This summer I plan to try planting beans in with my corn and some winter squash mixed in to save space. With so many plants growing together, I'd appreciate any advice as to spacing . I usually plant my corn fairly close but maybe with this plan they would need more room. And I think winter squash is a fairly heavy feeder. Any feedback appreciated.
Three Sisters plant spacing
A jungle is a good thing in warmer climates by providing shade and keeping the roots cooler. It should work well for you Roseone with the squash and beans to provide a green mulch. I've read much about it but never tackled it myself as I grow most things in pots in waterbeds.
This is a link to waffle gardening that you might find interesting. It is similar to square foot gardening. It does give spacing sizes. http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/8490/the-roots-of-square-foot-gardening.
Good luck with your project and please let us know how it does? pod
There's a detailed diagram for corn/bean/squash at this website.
http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/3sisters.html
Thanks.
Interesting that Renee's Garden chose multi-colored Indian Corn, Scarlet Runner Beans to twine up the corn stalks and Sugar Pie Pumpkins to cover the ground.
Why not sweet corn? I know, I should go ask them.
And are scarlet runner beans good to eat as 'snaps?
Roseone, please do keep us informed. Especially me the grouch.
I will be planting a different corn, different beans and winter squash rather than the mix sold by Renee's, but the spacing info is helpful. Just running out of space to have everything spread out. It's all just an experiment. I'll try to post pictures as the season progresses.
I've read that the Scartlet Runner Beans are quite tasty, but I've never grown enough of them to be bothered. Maybe next time...
Hi Sequee, There's always something new to try and the old faithfuls too. Some years the regulars thrive and sometimes not. Every season is a new experience! And we get to eat it! Rosemary
And wouldn't you think with all this veggie eatin', we'd all be skinny?!? I had to have my picture taken today for the lake permit...sheesh. DOn't look like veggie eater at all, more like the pastry queen!
I've never added beans to the mix, but many times have grown squash or pumpkins in between the corn rows... supposedly it helps keep raccoons out of the corn because they don't like to step on the prickly squash leaves, and it certainly does save space. (actually, thanks for the reminder about this because I'm doing corn again for the first time in a few years and have been trying to figure out where I could squeeze in a couple of winter squash plants; since we had a raccoon problem the last time I grew corn, this would probably be the perfect solution for me (slapping side of head)). It *does* make the corn a little difficult to get to, to pick, though -- maybe that would be the reason for not growing sweet corn with the beans and squash?
Sandy
That's true. Last year the Waltham butternuts I planted were phenomenal. I only had two hills and got 41 heavy solid squash of varied sizes, some huge. Absolutely no insect damage and they lasted until mid-Spring. Their vines totally took over the entire upper garden and I don't think I would have been able to get in there to pick any corn without crushing some stems. Maybe I'll grow some popcorn and put a block of sweet corn somewhere else. Thanks for reminding me. And I do have raccoons, deer and possums, among other critters that hit my gardens.
Hope it is ok to jump in here to ask, instead of all beans growing up the corn stalks, can you plant peas...or better yet, peas growing up one row of corn stalks and beans up another row? I was kind of wanting to try that. From what i have read, they are all compainion plants....would it work? Then maybe have cantalope to grow out in front of the corn? Thanks.
blue
The main difference would be that peas are a cooler weather crop than beans and corn (and melons). With the summers we've had the last couple of years, that might not be a problem, but if we ever get a "real" summer, the peas would die off before the corn was half grown.
ok, thank you Sequee, I hadn't thought of that. I was thinking of the peas only being shaded. It does look like this year summer might be for real this time! Last year we only had aprox. 2 weeks of 70 degrees the rest was way cold and rainy.
And that terrible, horrible, awful Late Blight! Boo Hiss!
Yes...wiped out all of my tomatoes, then my neighbor harvested all my peppers...nope, last year really sucked. This year alot of my plants are being container grown except for the small boxed in area to do the corn etc.
Uh-oh ":..neighbor harvested all my peppers"?
Yea...I guess they looked pretty good lol well, I can kind of laugh now. Last year I didn't. They even admitted to me with my sister as a witness that they did it. But they are moving out in a couple of weeks but I'm still just going to grow veggies in a pot except for a small area out front on the other side of the house.
