by Lance Hill | Mar 8, 2026 | How To, Mirliton, Uncategorized
Many people want to grow their own mirliton (chayote) vine but find it difficult to find locally grown mirlitons. Because of their frustration, some people try to grow mirlitons by purchasing and planting one from the produce department in a grocery store, or online from seed stores. There are two reasons why this is not ideal.
First, all mirlitons sold in grocery stores and markets are imported varieties. They are grown and imported only as produce, just like all the other vegetables that you purchase. The USDA tried to grow these varieties a century ago and concluded that high-altitude plants have tremendous difficulty growing in low altitudes. This is because these varieties have adapted to the altitude, pests, diseases, and ultraviolet exposure in their native environment. The patterns of light and temperature influence when and if the variety will flower and fruit. Moreover, an imported variety may not have acquired resistance to diseases or disease pressures that occur in its new environment.
All imported mirlitons will sprout and send up a shoot, but most imported mirlitons will not flower and set fruit. We have received reports of this problem from hundreds of growers over the years, and I had the same disappointing experience when I tried to grow a vine using imported mirlitons.
Second, even if you could grow an imported mirliton, you may introduce new diseases that have devastated mirlitons elsewhere. Local mirliton varieties adapted to U.S. conditions have been grown for over two centuries in Louisiana and California. These were originally brought from low-altitude coastal areas in the Caribbean and Central America. In horticulture, these local varieties are called landraces —cultivars that growers have improved through traditional agricultural methods. The Louisiana heirloom mirliton is the U.S. mirliton landrace that has adapted to the regional climate, diseases, and pests through generations of trial and error. They are a reliable and healthy variety.
But they are vulnerable to new diseases. Many mirliton diseases have not reached the U.S, and some, like the destructive Chayote Mosaic Virus (CMV), are transmitted inside infected mirliton fruit without any sign of infection (seedborne and sapborne diseases). The U.S.D.A. does not screen imported chayote for diseases becuase, rightfully so, they assume that it will be eaten, not planted. If you purchase infected imported mirlitons that carry the disease and then plant them, you may spread the disease to the Louisiana heirloom mirlitons.
There is no cure for CMV and other viral plant diseases, and planting imported, unscreened chayote can potentially destroy all U.S. varieties. That applies to both grocery chayote and chayote of unknown origin sold online. Read about CMV here.
Plant diseases are constantly evolving and afflicting chayote. In Brazil, scientists have discovered two new plant diseases in chayote. One is a new fungus that causes anthracnose disease in mirlitons — another soilborne and sapborne disease that can be spread through imported chayote. Read the article here.
Read the article about the new seedborne fungal pathogens that cause anthracnose discovered in Brazilian chayote herel https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/10/12/847
And another has been discovered: Cowpea Mild Mottled Virus (CPMMV). Read about it here.
To summarize: Imported mirlitons may not grow and fruit in the U.S., and if they do, they may have disastrous consequences for U.S. mirlitons landraces.
by Lance Hill | Mar 8, 2026 | How To, Mirliton, Uncategorized
Many people have asked if there is a danger of interbreeding (cross-pollination) if they grow mirlitons with other squash, like Cucuzza and luffa. That’s understandable because the vines look and flower similarly. The short answer is no, mirlitons and other squash species can’t cross-pollinate.
Mirlitons can only pollinate other mirlitons, and other squash can’t pollinate mirlitons.
But here’s an easy way to determine the danger of interbreeding with any combination of plants.
We usually use common names for plants, but the key to knowing whether they can interbreed is the scientific name, called the “binomial name,” which consists of two words: genus and species. It is analogous to your personal name; your last name is your genus (family name), and your first name is specifically who you are in the family (specie).
To determine the possibility of interbreeding, simply Google the common name followed by “binomial.” For example, if you Google “mirliton binomial,” your first result is Sechium edule, the binomial name you are looking for. Then Google “Cucuzza binomial” and it will return Lagenaria siceraria. Now you know the genus and species of both.
Mirliton: The Genus: Sechium. The Specie: edule
Cucuzza: The Genus; Lagenaria. The Specie: siceraria
The two vines are in different genus (genera is the plural), and different genera seldom interbreed.
What if you have two plants in the same genus? Then look at the second name, the species. If they are the same species, they can generally cross-pollinate-that’s how botanists define species- any plants that are capable of interbreeding. There are exceptions, but to be safe, don’t plant them together until you contact a plant expert for advice.
Now, practice the method on another plant:
Find the scientific names (binomial names) for mirliton and cucumber. Compare them. Are they the same genus? If not, then it’s safe to plant them together.
( Special thanks to Dr. Joe Willis of the LSU AgCenter for his indispensable contribution to this article)
by Lance Hill | Feb 15, 2026 | How To, Mirliton, Uncategorized
1. Vineguard double-arched cattle panel trellis. This can be built using two 16′ panels, with the inside panel cut shorter to provide the canopy space between the upper and lower panels.
The same vineguard double-arched cattle panel trellis with plastic added to the top arch to prevent excessive rainfall from saturating the bed soil.
Here’s an idea. Design an arched trellis structure to protect mirlitons from excessive rain, solar radiation, and cold. I call it a Vineguard. It can be used to shunt rain away from the beds, shield the vine from intense heat, and protect it from frost.
