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A Master Class in Mirlitons
Ervin Crawford And his Mirliton Vine
In 2008, I was searching for a Louisiana heirloom mirliton to replace the variety I had grown since 1983. The hurricane Katrina flood had killed almost every mirliton in New Orleans. The usual suspects had given me all the normal bad advice: “Buy one at the grocery store. A mirliton is a mirliton. They’ll grow fine.” Nope. I planted, they died; I planted, they died. Over and over.
After a little research, I discovered there were scores of varieties—perhaps hundreds—each adapted to the particular climate and altitude. I had to find the one traditionally grown in Louisiana. I discovered that the Louisiana Department of Agriculture’s monthly Market Bulletin was digitally archived years back. I went through it looking under “fruits and vegetables for sale” and saw one name repeatedly; Ervin Crawford, Pumpkin Center. It was a long shot because the advertisements were decades old, but I called the number. Ervin Crawford answered.
I immediately drove to Pumpkin Center and met him. On that first visit, Ervin gave me about 20 mirlitons and with those 20 plants, I started Mirliton.Org. Ervin played a crucial role in saving the Louisiana heirloom mirliton.
Visiting Ervin’s farm is a pilgrimage everyone should make. He’s a retired airline mechanic and knows more about mirlitons than anyone I know. He has been growing them for five decades, first in Peal River where he was raised, and later in Pumpkin Center where he bought his 20-acre retirement farm. He grows everything; pecans, figs, beans, berries, bees, chickens.
He has a quality found in most successful gardeners–a healthy curiosity. He wanted to know why he had success as well as failures. And failure and mirlitons often go together in the poor sandy pinewoods soil of the area called the Florida Parishes. I have heard people in the region say, “They won’t grow up here.” At first, I thought that they were using the wrong variety, or planting them incorrectly. Ervin taught that the problem was not the soil, it was what was beneath the soil.
Soil sample tests tell you a great deal, but they won’t tell you what you need to successfully grow mirlitons. Mirlitons are shallow-root plants and they sink or swim depending on subsurface drainage. If the soil doesn’t drain quickly enough, the roots can’t absorb oxygen, and the plant founders or dies. Building a raised bed on top of poorly-drained soil may result in a mud boat. The bed has to have an outlet to either absorb or remove excess water. So to succeed, you need to know the geology and history of the land you are gardening on–and Ervin asked the right questions when he first got to Pumpkin Center.
Ervin learned that Pumpkin Center’s soil was considerably different from Pearl River, where he had learned gardening. Pearl River was a loamy basin soil, rich and porous. In contrast, Pumpkin Center was in the middle of the great Piney Flats that stretches from Florida to Texas. It was notoriously bad poor soil—sandy and acidic. When he once had some excavation work done, he saw that solid white clay lay a few feet down–a real barrier to drainage.
I realized that I had never asked those questions about where I was gardening. To grow mirlitons, you have to be part geologist, hydrologist, and historian. You don’t have to become an expert; just enough knowledge to benefit your mirliton.
As I learned more about the history of where I was gardening, I realized that my mirlitons had often thrived in spite of me. I never once had asked what was under that topsoil or what was there 100 years ago.
I do now, thanks to Ervin.
How to Plant Spring Mirliton (chayote) Sprouts in Hot Weather
Spring mirlitons are normally sold unsprouted because they are picked fresh from the vine in early May. The first step before planting is to sprout the mirliton. You can speed the process by incubating it—keeping it as warm as possible. If it is above 80° outside, place the mirliton in a shaded area. Or you can incubate it inside your home by placing it in a small plastic trash can or 5-gallon container with a lamp or small heating pad on low. The ideal temperature is 80°-85°. This will promote rapid sprouting within 10-14 days. (here is how I did it)
As soon as the seed begins to emerge (sticks out its tongue), it needs to be planted—but differently from the fall ones. In May, temperatures can run in the 90s along the Gulf Coast, and I have found that sometimes they won’t send up a shoot in extreme heat. Instead, the shoot spirals under the seed. (Figure 1).
The solution is simple. Plant the sprout as you normally would, but put a temporary shade cover over it —a milk crate with a piece of shade cloth over it or a piece of cardboard on top will work fine. Cover the crate with chicken wire to ward off varmints. Once the shoot emerges, remove the crate and stake up the vine.
