by May. 

 I have never missed getting some spring crop when I follow this procedure!”

Why Are My Mirliton Leaves Turning Yellow?

Why Are My Mirliton Leaves Turning Yellow?

by | Jun 9, 2024 | ,

Yellowing of a few leaves on a mirliton vine is normal and not necessarily caused by anything the grower did wriong. It’s usually caused by the stress of widely fluctuating soil moisture–intensive rains and droughts. You can’t control rain.  Adding fertilizers won’t help and may hinder. 

Yellowing of the bottom leaves on mature plants is another matter. It can happen because fungus splashes up from the soil and causes anthracnose disease. If the yellowing begins to move up the vine, it’s probably anthracnose. But there is nothing you can do to prevent that. There is no known preventative or cure for anthracnose. The fungus that causes it is in your soil all the time. The disease tends to flare up in hot, wet months, like August, but the vines usually recover by the fall. The good news is that each time your vine gets anthracnose, it will also develop increased immunity to the disease. So, an old plant is a healthy plant.

The main thing you can do to prevent disease is not over-water or under-water the vine—and the best way to avoid this is to test soil moisture with a soil sampler. Of course, you can grow a healthy mirliton without testing and knowing your soil moisture.  But knowing your soil moisturel increase the odds of success in your favor.

Finally, should you remove the yellow leaves? Some people do and some don’t. I know of no scientific study about the benefits of removing the leaves.  But if you think it helps, then prune off the dead leaves.

 

Mirliton Water Uptake Root Diagram

by | Apr 17, 2024 | ,

Mirliton Root Structure: The roots extend about 12” deep. This diagram shows water uptake in increments of 4″ and you can see that 70% of the water uptake occurs in the top 8″.  There are shallow, superficial roots that extend laterally for up to 6 feet, but they only uptake a small percentage of moisture and nutrients.

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How To Grow a Mirliton in a Container on the Gulf Coast

by | Apr 1, 2024 | ,

Many people don’t have access to yard space, so they are attempting to grow mirlitons in containers. That’s difficult to do along the Gulf Coast–but not impossible. In 2020, James Cobb in Houma, Louisiana, was the first person I knew of who grew a mirliton to fruition in the state. In 2023, Bonnie Landry Palumbo and her husband Butch also successfully got mirlitons to set fruit in pictured 22 ½ -gallon containers in Jeanerette, Louisiana.  I don’t know anyone else in Louisiana who has grown one in a container, though it’s a common way to grow them in drier climates like the West Coast. 

The difficulty in our region is that intensive rains saturate containers, and droughts dehydrate them, and this stress disrupts flowering and fruiting. The solution is to use a large enough container to moderate the wide fluctuations in soil moisture. Bonnie and Butch did that by dividing 55-gallon containers into two 22 ½ -gallon ones. (If you don’t have a 55-gallon container handy, I would recommend the 40-gallon oval Tuff Stuff tub at Tractor Supply.)

Some people are experimenting with fabric grow bags. The principal challenge is that they tend to dry out quickly and the soil moisture fluctuations disrupt flowering and fruiting.  Some growers have tried to remedy that with wicking and automatic watering systems.

The Palumbos used the “Miss Clara” certified mirliton variety. They proved that you don’t need a yard to grow mirlitons; it will be difficult–but not impossible. You can grow them on a patio, driveway, or balcony. You can use a vertical trellis if you don’t have space for a horizontal. The container has to be at least 22 ½ gallons, relatively shallow and raised a few inches off the ground to ensure drainage. You will need a soil sampler to closely monitor soil moisture.  

 

Corking: Another way to Verify You are Getting An Authentic Heirloom Mirliton

by | Mar 28, 2024 | , ,

Did you ever notice the brown lines on some mature mirlitons? They’re a fairly reliable way of knowing if the mirliton is a locally grown Louisiana heirloom. Dr. Jorge Cadena Iñiguez, a leading world expert on chayote (mirlitons), recommends we use the term Corking or Cork lines for the brown, cork-like lines that sometimes appear on the skin surface of mirlitons.

 

Corking in mirlitons is a form of “lignification” and is composed of lignin, the same substance that comprises bark cell walls. It probably develops to protect the fruit from pests and disease. What is important for us is that only mature mirlitons develop cork. So, if someone is selling or gifting a mirliton with cork lines, it was probably locally grown. (Imported chayote is never left on the vine long enough to develop cork lines.)

 

 Not all locally grown mirlitons will have cork lines; they may have been picked fresh off the vine. But if you see corking, it’s another reason to believe it’s an authentic Louisiana Heirloom mirliton.

Made In the Shade

by | Mar 12, 2024 | ,

 

I used to believe that mirlitons could be grown in full sun.  Not anymore.  Intensive heat waves in the last few summers destroyed most vines that had been grown in full sun.  The only ones that survived were in natural shade or had shade cloths.  We learned the hard way that mirlitons need partial shade when there is prolonged heat above 95 degrees.  That, along with substantial ground irrigation, can get us through another Heat Dome or intensive heat wave. 

Build your trellis so you can easily mount a shade cloth over the vine.  You won’t need it unless the temperatures stay above 95°. It can be thrown over the vine or mounted over it. Shade cloths come in different shading percentages, and we recommend 40% cloth with grommets so it does not blow away. They are available at Amazon and most big box stores.  Shop around online to find one that will last for years. An Amazon link is here.