One structure–three purposes.
We invite you to design and test the concept. (post your ideas and results on the Facebook group)
The concept is simple: An arching structure that you mount above the trellis, similar to the shade cloth structure that many of you already use–but sloped. During periods of heavy rainfall, place a single sheet of clear 6-mil plastic on top to divert the water away from the bed and prevent waterlogging. The single clear sheet will allow sunlight through and air circulation through the sides. In the summertime, replace it with a shade cloth to protect from the sun. In winter, you cover the entire trellis with plastic and enclose the vine to prevent frost damage.
The Vineguard can be built several ways. If you are already using an arched cattle panel, arch another one a few feet above it. If you’re using a horizontal cattle panel trellis, install a PVC pipe arch overhead that slopes to direct rainfall away from the bed (see photo). Or you can construct a similar pitched wooden frame with a pitched roof.
The Vineguard will work for both raised-bed and ground plantings, but it works especially well against waterlogging in tall raised beds. That’s because raised beds provide more control over soil moisture. Tall raised beds are less likely to wick moisture from the rest of the yard when it becomes saturated.
We will be experimenting with Vineguards this year, and I invite all you Mirliton Wizards out there to create designs that provide the simplest, most effective, and least expensive model.
Special thanks to R. Ranjith at the Nesamony Memorial Christian College for his advice on soil hydrology and managing intense rainfall.
Thanks to Buster Avera for the photo of his shade-cloth arch, which can also serve as a rain guard.
2. Buster Avera’s arched shade cloth structure could also easily double as a rain guard.
3. Corner view of Buster Avera’s arched shade cloth structure.
by Lance Hill | Dec 19, 2025 | How To, Mirliton, Uncategorized
A smeared, muddy stake would indicate the plant is over-watered. But, evenly distributed soil flecks (crumbs), as shown in this image, indicate ideal soil moisture across all root-zone levels, and the plant needs no water.
An old tomato stake can be used to measure soil moisture and prevent waterlogging. Use the simple “sight and touch” with the stake before you decide to water your vine.
You thrust the stake into the soil about 8″ and quickly pull it up and examine it. If it’s smeared and muddy, the soil is saturated and needs no water. If it’s relatively dry and flaked with soil, the soil moisture is ideal. If it comes out clean, run it through your fingers and see if you can feel any moisture—if not, then definitely water the plant. Although the appearance of the soil on the stake is important, running it through your fingers to sense the soil moisture can be more useful.
Click on each photo in this link to read the instructions about how to use a bamboo stake to gauge soil moisture.
We generally recommend using a metal soil sampler, but the bamboo stake will work in a pinch. Click here how to use a metal soil sampler.
by Lance Hill | Dec 13, 2025 | How To, Mirliton, Uncategorized
It’s that time of the year when desperate gardeners in search of an Heirloom Mirliton see one at a garden store and snatch it up. But garden stores are notorious for selling mirliton plants without naming the variety or grower. They may well be an authentic Louisiana heirloom variety, but if you buy from a garden store, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace, you are taking a risk. That’s why we advise people to only purchase seed and plants from members of this group because we verify that they are selling authentic, certified heirlooms.
But, if you buy from a garden center, we recommend checking the plant label to confirm it is a named Certified Louisiana Heirloom Variety. All the named varieties are in the post below. If the label says it’s an “unnamed variety”, ask the store owner who sold them the seed. You will also find a list of all the people growing and selling unnamed varieties in the post. If it has no label and the store owner won’t tell you where they got it, turn around and go home.
We are the only organization in the U.S. that certifies heirloom mirlitons, and we do so to ensure people receive a variety that grows well in our region.
See the list of named varieties and the list of people selling unnamed varieties here.
by Lance Hill | Apr 23, 2025 | How To, Mirliton, Uncategorized
The spring harvest of mirlitons has increased in recent years due to advancements in growing techniques. The question is: How do we plant them?
There are two options: container-grown plants or planting them directly in the soil.
First, in either case, the fruit needs to be spouted. This ensures the seed is viable, and a sprouted mirliton means the roots and shoots are ready for soil and will quickly root and grow. You can expedite sprouting by incubating the fruit. If kept warm, they will sprout within 7 to 14 days. Read how to do it here. (We encourage growers to also incubate their sprouts before selling or gifting them, for the same reasons.)
Once the seed has sprouted:
Container planting: Plant it in a 3-gallon container and keep it outside in the shade for the summer. Use a small tomato cage for a trellis. Mirlitons can be easily pruned back to maintain a compact shape if desired. Transplant them into the ground in September, after the danger of the heatwave has passed. Cut it back and mulch it in November, or tent and heat it for the entire winter. Either way, you’ll get a good spring crop. Use the bamboo stake technique for gauging watering needs.
Mirlitons trellised on tomato cages.
Direct planting: This is a little more tricky. You can plant sprouts in May or June, but they will need to be initially shaded from the heat of direct sunlight. Place a milk crate over the plant, covering it with a 40% shade cloth or a piece of cardboard to protect it from the sun’s rays. After it starts to grow foliage, remove the crate and shade. Read about shading it here. Use the standard methods for bed preparation in the quick guide
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