Three Sisters Query

[sez]

I was thinking of doing a 'two sisters' system this year on my lottie beds (which i can reach the centre of from either side). Beans would be set out so I could reach them from the paths to pick, and courgettes/other squash underneath.

[stormin97]

Hi Ses and welcome to the vine (that's the first time i've said that, as I am a newbie too).
Last year I tried a type of 3 sisters approach, but I only used sweetcorn. butternut squash and courgettes. They all did brilliantly, with the only downside being that the birds ate all my corn! that, of course was my own fault for not protecting them.
Give it a try, what have you got to lose?

[Beki]

I'm going to be trying this aswell, but with the 'two sisters', rather than three.

I'm just going to be doing sweetcorn (37 out of my 40 seeds germinated, so now i have to try and squeeze them all in somehow! lol) with courgettes underneath.

Fingers crossed it works!

[Novice Gardener]

I thought I'd give it a try too. I'm growing in raised beds - when I say raised, they're about hip height so hopefully I'll get some strong roots. Can anyone suggest a nice corn to try?

[Paulottie]

You can set out your sweetcorn in May then three weeks later plant sow two climbing borlotto beans at the foot of each (as Freddy says it is pointless to grow beans that need a lot of picking) and a couple of butternuts in the middle. Once the beans are through mulch the whole lot with grassclippings. It does work well if you time it right.

[Vecten]

I think it's a bit suspect, trying to replicate a method of growing that was used in another Country, 300 years ago, with totally different varieties of plant that existed in those days. I like to think horticulture has moved on a little since then.

[Alison]

I think it's a bit suspect, trying to replicate a method of growing that was used in another Country, 300 years ago, with totally different varieties of plant that existed in those days. I like to think horticulture has moved on a little since then.

I couldn't disagree more, in our rush for so called progress we forget many of the valuable lessons of the past - plants still need the same nutrients and basic conditions so if it worked well for our ancestors then it will work for us if we get the timings etc right. Personally anything which causes plants to benefit each other without me adding anything artificial gets my thumbs up

[Paulottie]

As opposed to the vast monocultures steeped in chemical fertilizers and pesticides that is the legacy of the 20th century?

There are several advantages to companion planting, these particular plants feed and mulch one another, separately can take up considerable space for a long period and enjoy higher yield as a result.

I just seek to point out that if you choose certain varieties, understand how they grow and time it right you will save considerable space on the small plot.

For the organic grower It is a useful trick to understand which crops will distract pests from one another or attract pollinators and predators; How long they will take and how big they get, and thus how you might catch and inter crop; and how to grow heathier more productive plants in a smaller area. It has taken some of us many years of practice to acquire this experience and here we are offering the knowledge for free...There are many examples available three sisters is a bit of a cliche, but it can work if you know how.

You can be suspicious... I intend to continue to glean as much knowledge from our forebears as I can.

[Epsom Gardener]

Hi, all
I read this today on another advantage of planting beans with corn. Beans and other legumes act as a 'trap crop', attracting Leafhoppers, Leaf Beetles and Stalk Borers away from the corn. I also did the three sisters last year. The beans did grow taller than the corn, toppled some over and twined themselves around the corn cobs. I couldn't get into the middle of the corn to pick the beans. I put the courgettes around the edges so they grew out of the bed, but this means more room.

[momol]

I did try the 3 sisters (corn, courgette and mangetout) but the mangetout didn't grow that fast and it turn out to be 2 sisters at the end.
This year will grow some sweet corn but will pair it with some sunflowers as companion .

[Vecten]

'You can be suspicious... I intend to continue to glean as much knowledge from our forebears as I can.'

Ack, must be a female thing!

As far as I'm concerned the only reason red indians grew beans up corn stalks was because they couldn't get bamboo sticks from B&Q. We HAVE moved on.

If you have to try subsistence farming just don't expect great results. They did this sort of stuff to eke out an existence.

Us? We can just go and make a bacon sandwich.

[Vecten]

By the way, our forebears were not the North American Indians who practiced this primitive form of horticulture. Our forebears were the Europeans who arrived in the 17th century and taught them better. Since then North Americans have managed quite well.

I agree with previous posters, we should take notice of what our forebears said and put superstition and primitive growing procedures aside.

[Paulottie]

I still dispute that we should ignore the lessons of the past...

Are you claiming you really think that that any aboriginal people have managed better since we Europeans introduced syphilis, influenza, guns and alcoholism... whilst slaughtering them and stealing their lands?

I don't shop at B&Q. I coppice my own Hazel...as I'm sure many previous generations have cut their own sticks. Why on earth you think it is progress to put a plastic bag around 5 canes and sell them for a stupid price to people who have driven there eludes me.

There is nothing superstitious or even primitive about it. Companion planting is an established, well documented and widely practised method.

Last year mainly because of the rain. (I didn't employ this method at all)... I had my worst crop ever for butternuts and the badgers eat most of my 150 sweetcorn. Even the borlottis were only average because many started to rot instead of dry

Can't see my gender having any thing to do with anything at all

As to the pinnacle of progress being a water filled bacon sandwich cut from the arse of a chemically raised pig that has never seen daylight!... That's an argument for small holding in itself.

No I don't suggest we should withdraw from the modern world, nor that we return to subsistence farming. I am not completely self sufficient...but when we run out of fossil fuel at least my kids will have learnt how to survive. For the time being I am making a jolly good attempt the avoid supermarkets. I shall continue to plant curcubits under my maize (with legumes or not).

The question asked for the advice of someone who had actually attempted the 3 sisters method...rather than those who have evidently no experience and just dismissed it out of hand.

[Alison]

Agree with everything you have said Paulottie, progress can be good but not if we forget valuable lessons of the past. It is well known that over the next years, being able to provide for youself is going to become more and more important as fuel costs etc increase, we should look at old methods and learn from them rather than wiping the slate clean.

Don't understand the gender thing, don't know if Vecten is male or female but I have exactly the same views as Paul and can't see why him being a guy and me a woman is remotely relevant.

By the way, where's the previous post referred to about putting superstition and primitive growing procedures aside - all the ones I can see say that it looks interesting and want to give it a go - maybe I'm just being blind!

[si'sraisedbed]

OOOOH, this is getting interesting

I am going to try this idea this year. I have read somewhere that there isn't much point trying to grow beans to harvest to cook with this method, best for drying for winter use. I have got climbing fuore di bucoue (appol for spelling, seeds in kitchen, I'm on sofa....) and my corn is well on it's way to being planted out.

As for bamboo from B&Q, I am sure that this is the single most un-environmentally freindly way to support your beans... I am sure that I read somewhere that the chinese are destroying the panda'a habitat to supply them???