Choko
Select Your Climate
Chokos grow fast in the heat if well fed and watered, producing a ludicrously massive crop.
When to plant/sow in zone:
Requirements:
Full sun; requires a support to grow on; soil temperatures between 15 and 30 degrees celsius
Soil:
Well-drained soil, enriched with compost and well-rotted manure.
How to start: FRUIT: Place the entire fruit in a well-lit position (eg kitchen bench) until it's sprouted. Plant the entire fruit section into the ground or pot, with the shoot facing up. You should be able to see the top 1-2cm of the fruit where the shoot is emerging from. Water in and mulch with straw.
How to grow: Keep moist and mulched with straw. Apply seaweed solution fortnightly. If soil is poor, apply organic fertiliser pellets every two months. Choko vines are vigorous and require a sturdy support to grow on. In cool and temperate areas, vines die back in winter and re-emerge in spring.
When to harvest: Harvest from 17-25 weeks when fruit is light green and about 6cm long.
Troubleshooting:
Aphids; whitefly
Wondering what to plant when?
Use our planner to create a planting calendar for your climate zone
View Planting Guide
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