Topic: Three sister's cultivation

[1066]

will do Lottiedolly, bizarrely enough my courgettes didn't really flourish last year, not sure why?!

I grow the bush varieties, why / what do you have in mind Robert?

[plainleaf]

acopy of my modernized three sisters diagram

[lottiedolly]

We use a mixture of yellow and green bush courgettes and I have even interplanted the outside row of the corn with lettuces as the corn was growing as you do give the corn a fair bit of space between each one  ;D

[aj]

For those interested in taking old ways and using them now, this link should be good reading

http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/buffalo/garden/garden.html#XI

[Digeroo]

Interesitng diagram Plainleaf but I rather thought that the corn needs to be in a block to aid fertilzation.  For me each corn plant is planted with a bean/pea in the pot.  It also needs a little stick for the bean/pea to grow up.  In the end the corn grows quite fast but for a couple of weeks the bean can win the race.  These are then planted out in a block.  I normally do blocks of 12  plants (I sow about 16 seeds) and then leave a couple of weeks and do some more so I get corn/beans over a long period.   This seems to be enough for the pollen to get all round and for me to reach in to pick the cobs and beans without treading on anything.    I plant my plants about a 30 cm apart so the whole thing is four feet wide.  The squashes go on the East side of the block where they bask in the morning sun but keep away from the prevailing West wind and well away from Mr Northwest Wind esq which is rather strong and cold here.   So for me the corn is acting as a wind break and any cobs are a bonus. 

The squash do not need a large space in the middle because they simply weave around the corn plants and trail round the place.    Butternut for me are good because they do not have huge leaves.  I think something like trompetto d'albenga my favourite squash would just climb up the corn and completely flatten it.   Might put one in the Northeast corner to benefit from the shelter but give it a sturdy couple of cane to climb up.

Once the corn has finshed the squash continue to grow for sometime and are give some extra compost. By this time the runner beans are usually ready so I leave the beans to go to seed.   It is great use of space because they can trail all over the corn.     I think it is superb use of space.  But is does like huge amounts of biomatter and feeding for the best results.   I presume the indians had plenty of buffalo/horse and other manure.

[Morris]

This is an interesting thread and thought-provoking for me. As on a previous post I have a new area about 10' x 10' I am going to mulch heavily with manure, cover with weed suppressant fabric, and plant with squash. I am now wondering about doing a three sisters.

I suppose I am most worried about competition and none of the plants doing as well as they would if planted conventionally.  Plainleaf, your spacings for the corn and beans seem very tight to me?  I usually put corn about 15" apart in a block.

Digeroo, your method of planting a bean in the corn pot is a good idea. Can i ask, are the beans for fresh beans or shelling?  And if fresh, do you get a good crop?  And where do your squash fit into the plan - in between the 4 x 4 squares of corn/beans??  And what do you do for feeding/watering?

Thanks for input, as I said, very interesting thread.

[Morris]

Another point.  What is all the talk (on the web when I googled it) about squash appreciating shade from corn??  Surely in our climate they need maximum sunshine??  Isn't this another reason why 3 sisters works best in hot countries, ie the US where it originated? 

Thoughts from those who have tried it most appreciated.
 :)

[saddad]

Shade on the roots to retain moisture... not on the leaves!  :)

[lottiedolly]

I always grow a shelling bean as it can dry on the corn stalks. I give the corn a good head start as the beans always catch up, keep a decent spacing between the corn, I did try a butternut squash a few years ago and it knocked over some of my corn, so I only use bush courgettes now. I also interplant the outer row of corn with a quick crop like lettuces, it does not seem to affect the corn, beans or squashes at all and I am terrible at the concept "if there is a gap, chuck something in it" the allotment can sometimes end up quite a mish mash but terribly productive  :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

will do Lottiedolly, bizarrely enough my courgettes didn't really flourish last year, not sure why?!

I grow the bush varieties, why / what do you have in mind Robert?

Trailing squashes live under the corn quite happily, though the fruit can knock corn over as it grows. I don't think that matters. I'm not sure how bush squash would do in the confined space.