Topic: Pumpkins and Sweetcorn - 2gether?

[JerryB]

I am going to be planting 16 sweetcorn soon (4 x 4 block) - i have read that because of the space needed for pumpkins that if you plant them in the middle of the sweetcorn then they will be fine and 'snake' around the corn so as to not waste space. Anyone have any ideas or knowledge of this is would be greatful!

[tim]

So they say!! = Tim

[Doris_Pinks]

Works for me every year Jerry! Got 4 pumpkins big enough to carve from one plant last year. (I dig a hole and fill it with manure for my Pumpkin) they both enjoy plenty of water and well manured soil! Dottie P

[derbex]

Doris,

do you just let your pumpkins go, or do you pinch out the tip?

Jeremy

[Doris_Pinks]

Derbex, I know they say you should pinch out the tips of the main shoots, but I just tend to let mine go! I am sure if I did it properly I would get more fruit!! (they also say to limit the number of fruits per plant, afraid I don't do that either! ::) )

[philcooper]

I plant my corn 15" apart in beds 4'6" wide and take out 3 corns (across the bed at each end) to plant 2 curcubits (at each end)

[busy_lizzie]

We have just planted our sweetcorn out and I was interested in the idea of planting in between them too.  Could we plant courgettes in between instead of pumpkins?  ;) busy_lizzie

[Multiveg]

I don't see why not, busy_lizzie. You could also grow climbing french beans up the sweetcorn as well - the 3 sisters method.

[tim]

But that, surely, was before the dwarfish hybrids came in to suit our climate?? = Tim

[derbex]

Tim, I'll let you know I put some beans of various sorts in with my seetcorn. Assuming the beans come up of course.

Jeremy

[ruud]

I have sown sweetcorn,birdhouse gourd,tarbais that is a very old variaty runner bean and sunflowers together.Ill hope that will work,call it the four brothers.

[campanula]

i read somewhere on this site about 'Three sisters' - 3 mutually beneficient plants: sweetcorn, squash and beans. The squash rambles around like a natural mulch and the beans grow up the corn. I thought this was rather wonderful, being one of three sisters myself, and have planted a block of 30 sweetcorn, with three Uckiki Kuri (Hubbard) squash and have gone for dwarf beans rather than climbers. I think this combination will be really beautiful to look at in the late summer sun when everything has that golden bloom. Whoever mentioned this idea, thanks for great inspiration. Cheers, suzy

[philcooper]

The other part of the 3 sister bit is that, taken in combination, the crops supply a fairly well balabnce diet and they all keep (if you choose the correct varieties) henc ethe N American indians who came up with the idea had a fairly good integrated crop management system before we thought of a name for it!!

[john_miller]

Before anyone gets too ecstatic about the cultural practices of the first peoples I would point out that they had the room to also practice slash and burn cultivation. I'm not sure that their practices adapt very well to sedentary horticulture. Rotation over large distances will of neccessity result in good integrated crop management.

[OP]

My corns went out this weekend (been seeded about 5 weks ago, now mostly 10-15cm high), along with the runner been seeds, and some outdoor cucumbers.  Went to see them the next day and the corns were looking decidedly dried out  >:(

Looks like I'm on watering can duty for the next few weeks