Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: shirlton on April 08, 2007, 18:05:05
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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?
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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.
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Why not give it a try. If she can do it so can we. lol
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I have done the squash though the corn regularly but not the bean part. XXJeannine
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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
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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! ;)
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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! ;)
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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I suppose the original companion planting.
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yep, isn't life funny, everything old is new again XX
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I'm sure I posted this before but what goes around, comes around.
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.... 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
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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
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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
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Jeannine,
I got the information from a website some time ago and it was refering to the height of the corn grown then not now in the US - ~6'
Phil
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Ah right, I do have seeds from a couple of old heirloom ones that are known for their height,probably no good now as corn seeds don't last as long as most,but maybe I will try a few at home away from the lottie. I still have some Iroquois which is a blue/black colour, and the Cherokee one that grows pretty good, I think I still have the blood red one too and that grows taller than most. I shoulkd check the germination, I might be lucky.
Got to be truthful and say I grow a differnt type for my eating though.
XX Jeannine
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Jeannine
Which corn would you grow to keep for popcorn please ???
Jitterbug
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Thought I'd give this a go this year, too- if it means I only have to prepare 1 bed instead of three it sound s good to me! We'll have to compare notes on the results.
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A Popcorn variety, I put some in my swap parcels , let me know if it gone before it gets to you.I wll send youa bit. Leave it to dry completely on the plant wait till the plant has died and then take your cobs, XX Jeannine
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I'm gonna try this too.
I started a thread a while back, when the GYO programme had been on, just a few more bits of info...
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,91/topic,28104.0 (http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,91/topic,28104.0)
:)
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I am also going to be using this method but as I will only be lifting my first early potatoes on approx 8 June and it is this space that I had alloted to do my corn - I am not sure whether I must start my corn in toilet roll holders and when? as this would give me the extra weeks I need to clear the ground of the FE potatoes. Possible the french beans will also need to be started in rolls - not what I had wanted as I would prefer starting straight off in the ground after seeing Jeannine's comment about corn "switching off" if not planted out at the right time.
Any ideas would be welcome. I live in Dorset which is about 2 weeks ahead in the frost ratings.
Jitterbug
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I started my sweetcorn in loo rolls and my beans in modules today and have put some courgette seeds in damp kitchen roll to chit so that's a start!
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Just time your corn so that when it is ready to be moved plant it in the ground, give it three weeks from seeding, ata push 4, I plant mine on Mayday if weather seems good, bad summers I plant middle of May. I plant 1 seed to a 3inch pot or very large Jiffies. XX
XX Jeannine