| Three Sisters Garden
This is an ancient method of gardening that uses an intercropping system which will grow corn, beans and squash simultaneously in the same growing mound area.. This is something to definitely think about for the next season.
This is how it works:
1. Corn is the oldest sister, as she will stand tall in the center of this planting.
2. Squash is the next sister, she will grow over the mound protecting her siblings from weeds and will shade the soil from the sun and heat-thus keeping a cool and moist environment.
3. Beans are the younger sister as she will climb through the squash and then up the corn and will bind together as she reaches for the sun to develop her fruit. Beans will help by keeping the soil fertile and by converting the sun's energy into nitrogen that grows on it's roots, and also correcting the nitrogen in the soil for all plants.
How To Grow Your Three Sisters Garden:
Begin by making sure the area that you want to use is at least 8 feet across (per planting mound), clear any weeds or grasses from this area, and make sure it is a sunny location. Cover this area with a few inches of compost or well rotted manure. Then turn the compost into the soil to loosen the ground and to create a moisture retaining growing medium with increased fertility. Check this area often during the next few weeks to remove any sprouted weeds, grasses.
In early spring when all danger of frost is past.
USDA Hardiness Zone -First Frost Date- Last Frost Date
Zone 1 -July 15th -June 15th
Zone 2 -August 15th- May 15th
Zone 3 -September 15th May 15th
Zone 4 -September 15th May 15th
Zone 5 -October 15th April 15th
Zone 6 -October 15th April 15th
Zone 7 -October 15th April 15th
Zone 8 -November 15th March 15th
Zone 9 -December 15th February 15th
Zone 10 -December 15th January 31st (sometimes earlier)
Zone 11 -No frost. No frost.
Sow about 5-7 corn seeds in the center of the growing circle, in a ring pattern- spaced by about 6 inches from one another. Plant the corn seeds 1" under the soil and tap the soil on top to insure that it is semi-firm by hand. Water the growing mound well. The corn will sprout and start growing within a few weeks. When the corn has grown to about 10 inches in height, use a hoe or a hand trowel and pull and move some of the soil from the mound around the base of the corn stalks. Make sure that the corn is not buried entirely and that it's upper half should be above the soil and that the soil is mounded only around it's stems. The corn will at this point send roots into the mound of soil and hold it in place steady and upright in the wind. After mounding the soil around the base of the corn stalks sow about 8 Pole bean seeds in a ring around the outside of the corn stalks. Sow the beans about 1 inch under the soil and firm the soil above by patting it down with your hands. At this point water the beans well, and the beans will begin to sprout within 7-12 days. In about a week after the beans have sprouted sow 5-8 squash seeds 12-15 inches outside the ring in above pattern at 1 inch in depth and by patting them down with your hands. The squash seeds will germinate within a week to ten days. After all seeds have sprouted you can thin if you want (should) to something like the above example.
As the corn grows the beans will begin to climb, you can take the bean vines and wrap them around the corn. The squash will begin to grow it's vines and the large squash leaves will soon cover the growing mound and shade its soil. You can help guide these vines by turning the ends of its vnes towards the center of the vegetable mound. You will harvest your crops as usual, this is an excellent way to utilize space and condition the soil as these 3 sisters grow in harmony. |
