Topic: The Three Sisters

[Sarah-b]

I've been poking around on the internet, and have come across something interesting. Apparently the native americans grew/grow their maize, beans and squash altogether. They'd sow one of each together in a mound and the bean would grow up the corn and the squash would trail around preventing weeds and preserving soil structure. This is called the 3 sister's technique.
Has anyone tried it?
What would be the drawbacks?

Sarah.

[campanula]

hi,
i tried this year but it was not a problem free method of growing. For a start, i found it absolutely impossible to do any hoeing as the ground became a real snarled mess of squash leaves. Also, the  french beans climbed up the corn but i could not get to them to harvest them. However, in theory, the idea is sound as long as enough space is left between plants, i guess. My main worry was the pollination of the sweetcorn but it went off OK. Next year, I intend to continue with the corn and squash growing together, assuming i can crack the bindweed problem enough to avoid constant hoing, with bigger gaps.
However, i will probably  grow dwarf beans at each end of plot  and climbers (French, not runners)just on the outside corn stems.
I should say that it looks fabulous as the setting sun shines through the corn and lights up the squashes on the ground.
Oh yeah, also needed buckets of water for three very thirsty crops.
worth a go.
cheers, suzy

[Doris_Pinks]

Sarah somewhere on this site was a discussion earlier in the year on this...........can't remember where though! :'(
I always do the 2 sisters method! Corn, planted through membrane,(into well manured soil) and squash underneath planted through the same membrane. No hoeing, and wonderful sweetcorn every year so far, squash a bit slow this year, but am trying a new type, and the weather hasn't been good for squash. But they have fruit!  Dottie P.

[Mrs Ava]

I did the same as Doris, corn and squashes, and it worked just fine, so long as you don't mind waddling through the squashes and their prickly leaves to get at the corns.  I don't have access to mains water, so after the corns and squashes were planted, they were watered once, and they haven't been watered again, and I had masses and masses of corn, and have plenty of squashes.  Will do the same again next year for sure!  ;D (and am planning to stick a  few sunflowers in amongst the corn plants to make me smile!)

[derbex]

I did 2 sisters (that could be better phrased ???), but sweetcorn & beans. As the ground was just broken and roughly dug, like Doris I planted through membrane, which I then topped off with compost when some thistles tried to stick their heads through the planting holes.

It was only a small bed so picking was ok -although there are maybe a few in the middle I've missed as I planted the corn a bit too close together.

I grew F.beans, Runners & Borlotti, The corn was Kelvedon Glory. Next year I think I'll do the same but just with the Borlotti beans as these are for drying and I don't need to look at them until the corn is over.

The corn was too close for squash.

All in all it worked well -I got corn & beans, minimal weeds and watering (just until the beans popped up).

Jeremy

[philcooper]

For full details just do a Google search on three sisters corn
beans squash

It should be noted that all three crops were harvested together, the beans were dried and the corn used baking.

The corn also grew taller than the ones we grow in the UK so the beans had more to climb up.

If you want to use the corn "fresh" then use of a bed system means that you can reach and harvest the corns without standing on the squashes.

Lats year the squash leaves provided excellent ground cover and reduced transpiration in the high temperatures

Phil

[carrot-cruncher]

eeerrrrr......don't mean to sound thick but, what do you mean by squash.    Do you mean pumpkin or some other plant(s)?  

If squash is the family what kinds of of vegs are in the family please?

[Doris_Pinks]

CC, by squash I am usually talking about things like, butternut, acorn, spaghetti.............yummy stuff! (like pumkins but better flavour!)