Three Sisters: An Ancient Garden Trio

"The Three Sisters all work together. Critters will find it harder to invade your garden by interplanting your corn, beans and squash. The corn stalk serves as a pole for the beans, the beans help to add the nitrogen to the soil that the corn needs, while the squash provides a ground cover of shade that helps the soil retain moisture."
~Native Tech.org~

I am trying this method in the Garden Simply Test Garden this year using Golden Bantam corn, The Three Sisters is the name given by some Native Americans to the practice of growing corn, beans, and squash together. The idea is to let the beans climb the corn, while the corn shades the squash. The squash acts like a kind of living mulch, conserving water and providing the even moisture needed for the corn and beans to fully develop.

We are using Early Yellow Straight Neck squash, and the simply fantastic producer, Kentucky Pole Bean.

Subscribe to Garden Notes and we'll keep in touch and let you know how it all goes. And by all means.... if you try this, take photos and we'll publish them in August or September!

More Info...

Native Tech - Three sisters gardening
Eco Literacy - Ancient garden trio
Organic Gardening Methods - Companion planting
^--with other companion planting charts

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