Native American Three Sisters Garden

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Dale

Super Moderator
Staff member
Few days ago my sister asked me if I had ever heard of "Three Sisters Garden"? I said no but would research it. Well folks this is an amazingly interesting technique of planting the "three sisters" crops--corn, beans, and squash--together, efficiently promoting space economy, water retention, pest prevention, and improved soil fertility You save space and produce more vegetables. This is a method used by the Native Americans for many generations. One lady learned of it from the Cherokee Indian Museum in N.C.

It's too late for me to try it because all my garden is planted but for some of you it might be a thought. It can be done in containers as well.
 

Kya D

Active Member
Good info Dale.
I have heard of this way of planting I will check it out more and use this advice
 

Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
I have tried that ( in my early years of gardening) It's great however I found it hard to harvest without breaking stems of plants. Since I have been blessed enough to have large yards I always let things have their own space.
 

Dor

Active Member
I have heard of it and wanted to try it Dale because of my lack of space. I wanted to use it on the wast side of my yard but ended up not doing it this year. I might try it next year.
 

Mainegal

Super Moderator
Staff member
I did it last yr but the garden didn't do well cause of so much rain, might try it again as I haven't planted my garden yet
 

Randy

Super Moderator
Staff member
I did it partially last year as I planted pumpkins in the corn patch. I too have a fair amount of space so I have a separate area for the beans. I have enough free area this year to plant pumpkins by themselves too so I will do that. We will keep a pumpkin or two or three but the pumkins are really for Kathryn (Scarez). She doesn't have room for pumpkins, so we will get the pumpkins down to her in southern Oregon with Deb's help.
 

Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
That's sweet Randy. I have pumpikns flowering now but only male flowers. I have many plants and can't figure out why I can't get any female flowers.
 

myfedora

New Member
Now if you plant bush beans like that will it work? Or will the corn shade the bush beans too much? I only like blue lake bush beans. Also instead of a squash can you plant cucumbers?
 

jbaby7162000

New Member
Down here in the south when I was a kid, I've seen watermelons planted with corn. I guess they did that to shade the watermelons some.
 
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Bernie

New Member
When I was little we learned about this in school so Dad & I tried it but when it came time to harvest the beans we ended up stepping on the vines. My grandson learned about it in school a few years ago so we tried it in containers. Corn doesn't do well in containers in windy areas. I give up.
 

Dale

Super Moderator
Staff member
We plant peas in the watermelon rows when the watermelons start to run. The peas shade the melons and we get a lot of peas as well.

I think the bush beans would do well with the corn for companion planting.
 

Mainegal

Super Moderator
Staff member
I plant 'Blue Lake', but I use the pole beans not bush beans.

same here, I think you mentioned them yrs ago and I tried them and now that is all that I plant for beans. Did them in containers last yr and they did wonderful.
 

myfedora

New Member
Ok going to plant my root veggies tomorrow and the rest on sunday. Weeds in the garden are either dead or dying. Going to do a light tilling in the morning and get going!
 

Kya D

Active Member
That's sweet Randy. I have pumpikns flowering now but only male flowers. I have many plants and can't figure out why I can't get any female flowers.

I thought generally the male blossoms come first then the female ones appear.
Don't know for sure
 

Stone_Family3

New Member
We planted a small patch of corn and added some pumpkin and acorn squash seeds in. They did great at first until we had a drought and I forgot to water :( oops...lol. We got one small pumpkin and one very small acorn squash. Our corn did not do that good and it got maggots or some type of worm in it. We just left it for the squirrels who were eying it all summer. We're going to try it again next year with hopefully better luck and me actually watering it....lol.
 

Randy

Super Moderator
Staff member
I have 5 rows of corn and some of it is tassling now. Some of the stalks are taller than I am.
 


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