Allotments 4 All

Hi All,

I am going to have another go at 3 sisters bed in the site which is designated for my greenhouse (not looking like planning permission going to happen this year). So i am looking for sweetcorn which i can sew and ideally something simple and tasty as i have never had much luck with sweetcorn on my allotment so will be interesting to see how it will grow in the garden.

Bed will fit a 10x8ft greenhouse planning 2 rows of 4 or 5 pumpkins not sure how much corn i need either ?

Help and advice appreciated

Cam

Woops forgot to say happy to swap with any of the seeds i have just let me know what your looking for i might have it :)

I had good success with earlybird last year, the only variety which did well last year.

Having done Three sisters for several years I have the following suggestions.

I put the pumpkin plants on one side of the plot suggest the Eastern and southern sides  out of the wind with plenty of compost/manure.  Total of 4 for 5 in that space.  Do not choose too big pumpkin.   Use a small variety of climbing french bean and I make sure they climb up their own seeds corn.  I find that runners are far too heavy.   If they start drifting between plants it can become something of a mess and pulled the corn over.  You will need to reach in to pick the beans so either do not bother with beans on sweet corn you cannot touch from the side or grow a drying variety in the centre which will not need picking until the corn is ripe.  I try and grow a purple podded variety it is easier to find the beans among the corn.

I put my sweet corn under bottle cloches until it is coming out the top of the bottles.  Sweetcorn did not like the cold nights we had late on into May/June last year.  It was not freezing but at only a few degrees the corn was not pleased.  So I fleeced on night below 7C.  The pumpkins need the fleece as well.

The whole thing needs huge amounts of feed and bio matter.  I presume the Indians rounded up buffalo dung or used their own. 

Cam to do a traditional three sisters plot you should use a corn that is left to dry on the stalk like a flour corn etc, the beans again should be left till the pods are dry and the bean used as a dry bean, the squash should not be bush type but has to be winter squash and it left till the foliage dies.They all thenare  harvested  together so no worries about trying to pick french beans round the stalks.

XX Jeannine

As always thank you all for your posts :)

I have a small amount of popcorn seed which is the one i was looking to leave to dry never had much luck with sweetcorn on the lotty so when i did 3 sisters before i did not harvest might harvest a few if all ok this year. Last time i grew the pumpkins in a wide wigwam with the corn/bean seed plants next to each bamboo cane in rows either side of the pumpkins. I like the trailing ones as they twine themselves though the bean/sweetcorn and find room :)

Will still use a bamboo structure but will attempt to grow up the corn :)

As for what i am going to grow not 100% sure yet i have sown 2 squash types today
Squash - Avalon F1 Hybrid small butternut squash type
Squash - Sunshine F1 Hybrid (winter)

Was looking at runner beans and maybe some of the italian beans? Again i never pick the all :)

If it is any help I've got Painted Mountain corn seeds spare although they are not very tall growing they are very colourful flour corn and the ones I tasted fresh last year were good, though I only ate them raw not cooked.

will PM you thanks jayb
thanks everyone thats me sorted xx

Cam, I just thought, I can send you some Cherokee seeds.  The really nice one is Cherokee White Eagle..(look it up)but I also have Cherokee White Flour and Cherokee tall popcorn , they were used for this purpose. I am growing a Cherokeee garden this year with some kids and we are using these, beans are Cherokee Trail of Tears and the squash is the  Cherokee form of  Candy Roaster. I can send you seeds of the corn and beans and I might have  two or three of the squash but not more  as I had a job getting them and I didn't get many.

This is a true Three Sisters set of seeds.

When I first read your post I thought you wanted to do it with regulkar hybrid seeds

Let me know ASAP and I will get them to you in time to plant.

XX Jeannine

wow sounds amazing thanks J yes please

Would it work if I planted up 1/2 the bed in traditional way and 1/2 in non traditional ??

I  truthfully don't know, try it and see.

I need your address.

XX Jeannine

Quote from: Jeannine on March 30, 2012, 04:59:26
I  truthfully don't know, try it and see.

I need your address.

XX Jeannine

Popping it over to you :)

Ive got lots of blue lake french bean seeds and a spare pack of incredible sweetcorn if you fancy them.
x Sunloving

Cam, your seeds left there today, 3 types of corn, the beans and a few of the squash seeds. Good Luck with your Cherokee Garden.

XX Jeannine

Quote from: sunloving on April 02, 2012, 08:42:37
Ive got lots of blue lake french bean seeds and a spare pack of incredible sweetcorn if you fancy them.
x Sunloving

Thanks Sunloving but i think i have enough now :) thanks for offering though :)

Quote from: Jeannine on April 02, 2012, 17:40:32
Cam, your seeds left there today, 3 types of corn, the beans and a few of the squash seeds. Good Luck with your Cherokee Garden.

XX Jeannine

Thanks Jeannine :) your a star :)