OMG - I hope they at least got indigestion!
It wouldn't have been so bad if they took some....but all of them...that was just really wrong!
I did receive some seeds of ex-large yellow, orange and red peppers from a very nice woman during the early spring and those are what's growing now. Hope they will do well this year and to be able to collect as much seed as I can from them. Some of these I'm growing in pots as well.
That's amazing.
My sister-- I told her to stop by and get some corn for dinner. I was away. She later told me she took one ear from every other stalk so it wouldn't look like she'd taken much. I forget how much she told me that she put in her freezer. Blatant GREED. And she TOLD me!!! I never gave her anything out of my garden again.
People are so stupid sometimes.
I did try the three sisters once, the beans overgrew the corn in a couple of weeks, you know how tall happy pole beans can grow. And the poor squash didn't have a chance under all that. Then the corn stalks all fell over. It was a big green heap! hahaha
Molamola -- "it was a big green heap" LOL!
Things that seem like such a good idea often turn out much differently than we expect!
Sandy
p.s. thanks for the laugh, I needed that this morning. I hope everyone has had a chance to read the info on the DG forum in the "honesty" thread, which, by the way, I'm pretty surprised is still there this morning.
This message was edited May 27, 2010 8:31 AM
Just to let you know, I decided against the 3 sisters planting. I found a spot for some corn and I only need half a dozen bean plants, so they have their own spot too. The squash, pumpkins and watermelons have their own area, only have to share with weeds. We are having a very cool, rainy Spring. I'm not a big fan of hot weather, but I would love it to warm up and dry up enough to feel more like summertime, even though we have about another month before it begins officially.
Hello? I'm having trouble posting, maybe I've been tagged.
I have both sites open, and participate in both places, but that'll all quit after tomorrow. I won't patronize the robots that have taken over this place. That one thread is a trash bin to try to make people stop posting about The Demise all over DG. I bet bet bet this post gets deleted.
But then there's the World financials crumbling, Korea,the spill, friends in other forums squabbling, WEIRD WEATHER!!! and volcanoes and earthquakes.
Whole Earth going nuts.
OBOY MY HOUSE WILL BE CLEAN, AND MY YARD RAKED!!!! When I'm not sitting here at my computer with you-all. boohoo.
While I don't really think this is the appropriate to place to post this - in the middle of someone's thread, I do appreciate your pointing me in the direction of the other thread. I had no idea what all was going on. (Enuf said!)
You sister's doggone lucky YOU'RE her sister and NOT ME! You can use your imagination as to where I'd be placing one of the reamining ears of corn!!!
Yes, I apologize for straying. There's so much going on, and many who would be concerned don't know.
Things have continued with both my sisters that I doubt I ever see them again. Sure don't want to.
I don't even have any corn here. I did grow some , a short season variety, and from seed to tiny ears was Twenty One days!! Then the third crop was consumed by rust. Yard long beans grow here. Odd things, I thought the baby beans were sticks, haha. And I have the usual pumpkin vines growing out of the compost bin that I didn't turn.
So that's my current Three Sisters story!
After 3 years of trying corn (lovely hale and hearty stalks, very few, very small ears) I gave up. Beans do awesomely on their own, and I love them, so I'm a happy camper!
It's good to know when to quit, Sequee! I'll bet you can buy plenty of local freshly picked ears in late summer. There are always pick up trucks piled high with ears around here come later summer, selling for cheap. A lot of work for very little money, the farmer's dilemma.
And I'm not even a big corn fan!!! When I visit my friend in E. Hampton we go to a farm where we can pick it ourselves. Very cool. We pick it, then take it right home and eat it. Can't beat it for taste. (And 2-3 times a summer of that and I'm all set. That being my corn saturation point, kind of silly for me to waste space on it, no?)
Yes - knowing when to quit IS a good thing! (I'd set my limit on cole crops, too, because they NEVER do anything for me, but someone gave me a full flat of Brussel Sprouts, another of Caulflower, and yet another of Kale - 72 plants of EACH!!! What could I do - I HAD to try them again!!!
You've got your work cut out for you. That Kale should take you well into late fall and it's so good for you. Good luck!!!
I gave away about 30-40 of each, but that's still one h*** of alot of brasicas for 1 person!