My veg Patch

[Flummery]

Spadgers will eat your ants. In the summer the ants potter about on our front drive and there's always a queue of sparrows to roll in them, eat them etc.

[Stacey]

oh thats really cool thats 3 sisters thing, I'll definately haveto try it. As for the sparrows how do i attract them? I did a google image search and decided they just look like every other bird to me lol.
Now possibly another daft question- Do you just get one corn on the cob for each seed/kernel planted? And thats the same for squash too.

[Mrs Dobby]

Maincrop Sweetcorn (ie not minipop type) will usually produce 2 or 3 corn cobs per plant in the uk.

Squashes depends upon the variety, but something like butternut is usually about 6 per plant, larger pumpkins can be only 1 or 2 a plant tho!

[Stacey]

I have got an unused space in my garden,it is going to house the compost heap pond and chicken coop.however were not planning on doing that until Spring next year. Do you think it would be ok to use it for the "3 sisters"?

[Stacey]

Or should I wait until I get an allotment? oh decisions decisions. I suppose what im asking is will they have been harvested and removed by next spring?

[Mrs Dobby]

Sounds as tho it'd be fine Stacey, a 3 sisters bed would be a good use of the space, and the squashes and corn would be harvested as they ripen, sweetcorn when the tassles turn brown, the squashes when they harden and ripen, then you leave the beans to dry in the pods and store for winter use. Then compost all the foliage, deffo finished by first frosts!

[Stacey]

ooo, Im excited now. I was so dissapointed thinking i wouldnt be able to plant them. Yay!

[Flummery]

Don't forget that if you use it as a 3 sisters bed you won't harvest the produce fresh - the system is best suited to growing for dried corn and beans as the native Americans would have done. I'm growing all 3 but in separate clumps (with a few dwarf french beans in amongst the corn to add nitrogen).
As to attracting sparrows, what they are mostly short of is nest sites. They like to nest in houses (House sparrow - the name's a clue!) When our guttering and fascias were renewed there were remains of old nests - we'd actually heard the youngsters chirping from our bedroom. The new fascia boards were fitted over bird guards. This is how they lose their nest sites. Sparrows like to nest communally so to replace their lost nest site Mr Flum made a long nest box to attach to the garage - he calls is Spadger Villas!

[Stacey]

Dried corn and beans? how do you dry them? I almost always eat fresh veg. And I'll only eat sweetcorn on the cob. Why cant I have them fresh?

[Flummery]

You can have them fresh, but when you grow with the 3 sisters method the beans wind round the corn so tightly that you can't get the fresh cobs out without breaking the bean plants. You leave them to dry on the plants and harvest late autumn. In older times (pre-freezer!) the only way to have stuff in the winter was to dry it then soak and boil - like with red kidney beans or mushy peas.

We prefer to grow for fresh veg so I'm putting the dwarf frech beans with my corn, not climbing beans.

[Stacey]

oh I see, so if i want my corn fresh i should use dwarf french beans. gotcha.

I have finally got round to thinning out all but my carrots and lettuce. Will never make that mistake again! Its so depressing having to throw away all those other beautiful seedlings. Had to be done though I suppose.

[witch-1]

Stacey this thread has made me smile - your gardening sounds like mine.

I also used whole packets of seeds up in one go!! I've given some fetus size leeks away to make room for mine - now not sure they've survived!!! I have thrown away loads of carrot plants when thinning out.

We made our raised beds and dug them over, then seeded them in a weekend over Easter - we were in a hurry as the packets said 'seed in March/April' and it was getting close to being May!

Good luck with your veggies. Ours is hit and miss this year, hopefully be more organised for next year.

My runners are doing well - I've grown them before though.

Jan

[Stacey]

Oh wow, I have such amazing news!!! This morning I had one cucumber seedling coming up, not due to make an appearance until at least 2moro (ok, I know, only 1 day early but I think its amazing!). But then I go out, as Thursday is my do everything day (Visit gran,do shops, pay bills etc.) and I get home and all but one of my cucumber seedlings are coming through! So thats 10 seedlings, a day early and in the space of like 7hours!!! How amazing

AND, I do believe my potatoes are finaly showing!!!!!! well three or four anyway we planted 7. All at once of course but next time,they'll be spaced out lol.

Also its great to hear that theres other people out there like me. Ive always said theres no one like me in this world but at least there are similarities! Glad your enjoying the thread Witch-1!

Oh yeah I am also really happy cos I found some Curly Kale seeds!! I'd never tried the veg til this year and it is so my favourite veggie. Since buying seeds though I hadnt come across any Kale seeds until yesterday And I was like YAY,dancing in the shop, according to the packet I have one day left to sow the seeds,erm we'll see about that lol.

My other great news is that the shop where I have bought most of my seeds are still at half price so Ive basically gone and bought all next years seeds! I know I can get seeds from what Ive planted but this is my first time so Im not going to learn it all instantly! Oh yeah, I also managed to get a yellow courgette, unfortunately I wont have the space for it this year but next year it will look fabulous growing in my garden!! for no other reason than that it I think it looks fabulous! I hate courgette for eating.

[Stacey]

erm just been reading some other threads, Am a bit confused (ok i know its a bad habit im forming). I thought you could plant potatoes whenever. Could someone clear this matter up for me please?? Thankyou xx

[Stacey]

All my cucumber, courgette, and sweetcorn are coming through beautifully! And my beans have also started coming through. Oh Strawberries are doing very badly,only 1cm tall and were sown April I think. Ah well. Planted out my onion seedlings,very impressed. Thinned out and transplanted my Leeks and Brussel Sprouts but have also learnt that I dont have the room for the brussels really but oh well im gonna try anyway. The only thing I'm still to scared to touch is my parsnip. Planted some Kale today,if it doesnt grow I have plenty of seeds for next time. Again please someone help with my potato query, thankyou xx