Comments on: Three Sisters Garden ” How to Plant Corn, Squash & Beans Together

By: Rosie

Rosie — Sun, 09 Apr 2023 10:46:52 +0000

In reply to joe mama. Keep your negativity to yourself, go sit on a nettle!

By: Jim

Jim — Sat, 22 May 2021 20:05:31 +0000

In reply to Dean Sliger. My deer eat squash

By: Glenn A Smith

Glenn A Smith — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 19:50:06 +0000

Last year (Doing my first 3 sisters experiment) I planted my corn in 4 rows 20′ long, once the corn was about a foot tall, in went the beans. I planted Blue Hubbard at the opposite end of the garden. Everything went fairly well, Corn grew to 11′ tall some of the stalks produced 3 ears one had 4 ears, beans did indeed climb the corn but produced fairly sparse beans per vine.(Enough for a few meals and seed for next planting)…. Then there was the squash (only 1 plant). Holy Moses the smallest was 16lb the largest 30lb, vine coverage advertised as 12×12 feet, in actuality was 20×30 and I had to hand carry some of the vines off of my raised bed (8′ away)to keep them from smothering that planting. It is now March and 1 each 19lb squash remains. The corn (Indian multi color) is great for grinding and some for popping. Not so much for fresh eating. I have seed from all 3 left that I will be sharing. I am already anxious to plant my next 3 sisters crop.
A couple notes here. The Squash needs good pollination (Dusting by hand) and some Diatomaceous earth earth sprinkled around the young plants will deter vine cutting slugs and insects.

By: Senior Chief

Senior Chief — Sun, 20 Dec 2020 16:45:02 +0000

In reply to The beltsander. True, corn does need to be situated for wind pollination. But, to Gunny's question, can the three plants be planted in rows, rather than the circular mound. I've had good luck with corn in two parallel rows. It seems that with a little more spacing between corn stalks in a row, the beans and squash could be interspersed, and the whole thing could be situated in two or more parallel rows, about three feet apart. The circular mound configuration is not very space-efficient for smaller gardens. Remember that corn only produces two ears per stalk,typically. A ten-foot circular mound to produce only six to eight ears of corn is hard to justify in a small garden space. In rows, the corn production might be closer to sixty ears in that same space.Likewise, the bean and squash production would also be much higher in rows.

By: Collins Boadi Sarpong

Collins Boadi Sarpong — Sun, 16 Aug 2020 04:58:05 +0000

Lovely suggestions

By: felix adebayo

felix adebayo — Thu, 23 Jul 2020 16:02:30 +0000

want to know if sweet potato and sweet water melon can be a companion for planting

By: The beltsander

The beltsander — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 09:36:02 +0000

In reply to Gunny. Corn is wind pollinated and needs to be planted in a block otherwise they won’t produce any cobs

By: joe mama

joe mama — Fri, 08 May 2020 16:05:19 +0000

sucks

By: Gunny

Gunny — Sat, 21 Mar 2020 15:40:37 +0000

Instead of doing a mound circle, can you plant everything in rows?

By: bbbbbb

bbbbbb — Sat, 08 Jun 2019 16:36:49 +0000

In reply to Dean Sliger. It's raccoons who have more sensitive feet and hands. They don't like the squash vines or leaves, but they love corn.