How to Use a Soil Sampler to Prevent Watering Problems in Mirlitons

by | Feb 28, 2024 | ,

The soil sampler is the simplest way to see how much moisture your mirliton roots are getting. It’s the quickest and most inexpensive way to determine if you have overwatered or underwatered your vine.  Knowing what is happening several inches below the surface is even more important during droughts — many growers lost their vines during the heatwaves in 2023 and 2024 because the soil was starved of moisture.

The “knuckle” method of sticking your finger into the soil only tells you what the soil moisture is near the surface; that method does not work with mirlitons because the roots extend downward 8″.  Electric meters are also ineffective because they measure electrical conductivity–not soil moisture.  The only way to know the available soil moisture beneath your mirliton is to see and touch it, and that’s exactly what a soil sampler allows you to do. Mirliton growers in Brazil have used this method for years.  

James Leblanc demonstrates how to take a sample and check moisture levels at all root zone levels. First, pull a core sample and then examine the soil by pressing down on it in the sampler at intervals of about every inch. Feel for moisture and how it compresses.  That will indicate the amount of moisture present at each level. If it’s bone dry and crumbly, it needs more watering.  If it’s muddy–it has too much.  After a while, you will be able to easily take a reading by touch and sight. The soil will generally be moist at the surface level, and should even out as you go down about 8 inches.

See how James does it here 

Buy a soil sampler here.. 

Mirliton rootzone:

Preventing Cross-Pollination in Mirliton Varieties

by | Feb 18, 2024 | ,

There are no scientific studies on cross-pollination in mirlliton varieties, so we can’t speak with any certainty about the chances of cross-pollination. Mirlitons are self-pollinating plants and are primarily pollinated by bees.  Honey bees are systematic foragers; they will focus on one plant until they have collected all the nectar.  That means they are less likely to carry pollen from another plant, thus reducing the risk of cross-pollination. 

Because of this, generally, you can grow two different varieties with little risk of cross-pollination. If you grow only one variety at a time, you will have even less risk. But if you want to ensure that the offspring of a plant will be true-to-type, there is a simple way to do that: controlled pollination.

Using controlled pollination will guarantee that the specific fruit you picked from your vine will grow the same variety. Click here to see how to do it. 

 

Mirliton Seed Online Store

by | Dec 24, 2023 |

 

Lee Flynn created and manages the Mirliton Seed Online Store, which she does as a volunteer. The store sells only certified Louisiana Heirloom Mirlitons. They are sold at cost, depending on the price that the grower charges (some are donated). Mirlitons are only available in season, and the quantity per order is limited so that everyone can obtain one. If we are out of stock, you will be put on a waiting list and be notified immediately when available.  Click here for the store. 

Additionally, people advertise heirloom mirlitons when they are in season (Spring and Fall) on our Mirliton.Org Facebook Group.

 

Click here to see all posts in Mirliton’s Blog

Recent Posts

Cool-Season Mirliton Growing

Oct 20, 2024

  We have a problem.   Anyone growing mirlitons for the past few years knows that if the heat waves don’t get your vines, the hurricanes will. The weather has changed, and the forecast is that it will only get worse- more heat waves and hurricanes. But we...

How to Plant a Spring Sprout to Prepare for a Fall Planting

Jul 1, 2024

Here’s a proven method of planting a spring sprout that you got too late for ground planting. Homer Baham told us about this simple method of container planting the mirliton for the summer and transplanting it into the ground in the fall.  Then he mulches it for the...

Why Are My Mirliton Leaves Turning Yellow?

Jun 9, 2024

Yellowing of a few leaves on a mirliton vine is normal and not necessarily caused by anything the grower did wriong. It’s usually caused by the stress of widely fluctuating soil moisture--intensive rains and droughts. You can’t control rain.  Adding fertilizers won’t...

Mirliton Water Uptake Root Diagram

Apr 17, 2024

Mirliton Root Structure: The roots extend about 12” deep. This diagram shows water uptake in increments of 4" and you can see that 70% of the water uptake occurs in the top 8".  There are shallow, superficial roots that extend laterally for up to 6 feet, but they only...

How To Grow a Mirliton in a Container on the Gulf Coast

Apr 1, 2024

Many people don’t have access to yard space, so they are attempting to grow mirlitons in containers. That’s difficult to do along the Gulf Coast--but not impossible. In 2020, James Cobb in Houma, Louisiana, was the first person I knew of who grew a mirliton to...

Made In the Shade

Mar 12, 2024

  I used to believe that mirlitons could be grown in full sun.  Not anymore.  Intensive heat waves in the last few summers destroyed most vines that had been grown in full sun.  The only ones that survived were in natural shade or had shade cloths.  We learned...

How to Use a Soil Sampler to Prevent Watering Problems in Mirlitons

Feb 28, 2024

The soil sampler is the simplest way to see how much moisture your mirliton roots are getting. It's the quickest and most inexpensive way to determine if you have overwatered or underwatered your vine.  Knowing what is happening several inches below the surface...

Preventing Cross-Pollination in Mirliton Varieties

Feb 18, 2024

There are no scientific studies on cross-pollination in mirlliton varieties, so we can't speak with any certainty about the chances of cross-pollination. Mirlitons are self-pollinating plants and are primarily pollinated by bees.  Honey bees are systematic foragers;...

Mirliton Seed Online Store

Dec 24, 2023

  Lee Flynn created and manages the Mirliton Seed Online Store, which she does as a volunteer. The store sells only certified Louisiana Heirloom Mirlitons. They are sold at cost, depending on the price that the grower charges (some are donated). Mirlitons are...