Tatume

Fully mature fruit, Sept 2019 ©Kelly

Tatume (fresh eating size), Jul 2019 ©Kelly

Tatume flower, Jul 2019 ©Kelly

Grower: Kelly

Year: 2011, 2019

Accession: 140

Species: C. pepo

Comments:

2019

The rains this year didn't keep this one down - the vines required a lot of cutting back so they didn't take over the whole garden. I got a really great harvest despite it all. There seems to be some built in powdery mildew resistance - these plants didn't start to succumb until very late in the season and after a good solid 4-6 weeks of almost solid rains.

2011

Extremely vigorous vining summer squash, best when eaten young as a summer squash (medium to dark green), but can be left to mature on the vine and cured to keep as a winter squash for several months (golden yellow). For eating like a zucchini, harvest is at about 45-50 days, for mature it's about 80 - 90 days. Excellent flavour, very firm. When cured as a winter squash it's reminiscent of spaghetti squash. Needs lots of room to grow, does well with trellising.

Growth Observations

Growth Type

Vining

Squash Use

Skin Colour

Medium green with light green striping

Flesh Colour

Off-white

Maturity (days)

55 days (for eating like zucchini - fruit should be roughly the size of a softball)

100-110 days (for eating like a winter squash, or saving seed)

History

• Also known as 'Tatume' and 'Calabacita'
• Heirloom popular in Mexico.