Figure 1.
Help! My Mirliton is Wilting!
By Lance Hill
I remember the day I saw my first Mirliton vine wilting. I almost called 911. My first impulse was to water it, which I did, but it did not revive it that day. Miraculously, the next morning, the vine was in perfect shape.
Figure 1: Healthy and Happy Leaves orienting toward the sun and no sign of wilt.
Two Types of Wilt:
There are two types of wilting with mirlitons: temporary and permanent. They are different by degree, but while the temporary wilt can be fixed, the permanent one is a more serious problem. Knowing how to recognize a temporary wilt will help prevent it from getting worse.
Mirlitons are part of the cucurbit family along with cucumbers and melons. Cucurbits that have large, paper-thin leaves lose a great deal of moisture during hot weather—sometimes more quickly than the roots can replenish it. The moisture balance is also complicated by the plants’ shallow root structure. Mirlitons have two ingenious responses to excessive daytime heat: (1) they collapse their leaves so there is less surface exposure to direct sun (stress avoidance), and (2) they wait until the cooler nighttime to uptake more water into the leaves. It’s like humans fighting the heat by wearing a hat and shirt to reduce exposed skin surface and drinking water in the shade to rehydrate.
Temporary Wilt:
You can easily learn to recognize a temporary wilt (also called “leaf flagging”). The leaves will have lost some turgidity but not completely collapsed, as shown in the two photos. When you see this, you can use a soil sampler to sample the soil and see if it is too dry at the roots zone (8″ down). You can also use your hands to feel how firm the leaves and stems (petioles) are. The video at the end of this post demonstrates the proper way to feel for a temporary wilt. The last thing you want to do if the plant is in a temporary wilt is to water the vine when it already has plenty of available soil moisture—you will flood the roots and cause root asphyxia which leads to more wilting. Just wait until the next morning, and if the leaves have fully expanded and properly oriented toward the light, you have no problem. In fact, periodic wilting toughens and leaves and gives them more protection from fungi. 
Figure 2: Temporary Wilt. Note that the leaves are no longer oriented toward the sun and are drooping, but not their stems (photo by Kevin De Santiago)
Permanent Wilt:
Permanent wilting is caused by disease, pests, or overwatering that blocks the entire flow of water from the roots to the leaves. If you wait until morning and the leaves are still severely wilted, you have a serious problem. Unfortunately, there is no verified solution to these fungal toxins and insects like vine borers that block the uptake of water. August is the month that anthracnose will most likely attack the mirliton because of heat and frequent rains. There is a link below to how to diagnose anthracnose. But don’t worry: mirlitons can usually withstand a bout with anthracnose and still produce some fruit in the fall. In fact, the vine will acquire increased immunity from anthracnose each time it battles it.
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Figure 3: Permanent Wilt. Note how even the leaf stems are drooping
Figure 4: Bad news. This is the first sign in leaves of anthracnose. The wedge-shaped pattern of leaf death and the rifle shot hole are clear signs that the disease will soon spread to the stems and block the flow of water.
The reason leaves wilt or hold their shape is because of water pressure. It’s the same reason a limp balloon becomes firm when inflated with air. The key is what scientists call “turgor pressure.” Understanding the simple science of turgor pressure will equip you to identify the difference between temporary and permanent wilting. This short video explains turgor pressure. How to use your hands to test for a temporary wilt. <a href= https://www.mirliton.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Identifying-and-Managing-Anthracnose-in-Mirlitons-FAQ-revdise-2018.pdf
Proper Trellis Material Is Key To Mirliton Growth
Proper trellis material is critical for successful mirliton growing. For decades, “backyard mirlitons” were grown vertically on the common “chain link” fence with 12 gauge, (1/8thinch) wire. With the advent of the wooden “security fence”, home gardeners lost their built-in trellis. Moreover, research demonstrated that mirlitons fruit more prolifically on horizontal trellises, growers searched for alternative trellising. The problem was that those old chain link fences held a secret: the wire was the perfect diameter for mirliton tendrils. When growers used chicken wire, lathe, bamboo poles, plastic mesh etc. the results were not good. If trellis materials are too large in diameter, the tendrils will not hook and coil and the plant will not grow and extend vigorously; the same is true for materials too small in diameter.
