Topic: plant spacing (three sisters)

[trinity]

what plant spacing should I use for a three sisters bed ???
I hope to grow 250 sweetcorn in two blocks
100 open pollinated bi colour sweetcorn at the far end of one plot
and 150 of another variety as far as possible away from them on the end of the other plot (don't know the variety they are in my tool box at the Lotty :-[) they are supposed to be super early :-\
what plant ratio should I use I thought 20 sweetcorn to 40 beans ??? an 1 or 2 squash  ???
I don't have a clue thought so may be totally wrong have looked but can only find information on how good it is :-\

PS I know it is a lot of sweet corn but we eat a LOT of the stuff and it is for three house holds :)

[kt.]

You will need to check what variety of sweetcorn you have.  Most sweetcorn is spaced at 15-18".   Sometimes one variety cancels out anothers pollination so you could end up with none. :o :o  Though you can buy varieties that do not mind being near each other.

[trinity]

The open polanated is supost to be ok whatever it is next to 8).
The othere I am not sure about, but I am going to plant it any way, as it will be closer to sweet corn on other plots than it will be to the open polanated one :o
The spacing is on the packets but I was not sure if you gave them a bit more space in a three sisters bed ???

[Mr Smith]

Can I suggest that you keep both varieties well apart, sweetcorn do cross pollinate if you have two varieties growing next to each other,

[thifasmom]

this is what i found trinity hope it helps. it doesnot really go into spacing but i think it is really the soil prep that may be key as three hungry feeders will be growing there at the same time.

http://www.threesistersplanting.info/

this one has spacing suggestions but they are quite generous :-\

http://www.kidsgardening.com/growingideas/projects/March02/mar02-pg1.htm

these also talks about using mounds

http://www.theorganicreport.com/pages/519_the_three_sisters_corn_beans_and_squash_activities_for_the_classroom.cfm

http://www.beginner-gardening.com/threesistersgardening.html

[dtw]

Does it matter if they cross polinate if you aren't going to save the seed?

[PAULW]

DTW
Exactly if you are not saving the seed it does not matter about cross pollination

[trinity]

I am hoping to save the seed of the open pollinated ones but that's ok because they should be ok wheather they cross or not ;D

[littlebabybird]

DTW
Exactly if you are not saving the seed it does not matter about cross pollination

sorry i am absolutely certain you are wrong, some of them will not work/taste bad if  crossed

lbb

[nilly71]

I was thinking of trying this next year:

Plant the corn as recomended spacing.
Only plant the beans around the outside corn.
Plant the squash between the inner corn.

At least this way the beans can be reached easly and by the time the squash is ready, the corn would of probably been picked.

But all the above depends on when everything is due to be havested ;D

Neil

[shirlton]

I did the 3 sisters planting 2 years ago. The sweetcorn and the cherokee climbing beans were great. I planted them one to one abot 12ins apart. I planted the butternut squash in the middle (3 of them).The squash didn't fruit but they did keep the ground nice and moist under all the foiage. I did have to support the outside of the square to hold it all together.

[Tyke]

Yep, some sweetcorn cross-pollinate and can ruin the cobs in some cases...

[thegreatgardener]

this link explain some pollenation related issue that go with growing corn.
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/90-126.htm

[taurus]

To the great gardener.  Many thanks for this link.  This as solved the mystery on my plot and my friends plot next door.  As we planted our sweet corn next door to each other this year and both crops failed.  We thought we would have a better pollination rate by planting close together.  When another plot holder at the other end of the site had a great crop we wondered what we were doing wrong.  Regards, Taurus

[Robert_Brenchley]

Don't plant two types next to each other, but don't panic and think they have to be miles apart either. There are several ways to tackle this. You can plant two varieties of the same type, say two supersweets. Or you can plant two varieties which flower at different times. Or you can leave a space between them, but if you're not planting on a field scale, twenty yards or so should do it. Last year I planted Northern Extra Sweet and Kite. Kite came into bloom just as NES was finishing, and the beds were about twenty yards apart. I got good crops off both, with no pollination problems at all.