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1:32 pm
December 29, 2011
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Hi all… I'm dreaming of my summer garden today and have been researching "three sisters" planting- where you plant the corn, beans, and squash all together and the corn provides a pole for the beans and the squash keeps the weeds down.
Has anyone tried this? Any advice?
I've just moved to an urban lot (after living on a farm with lots of room) and was thinking this might be a way to be able to have all my vegetables in a small area if it works. I mean, I guess it works- the Native Americans apparently did it! But I guess I'm just wondering if anyone has tried it- I was originally thinking I'd plant squash on trellises because of the limited space, but this might also work with the space I have, as long as I'll really get all my veggies!
Thanks!
3:27 pm
June 1, 2010
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mk: Been there, done that, urban lot, raised bed, worked great. Only caveat is getting the "right" corn for your location. (Don't remember what we grew). Need some mighty strong trellises if you grow substantia-sized squash or have a bumper crop… that's why we learned to keep them on the/close to the ground!
4:14 pm
December 14, 2010
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This might be of some help. http://www.tractorbynet.com/fo…..views.html
2:12 pm
December 29, 2011
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Thanks! I was hoping that by doing 3 sisters, I could avoid the squash trellises. Because yes, they do seem like a pain- especially since I like to plant some very large squash (cushaw and sugar pumpkins) But it sounds like I'll still need raised beds, or at least a lot of manure for the corn. We had gorgeous corn last year, but used horse manure. Here in the city…. I guess I have to buy that?!?!?! Oh my.
Thanks for the advice.
2:31 pm
February 10, 2009
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Well, as far as buying manure, depending on exactly where you are, if there are any stables or homes that keep a single horse around, they may be desperate for ways to get rid of manure. If you call around, and ask around at feed stores maybe, maybe even put an ad in a small local paper if you have one, (farmers around here pay close attention to a little paper called 'The Pennysaver') or on Craig's List. You'll probably have to go get it yourself, if you don't have a truck or can't borrow one, you can get a couple of those big tubs with handles, (we always called them muck buckets) and bring it home a couple tubs at a time in your trunk. It takes time and effort, but if it's free, your work is the cost!
6:56 am
June 1, 2010
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MK: BEG is right, even in the big city you can get horse hockey. Downtown Chicago has horse carriage rides——the horse stables will let you come and get it. Heck, I bet even the mounted police department might be willing to share. Stables and horse farms in the burbs do the same. One of the local community gardens, because it IS a community garden gets it delivered by the truckful. They leave it outside their gates. We walk over a couple blocks and help ourselves
10:50 pm
January 17, 2011
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Just a little word of advice on doing the 3 sisters. Having the squash plants all around make it really hard to get to your beans to pick. And sometimes the beans make it hard to pull your ears of corn. Just something to keep in mind.
I needed to add…that too much manure and you may get more foliage from your squash & beans than you do produce too. But corn loves it!
6:11 pm
June 1, 2010
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the site, http://doorgarden.com/tag/lasagna-gardening, offers guidance about plant spacing and a great pix showing too-close 3 sister planting
6:41 pm
February 10, 2009
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That's a nice site Bonita! I got a little lost looking around in it!
7:07 pm
February 22, 2010
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There's a trick to the 3 sisters planting but I can't remember all of it. I know you're supposed to use beans that mature slowly ( dried shell beans) and the squash are to help during dry streatches (it shades the area and helps keep the moisture in the ground). When this planting practice was first used corn and beans took a long time to mature, now with the newer varities the squash would be in full leaf when the corn was ready… Wow! How would you ever get to the corn stalk to harvest?
11:32 pm
January 10, 2012
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All I can say is choose wisely…. we tried this many moons ago, we did not have as good luck as we expected…. just before the corn was ready, racoons got into it, they destroyed the beans and trampled the squash.. we were so disheartened we never tried the Three Sisters Planting again.. .our garden is too big to have fenced it in… 
9:26 pm
August 1, 2011
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We didn't have raccoons-we had rabbits right in the middle of a subdivision! I thought I was seeing things! I was sitting on my bar stool, drinking my morning coffee-it was the cutest thing! I thought some giant grasshoppers were mowing down my little green bean plants until I had one left, and it was my puny one-not good enough for the rabbit =) Well, I had read that blood meal was a good deterrent for critters, so I sprinkled it all around my garden-haven't had any more critters since then.
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