by Lance Hill | Apr 17, 2024 | How To, Mirliton
Mirliton Root Structure: The roots extend about 12” deep. This diagram shows water uptake in increments of 4″.
As you can see, 70% of the water uptake occurs in the top 8″.
This is why, if you are doing a ground planting, you will need a metal soil sampler that can penetrate the soil down 8′ to get a useful core sample. (A bamboo stake as a moisture gauge will do if you have a raised bed filled with porous potting or garden soil, since bamboo can easily penetrate it)
And here’s a correction to my previous writings based on new information I have learned about mirliton root structure and moisture uptake: Although mirlitons have a few long, superficial roots a few inches below the soil surface that can extend laterally for up to 6 feet, they only take up a small percentage of the available moisture and nutrients. Most of the soil moisture uptake occurs within a few feet of the plant base.
This correction means it is possible to grow a healthy vine in an area smaller than 12 feet in diameter or 6 feet in length. A raised bed that’s the standard 3′ x 6′ is adequate, but it will still need to be at least 3′ deep to avoid excessive soil saturation and waterlogging.
A first-year mirliton that was excavated with the roots intact. The roots were more spread out horizontally in the soil, so they are not as deep in the soil as they appear in the steps.
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by Lance Hill | Apr 1, 2024 | How To, Mirliton
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.
by Lance Hill | Mar 28, 2024 | How To, Mirliton, Uncategorized
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.
by Lance Hill | Mar 12, 2024 | How To, Mirliton
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 the heat is prolonged above 93 degrees. That, along with substantial ground irrigation, can get us through another Heat Dome or intensive heat wave.
We also discovered that shade cloths may increase the amount of fruit that the vine produces! Not only does shade protect the vine from solar radiation and make it healthier, but it also makes it more bountiful.
Build your trellis so you can easily mount a shade cloth over the vine.
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 on Amazon and at most big-box stores. Shop around online to find one that will last for years. An Amazon link is here.
Shade cloths are only for extreme weather events. You won’t need it unless there is a heatwave with temperatures above 93° for several consecutive days. Too much shade, especially in the spring and early summer, can be detrimental to the vine. The leaves need sunlight for photosynthesis, which provides energy for the plant. Sunlight is a natural fungicide that prevents some plant diseases. Moreover, full sun also dries and hardens the leaves, making it more difficult for the fungi that cause powdery mildew and anthracnose to get a foothold on the vine.
by Lance Hill | Feb 28, 2024 | How To, Mirliton
If you felt feverish and wanted to check your temperature, you wouldn’t guess; you would get a thermometer and take your temperature. Your garden soil is no different, and we now have a way to determine exactly how much soil moisture your mirliton has available: the soil sampler.
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:
by Lance Hill | Feb 18, 2024 | How To, Mirliton
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.
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