Two sisters - corn + squash - what works best?

[pattypanda]

To those of you who have tried intercropping corn and squash with good results, could you please share what planting density / configuration / varieties worked best for you? It would be nice to benefit from the squash leaves acting as a living mulch around the corn plants, but I'm also hoping for both to crop at least as well as they would if grown traditionally. I guess the main concern is to ensure the squash still gets enough light to crop well.

Thanks!!

[greenishfing]

I usually grow my corn about 18 inches (45cm) apart in blocks of 5×5 or 6x6. I plant my squash outside the block and let them rampage where they will as long as I can sneak in to pick some corn cobs. I've never had a problem with lack of light. The one thing I do though is mark the original planting spots of the squash with canes so that if we get a really dry spell I know where to aim water.

[Snoop Puss]

Hello and welcome, pattypanda.

I'm afraid I don't interplant squash and corn, so I can't give you any advice at all. But out of interest, what kind of squash were you thinking of growing?

[annie8]

Have grown squash and corn but not in the same bed. Am going to try this year and the idea from greenishfing sounds good to me. I grow onion squash and crown Prince as they work ok up north.

[Mark_Riga]

I tend to plant squash 3' to 4' apart and then plant sweetcorn in between leaving about 7" to 9" space between all plants and the sweetcorn roughly in a block. Quinoa also works well with sweetcorn but larger distances between plants.

[Vince G]

I usually grow my corn about 18 inches (45cm) apart in blocks of 5×5 or 6x6. I plant my squash outside the block and let them rampage where they will as long as I can sneak in to pick some corn cobs. I've never had a problem with lack of light. The one thing I do though is mark the original planting spots of the squash with canes so that if we get a really dry spell I know where to aim water.

I plant like this too rather than interspersing. My reason for replying is that I agree it is difficult to find the base of the squash plants so in addition to a stick I also build a small moat round it about 3 inches high and 18 inches in diameter as it makes it easier to ensure the water does soak in near the roots.

[Jungle Jane]

I plant butternut squash between my corn,planted melon once trailing under the corn but when I got home from holiday snails had eaten a bit of the inch big melon that’d developed while away. The snail must’ve been attracted by the smell because I don’t usually find any near the corn when it’s just beans,squash & corn. I put copper tape around the base of my bean plants,stuck onto plastic bottle halves,never get snail damage.
Years ago I noticed how big & healthy the weeds grow next to my runner beans,compared to other areas,it’s amazing every year (I do weed a bit esp dandelion flower buds) so I add a teepee of runner beans on the edge of the corn block,the beans planted around the corn but trained onto the teepee. There must be some nitrogen in the soil around the beans,produced by the beans for the weeds to grow like that. So I want that for my corn. Make sure the corn can grow to a height without bumping into the teepee.
You can tell what direction the squash plant will grow in by its first true leaf,there’s a photo diagram here from gooogle images

[gardengrace]

not sure it counts as two sisters; but last year i grew squash and corn in 20 ft
long 4 ft wide bed. The bed ran east to west i grew 3 4x4 squares of corn with
squash plant separating each block of corn. the squash variety I grew was an
non-vining type. it seem like better option to allow access to the corn and
make sure the squash did not run wild.

[pattypanda]

Hello and welcome, pattypanda.

I'm afraid I don't interplant squash and corn, so I can't give you any advice at all. But out of interest, what kind of squash were you thinking of growing?

Thank you I've got some Thelma Sanders and Ute winter squash seeds from Realseeds I'd like to try this year. They are each a different species so I can save seed from both without having to worry about unwanted cross-pollination.

[pattypanda]

I plant butternut squash between my corn,planted melon once trailing under the corn but when I got home from holiday snails had eaten a bit of the inch big melon that’d developed while away. The snail must’ve been attracted by the smell because I don’t usually find any near the corn when it’s just beans,squash & corn. I put copper tape around the base of my bean plants,stuck onto plastic bottle halves,never get snail damage.
Years ago I noticed how big & healthy the weeds grow next to my runner beans,compared to other areas,it’s amazing every year (I do weed a bit esp dandelion flower buds) so I add a teepee of runner beans on the edge of the corn block,the beans planted around the corn but trained onto the teepee. There must be some nitrogen in the soil around the beans,produced by the beans for the weeds to grow like that. So I want that for my corn. Make sure the corn can grow to a height without bumping into the teepee.
You can tell what direction the squash plant will grow in by its first true leaf,there’s a photo diagram here from gooogle images

You are absolutely right, beans (all legumes actually, and some other plants like Eleagnus and Sea Buckthorn) have symbiotic bacteria in their roots that are able to fix nitrogen from the air and then trade it with the plant for stuff they need but can't make, like sugars.

Beans are traditionally the third sister here, for the reason you have guessed. Native Americans did this, with particular varieties that worked well for this purpose. I am tempted to try and add a few bean plants to climb up the corn and see how they all do. I've got some Ruth Bible beans that should be good for this so we'll see. They are shelling beans which seems to be important in this set up - you harvest them all in one go. Harvesting green beans regularly from amongst all the squash and corn wouldn't be very practical!

[Jungle Jane]

One year I had the bean vine climb the corn & it strangled the corn tightly where it was needing to expand for the corn to grow. I recommend adding a three stick teepee to one side of the corn,then the corn growth is uninterrupted,I don’t let the bean vine wrap around the corn. Good luck with all your plants

[ameno]

One year I had the bean vine climb the corn & it strangled the corn tightly where it was needing to expand for the corn to grow.

Yeah, that sounds about right.
The three sisters method is designed for maize, 8-9 feet tall sturdy plants, not modern sweetcorn, with 5-6 foot far softer plants.

[Jungle Jane]

I recommend adding a three stick teepee to one side of the corn,then the corn growth is uninterrupted,I don’t let the bean vine wrap around the corn.

Yes Ameno we know that it was originally designed with different varieties.