6 Department Circular 286 , U. S. Dept, of Agriculture. 
Mulching for winter protection .—The chayote is a perennial, and 
if care is taken to protect the roots from freezing over winter by 
providing a thick but loosely packed mulch of hay, straw, weeds, or 
similar material during frosty or freezing weather, the vines will 
come up from the old roots in the spring. Under favorable condi¬ 
tions they will make a spring crop. The main crop, however, is 
produced in the fall, beginning toward the middle of October. If 
practically frost-free weather is experienced throughout the winter, 
Pig. 3.—A crate showing a method of packing found to be very satisfactory in prepar¬ 
ing chayotes for long-distance shipment. Although they may be packed without 
wrappers, the fruits carry better when wrapped. Two tiers of baskets with a layer 
of excelsior or Spanish moss over each tier are packed in an ordinary tomato crate. 
Regular orange and tangerine crates have also proved satisfactory, and as they have 
no baskets they hold more chayotes. (P19249FS.) 
a condition which occurs in some years in parts of southern Florida 
and southern California, the vines may continue fruiting all winter 
and until the hot weather of the following summer. 
Seed storage .—If intended for seed, chayotes should be permitted to 
remain on the vines until fully mature, but not until sprouts form. 
They should be handled carefully in picking, wrapped separately in 
thin porous paper, and packed in a box or crate with excelsior or 
similar material between the layers, so as to permit some air circu- 
