Three sisters technique

[sally_cinnamon]

Hi all,
I saw this on Carol's programme and wondered if anyone had tried it before, and if so, is it worth doing?  I am (hopefully) going to be growing some sweetcorn this year but only a few plants to trial them and I will also be growing courgettes and peas, so when I saw Carol growing them in the "three sisters" format I thought it would be great!  Space saving means I don't have to panic about clearing all my weeds at once!

[sally_cinnamon]

[shirley B]

what is the three sisters technique ?   :-[    G Nan.

[Biscombe]

I think you grow squash through the sweetcorn and beans up!! One problem though! I thought you had to hold back on watering the sweetcorn until the ears formed ??? so how will the thirsty beans and squash cope?

[Columbus]

Hi Sally,  :)

I think its a beautiful idea but I couldn`t make this work.

I think my best place for growing pumpkins and other squash is not a good place for beans or corn which do much better elsewhere, usually in hotter and drier areas of my plots. I think this has to do with slug activity in the early stages which
knocks back beans or corn which then get smothered by their hardier sister and
never recover.

So I guess you have to choose your location carefully.

Best of luck,
Col

[sally_cinnamon]

Oh, okay - hadn't really thought any further as to practicalities of watering etc.  I also thought it was a lovely idea Columbus, I thought it could look really pretty.  Oh well, maybe I could try it in a small corner to see how it works (or not!).  Can't resist trying something new and interesting!  (Hence my list of seeds longer than my arm!)

G nan - here is a nice link explaining what the three sisters is...  http://www.kidsgardening.com/growingideas/projects/March02/mar02-pg1.htm

:)

[Columbus]

Hi G Nan, I found this explanation

>> Native peoples from different parts of North America have used a wide range of agricultural techniques. Perhaps the best known is the interplanting of corn, beans, and squash together â€" a trio often referred to as the "three sisters." <<

Look here >>>>>>>>>

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

Col

[Columbus]

haha we posted the same link  ;D ;D

[cambourne7]

Hi Biscombe,

I think at the time the sweetcorn does not need so much water is the time that the peas do and the squash ramps up when the peas and corn ar establised and need less water.

But you will notice that she also had stakes in for the corn and peas/beans as the weight can pull down your corn in windy areas.

Cambourne7

[shirley B]

Many thanks Sally, just checked link, will add to my companion planting list. G Nan :)

[sally_cinnamon]

haha we posted the same link  ;D ;D

Heehee!

But you will notice that she also had stakes in for the corn and peas/beans as the weight can pull down your corn in windy areas.

Cambourne7

Yes, I noticed that as well 'cos when she said that the beans would grow up the sweetcorn I thought surely they wouldn't be that strong...

[cambourne7]

i though i would mention it as no one else had :-) just in case

[theothermarg]

I grew veg spaghetti amongst the sweetcorn last year and had a good crop
didn,t like the veg spag so am going to try it with ridge cucumbers this year
don,t know about beans though i think i,ll stick to sticks
margaret

[Tee Gee]

I didn't watch the programme after the first episode I just couldn't stand the 'gushy' commentary and loud music.

As a consequence I missed this  3 sisters thing and have noticed a lot of press about it

Since reading this thread I think I now know what is meant by the 3 sisters method.

Sounds remarkably like what I always knew as' 'catch cropping' and if that is the case it is not so new!

My old mates Percy Thrower ( god bless him) and Co. were always on about it. ;)

[cambourne7]

yes i knew it as intercoping

last year i grew squash & peas together for just that reason

[sally_cinnamon]

Sounds remarkably like what I always knew as' 'catch cropping' and if that is the case it is not so new!

Yes, I suppose it is, isn't it!  Just sounds all nice and fancy with a name pinched from the Native Amercians!

I wonder how many other things there are like this, where they are given fancy names for traditional techniques...
:)

[Mrs Ava]

I grew my squash amongst my corns in 2004 and it worked great, however my corn failed to get going in 2005 as the squashes grew so quickly and smothered the young corn plants, so in 2006 I kept them seperate and had a great harvest again.  As for growing beans up things, I inadvertantly on purpose always throw a couple of runner bean seeds in the planting hole of my young sunflowers - you know, the gigantic ones.  By the time the beans are up and running, the sunflower is putting on equal amounts of growth and it kinda works okay.

[campanula]

hi, i have also tried this technique and have concluded that the corn grown by native indians is more akin to maize, often grown as animal food and growing to 3 metres. Certainly, growing squash between the sweetcorn can be a good idea but all three together was a disaster since I could not get in to weed round the corn and the beans romped over the top of the corn and got in a massive tangle. Also, I trod on several squash vines so, no, I think it is an idea that sound better in theory than practice. cheers, suzy

[Blue Bird]

Though it was a great idea but now having 2nd thoughts ??? ???

[Jeannine]

Hi, I have often grown my pumpkins in with my sweetcorn, the vines wind through the corn stalks . I just watered as I always do if I need to supplement the rain.Important to give the full spacing on the corn block though. XX Jeannine

[Robert_Brenchley]

I plant through mulch, so no problems with weeds.