MIRLITON.ORG
MIRLITON.ORG
by Lance Hill | Mar 20, 2019 | Mirliton | 1 comment
Dec 29, 2024
I learned of a large mirliton farm in Cut Off, Louisiana, in 2009 and traveled there to meet its owner, Vivian Danos Arceneaux. I learned it had been grown for decades and after examining the variety, I told her I wanted to give it a name to help preserve and...
Nov 11, 2024
Mitchell Thomas had poor soil that does not drain well--and that’s bad news for mirlitons whose roots need to breathe. So, he developed a method of growing them in fabric “grow bags.” He and others have gotten small crops with this technique. It enables you to grow...
Oct 20, 2024
We have a problem. Anyone growing mirlitons for the past few years knows that if the heat waves don’t get your vines, the hurricanes will. The weather has changed, and the forecast is that it will only get worse- more heat waves and hurricanes. But we have a solution....
Jul 1, 2024
Here’s a proven method of planting a spring sprout that you got too late for ground planting. Homer Baham told us about this simple method of container planting the mirliton for the summer and transplanting it into the ground in the fall. Then he mulches it for the...
Jun 9, 2024
Yellowing of a few leaves on a mirliton vine is normal and not necessarily caused by anything the grower did wriong. It’s usually caused by the stress of widely fluctuating soil moisture--intensive rains and droughts. You can’t control rain. Adding fertilizers won’t...
Apr 17, 2024
Mirliton Root Structure: The roots extend about 12” deep. This diagram shows water uptake in increments of 4" and you can see that 70% of the water uptake occurs in the top 8". There are shallow, superficial roots that extend laterally for up to 6 feet, but they only...
Apr 1, 2024
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...
Mar 28, 2024
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...
Mar 12, 2024
In 2023, we learned that mirlitons need partial shade when there is prolonged, intensive heat above 95 degrees. That, along with substantial ground irrigation, can get us through another Heat Dome. If you are not lucky enough to have natural shade, a...
Feb 28, 2024
The soil sampler is the simplest way to see how much moisture your mirliton roots are getting. It's the only quick, inexpensive way to see if you have over-watered or under-watered your vine. The "second knuckle" method of sticking your finger into the soil only...