Three Sisters Query

[Ses]

Hello! I'm new! *waves*
I just read in GYO and saw something on uktv gardening about three sisters plots and was quite excited (does that make me really sad?!) because I want to grow sweetcorn, beans and squash. Just wondered if anyone's done this and has any advice? I'm guessing using mini squashes would be best? Thanks, Ses

[allotmentlady]

The women firstly drew up mounds of earth approximately one foot high and three feet across, into this the sweetcorn seeds are planted. Once they have established themselves the beans go in and when they get going the squash are planted on the outside and they all get along merrily, with the beans using the sweetcorn for support and the squashes acting as ground cover.

I think any type would be okay, its an idea that I decided to do this year, see how it goes.

You going to have a go?

[Ses]

Yeah hopefully Heading to the garden centre this weekend to pick up some seeds... guessing I'm going to have to get them going indoors pretty sharpish. So excited!!

[Nicos]

I did the 3 sisters last year- having read so much about it on the Vine.
It didn't really work for me in that the beans grew taller than the sweetcorn and needed staking.
I'd try it again though with just sweetcorn and squash . It'd be interesting to see how you get on!!

[Phreddy]

There has been a lot of interest in this subject. Tried it myself without success, may have been the drought in BG last year.
Corn should be grown in a square for best polination: difficult to pick things on the inside of the square.
One of the suggestions was to use the 'native American' plants - Cherokee trail of tears beans for example.
I wondered if we don't have the understanding of how it worked. I think that it may have been a 'plant and leave' system. Harvesting dried corn for grinding and beans for stewing, squash to keep through the winter. Sweet corn and a few runners is something of a modern idea. The Red Indians were something of a subsistance farming community.

I know someone in BG who is planting 4 corn seeds per mound, don't know the size of the mounds.

[zazen999]

Hi
Phreddy - I like that idea; 4 to a mound; beans to climb up and the squash in between; I usually plant a whole square stack of say, 12 [depends on how many germinate] and sow the beans a while later on in situ and the squash just anywhere there is space within the 12. I like this so much, I'm gonna do it!!!

As I do about 4 sowings of corn in a year for succession, I can space them out a bit better using this method. I'll do a bit more research and see if I can throw up any other tips for anyone.

Many many thanks - will start at the weekend planning where the mounds are gonna go!

[Alice]

Welcome to the Vine Ses. You will be able to grow your sweetcorn, beans and squash but the 3 sisters idea is a bit romantic. The American Indians managed it because they grew the beans for drying. Maybe that's what you want to do. But if you want fresh beans they grow much more quickly than the corn so you can't use the corn for support. Squash wants a lot of space, but maybe you have that. Good luck with the project and keep us posted. I know there's a lot of interest in the subject.

[Alice]

Sorry about the pics Ses. They are just the babies and not what I meant to post.

[Eyren]

I'm going to try it this year, but sowing the beans a lot later than the sweetcorn to see if that helps (I'll sow some beans separately as well, to be on the safe side!). Of course, it relies on the weather being good enough for the sweetcorn to grow well...

[yoanbob]

the nephews tried this in their veg bed on the lottie, the corn and squash pumpkins did well but the beans were a compleate failier I thought it was down to the rain.

[Two_Sheds]

I tried it, no success - the season was too wet and cold.
My Cherokee beans were 6ft tall and my corn got to 4 ft. The squash didn't grow at all.

[vicky]

Hi Ses!!!!

I tried it too last year - failure again - due to the weather?
Sweetcorn was 50% success, beans were Berlotti so were left to dry, again poor crop and the squash were courgettes, think I had a couple of courgettes....
I won't be doing it again with the courgettes - if they were planted seperatly I would have been able to pull them up and replant. As everything was growing round the corn (which I was waiting for as it was the last to crop) so it was a case of leaving it all or pulling up the lot. The beans though are so good for the soil I would def grow these again with the corn even if just for that!

[Alison]

My corn did great last year, the beans a bit rubbish (had a better set elsewhere in the garden on their own) and the squashes were a total failure but I put that down to a bad year - they were just getting going when winter struck so will be trying again this year to see how I get on as I like the idea.

[Ses]

Hmm.. thanks for the advice. I think I'm going to hope for a nice summer and go ahead with it... but still have canes for the beans to grow up. Will Let you know how it works out

[BayViewPlot]

tried it last year and failed miserably.
the sweetcorn was great the rest didnt work......was a bit late mind