THREE SISTERS

[Papas Chickens]

WOnder why tomatos never became one of the three sisters??

Tomatos dont benifit like the others do, beans add nitrogen to the soil wich help the corn grow and helps support the corn when they crawl up the stalks and the squash leaves shade the ground to keep it moist so you dont have ti water as much.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: THank you-- really a rather clever combination!!

 

[Fluffnpuff]

In addition to keeping the ground moist, the large winter squash/pumpkin leaves limit the sunlight that reaches the ground thus reducing or slowing down weed growth.

 

[Arielle]

Might help keep the ground cooler -- wonder what the optimum ground temp is for corn?

The squash really LOVE the heat based on the superfast growth in the manure piles!

 

[lazy gardener]

Not one of the 3 sisters, but I love to grow potatoes with corn. The potatoes seem to really benefit by growing with the corn. I don't hill my corn, but instead throw the mulch deeply around both the corn and the potatoes. I discovered the benefit of corn and potatoes one year when some left over potatoes sprouted in the corn patch. They grew much bigger and better than the potatoes that were planted in a monoculture. Of course, potatoes are heavy feeders as well, so they probably got a better nutrient boost b/c I gave the corn extra fertilizer.

 

[Papas Chickens]

I went out into my garden this morning and found three of my four cucumber plants eatin and a little cotton tail hoppin away if the next yard. Im setting up traps later today.

 

[Fluffnpuff]

Has anyone tried substituting vining cowpeas in the place of pole beans? I grew some bush type cowpeas this summer as a side project but i was thinking about trying the vining type in my 3 sisters next year.

 

[Arielle]

I went out into my garden this morning and found three of my four cucumber plants eatin and a little cotton tail hoppin away if the next yard. Im setting up traps later today.

Sorry. Hope you make good hassenfeffer.

Has anyone tried substituting vining cowpeas in the place of pole beans? I grew some bush type cowpeas this summer as a side project but i was thinking about trying the vining type in my 3 sisters next year.

Great idea!

Not one of the 3 sisters, but I love to grow potatoes with corn. The potatoes seem to really benefit by growing with the corn. I don't hill my corn, but instead throw the mulch deeply around both the corn and the potatoes. I discovered the benefit of corn and potatoes one year when some left over potatoes sprouted in the corn patch. They grew much bigger and better than the potatoes that were planted in a monoculture. Of course, potatoes are heavy feeders as well, so they probably got a better nutrient boost b/c I gave the corn extra fertilizer.

Interesting discovery. Perhaps the soil was kept a bit moister with the corn for cover , in addition to the boost in fertilizer.

 

[3forfree]

In addition to keeping the ground moist, the large winter squash/pumpkin leaves limit the sunlight that reaches the ground thus reducing or slowing down weed growth.

You're not kidding they reduce weed growth. I don't think there's one weed under all the squash and pumpkins I have.

 

[Papas Chickens]

Is it to late to plant pumpkin in Arizona?