Topic: three sisters

[shirlton]

 I watched the last programme of grow your own and was very interested with the three sisters planting of sweetcorn beans and squash. I am going to try it, Is anyone else?

[Marymary]

I thought I might trail a squash vine through the corn plants but I usually plant my corn too close for the beans as well - not enough space.  Sounds a lovely idea though.

[shirlton]

Why not give it a try. If she can do it so can we. lol

[Jeannine]

I have done the squash though the corn regularly but not the bean part. XXJeannine

[Blue Bird]

Yes going to have a go - just got one of my raised beds ready for them.

Just hope the squirral leave the corn alone as believe they are a real pest at the site

[grawrc]

Me too. I  dug the bed today and will be digging in manure during the week. LAst year I planted runners and let them trail but this time I'm doing dwarf French beans. Easier to separate the wheat from the chaff!  ;)

[Tee Gee]

I never watched the programme but have heard a lot about this method and the thing that intrigues me is; 

Do they all grow in height at the same speed?

I can just imagine the runner beans wafting about in the wind awaiting the corn to catch up and the squashes climbing up two or three corn at the same time, again with the potential of awaiting the corn to speed up ???

Could someone explain the method to me and if my thoughts are relevant!

[ninnyscrops]

Link here about Three Sisters, if you don't eat squash could substitute courgettes.

http://www.nativetech.org/cornhusk/threesisters.html

If I have enough space at the time, might have a go.

[allaboutliverpool]

I cannot speak from experience, but all these are podigious eaters!

I can only imagine that huge quantities of manure and water will be needed and that surely one cannot expect an optimum yield.

You can see hints on:-

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments_Vegetables_squash_butternut.html
http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments_Vegetables_sweetcorn.html

I have not done a runner bean page yet but it is coming shortly.

I would think that the weather would have to be very warm to ensure that the squash grow, especially as they could not be covered.

[MacArthur Park]

Yes shirlton, I'm giving it a go this year. I've got two types of sweetcorn, with trail of Tears Climbing French Bean to clamber up them. The squash is going to be a mixture of Butternut, Spaghetti and courgettes. Let's hope it works! ;)

[Jeannine]

allabout, One of the beauties of the 3 sisters which was the original intercropping idea is that, the corn acts as a pole for the beans and keeps the area warm as they are also a windbreak, the beans produce nitrogen which in turn help the corn and squash, and the squash acted as a weed block to the area.

Timing is important, originally the corn went in first, then when it was as high as the length of a hand, in went the beans,and the pumpkin plants went in when the beans began to sprout.

The plan hasn't changed much since the Iroquois did it, they didn't use hybrids of course and their main crops were for winter storage so all three were left till very mature and dry.

Interesting story,if you are in to Native Indian traditions( I am ) lots of other stuff around the planting to do with tall strong corn, gentle clinging beans and naughty devil me care pumpkins. Real good stuff have a few books can look up details  if anyone is interested

XX Jeannine

[Jeannine]

Oh I forgot, the squash are trained to wind through the bases of the corn, not up it and you need to use vining squash not bush ones like cougettes. XX Jeannine

[ninnyscrops]

That's interesing Jeannine about them using over-ripe for winter storage, so I read that they must have grown several three sisters on the basis that they harvested some for food that season, some for ground corn, dried beans and saved the squash.

[Jeannine]

 They did eat some green and fresh because somewhere in my head I have a bell ringing about a ceremony for the first harvest. I guess you would pick beans fresh for a while  otherwise the plant would stop producing and go to seed, then at a given time,just like we do, let it go for dry beans. Some corn would be  eaten fresh and some left to dry on the stalk, just as we do if growing popcorn, the squash would not keep until fully mature ss would be left till the dry corn was harvested, and of course immature winter squash cab used like a courgette anyway.

It really is very interesting stuff,  not done as a space saver, it was done as each plant helped the other  with what it gave.XX Jeannine

[ninnyscrops]

I suppose the original companion planting.

[Jeannine]

yep, isn't life funny, everything old is new again XX

[ninnyscrops]

I'm sure I posted this before but what goes around, comes around.

[philcooper]

.... the corn acts as a pole for the beans and keeps the area warm as they are also a windbreak, ....

Th corn grows a bit taller than in the UK ansd so climbing beans here might not work and/or smoother the corn.

I have tried squash/marrow under corn and they seem to like the shade

Phil

[shirlton]

Yes shirlton, I'm giving it a go this year. I've got two types of sweetcorn, with trail of Tears Climbing French Bean to clamber up them. The squash is going to be a mixture of Butternut, Spaghetti and courgettes. Let's hope it works! ;)

I'm growing some trail of tears that I got from Real seeds and butternut I've yet to get my corn. It will be good to see how things turn out. Perhaps runners would be too much for this project I don't know. Lets experiment shall we

[Jeannine]

Phil, I don't understand about the corn being taller in the US. I have grown corn there for 30 years and here for 6, I have never seen a difference in height,I follow the US planting spacing and cultural  methods and I get the same heights and yeilds, I do use US corn seeds though perhaps that makes a difference.  I do not cheat on spacing though,I think it is very important .

XX Jeannine