Chayote is the name of a thin-skinned squash that is Mexican in origin. The wrinkly green fruit, a member of the gourd family, is expected in the Southwest but is still viewed as a novelty item in most of the rest of the country. Chayote squash, though technically a fruit (Sechium edule), is eaten as … Read more
When it comes to chayote squash, several warning signs indicate bad fruit. A ripe fruit will have hard, tough skin and will not yield to your thumb. Otherwise, you might want to toss it out. You can do a few things to keep chayote from going bad. Here are some tips. The first sign is the presence of powdery mildew. You can prevent this by rinsing the fruit with soap and water.
If it does occur, apply a potassium bicarbonate spray every seven to 10 days. Liquid copper fungicides are also effective at preventing powdery mildew.