Mirlitons are herbaceous climbers that, in addition to leaves and flowers, have separate tendril structures that branch out in two to five smaller branches. These are slender, string-like coiling climbing organs that are sensitive to contact stimuli. When they come into contact with the correct diameter object, they coil around the object to provide support for the main stem and subsequent fruit. The tendril coils tightly around the anchoring object and coils backward to the plant, creating both an anchor and a spring-like coil. This secures the plant against wind—allowing a little sway—and holds up the stem when fruit begins to weigh it down. Mirliton tendrils are strong but delicate and do not regrow once damaged.
Although the signaling mechanism is not entirely understood, my observation is that when tendrils hook onto a support structure and exert tension on the stem, the meristem (stem tip) is stimulated to grow and extend. A mirliton stem can grow more than 20 feet and the more stem growth means more fruit production. If a stem is grown on a horizontal trellis or arbor with supports that are too large in diameter for the tendril to wrap around, instead the tendrils will coil unattached in the air and stem growth will slow if not stop completely. In a sense, the plant only extends to areas that can provide support and tendrils extending in front of the stem probably exert tension on the main stem and signal the direction of stem growth and increase meristem (stem tip) extension. Improper trellis material that does not provide structures for tendrils to hook and coil on can result in stunted plants and stem breakage from wind or fruit weight.
The trick with trellising—and it is a simple trick—is to use trellis support materials that tendrils can easily and readily attach to. That means first providing the vine with support to climb vertically. This is best done using “tomato cages” which are typically constructed of 1/8th inch galvanized wire and then providing string supports to the overhead trellis, using a 3-strand poly twine that is at least 1/8th inch diameter. If you don’t have room for a horizontal trellis, then any wire fencing 12 gauge or thicker will work fine. The mesh size is not important since the fruit will hang on the side of the support structure.
Horizontal trellises need the same minimum wire size. For decades, Louisiana mirliton growers have used overhead trellises with a solid wood framework (4×4 posts and 2×4 rails) covered with “goat fencing” or similar fencing material. Goat fencing is galvanized steel 4” x 4” square pattern fence mesh that is hinge lock woven. The hinge lock makes it easier to work with than welded fence and the 4 mesh is large enough for fruit to drop through and hang below the trellis.
The key is that the wire is at least 12 ½ gauge, (2.5 mm or approximately 1/8th inch). Tendrils do not hook and anchor well on string or wire with diameters less than 1/8th inch. I recently saw a string trellis that used 1/16th inch string and the tendrils refused to hook to it. From an evolutionary perspective, the plant is searching for structures that can support it from wind sway and fruit load; a small twig won’t work and a large branch won’t permit a tight coil. What we have laying around the yard might look like a good trellis idea (PVC pipe, bamboo, old 2x4s), but your mirliton might not agree.
There are many trellis material options other than galvanized fencing. Many growers use heavy concrete reinforcing mesh which is sold in panels, not rolls, and can often be found in recycling centers. It has a 6”x6” square mesh and is a thicker 9 gauge which tendrils appear to respond well to. Always be careful to bend in sharp end pieces to avoid accidents (masking tape works remarkably well in blunting end cuts). Also, keep in mind that long stems and plenty of trellis space ensures that leaves are exposed to sun and air circulation which inhibit plant diseases and insect infestations. Finally, one of the most important steps in trellising is augmenting the vertical path so that new lateral shoots from the bottom of the plant have a pathway to the top since each one of these shoots means more fruit production. It is also important to keep lateral shoots from contacting the ground since soil-borne fungi are transmitted to leaves and although the ground stems will bear fruit, they are more susceptible to insects. This means that as new lateral shoots emerge, tie thick poly twine to the wire cage at the base and connect it to the overhead trellis at an angle and pull the string taught. Then gently wrap the new shoot once or twice around the string so tendrils will hook and the shoot has a separate path to the top of your trellis. When a plant begins to grow vigorously there may be a need to add multiple string paths to spread out the plant at the top and avoid stems from falling over due to their own weight. If you have any question about the appropriateness of a trellis material, simply watch the plant closely and note if the tendrils are hooking and coiling around the material properly. You will find several photographs of properly constructed mirliton trellises on our web site on the “Mirliton 101” photo site by googling for Mirliton.org Lance Hill Mirliton.org Lance@mirliton.org