Posted by: willem van cotthem | February 27, 2008

Three Sisters Garden (Edible Landscaping / NGA)

Read at : National Gardening Association <ediblelandscape@garden.org>

Edible Landscaping - March Q and A

Three Sisters Garden
Question: I’ve heard of the Three Sisters Garden where Native Americans grew pole beans, corn, and squash all together. How do you grow pole beans on corn stalks?

Answer: Growing pole beans on corn stalks is a matter of timing. After all danger of frost has passed in your area, create a mound of soil 10 inches high and 3 feet in diameter. Choose a tall corn variety, such as ‘Country Gentlemen’. Flatten the top of the mound and plant 7 sweet corn seeds in the center, spacing the seeds about 4 inches apart. After 2 weeks or when the corn plants are at least 10 inches tall, sow 6 pole bean seeds in a circle 6 inches away from the corn plants. Keep the mound weeded and watered. When the pole beans are a few inches tall, train them to climb by gently wrapping the shoots around the corn stalks. Once started the beans will continue to climb on their own.

Responses

Just that I’d point out, given the desertification theme here, that the use of mounds is specific to the NE, SE, and Mid-west, which get a lot of rain in the summer and therefore the plants need to be above the level of any standing water. In the SW, the 3 sisters should be planted in a depression so that any rain and irrigation all soaks in near the roots.

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