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I am intrigued by the 3 sisters (corn/pole beans/squash) idea!
has anyone tried this??
We did. Our climate here (Mojave Desert) is a bit too hot for green beans in the summer unless they are shaded. The beans didn't really start to grow well until late into the season when the temps were dropping. By that time, the corn was done. I will grow all three again this coming summer, but I will not grow the green beans with the corn due to our climate (unless I find heat tolerant green beans). Plus, we found it best to hand fertilize even if you have lots of wind (as we do!). The squash did amazing as always. I may plant the corn in patches with squash in between and the pole beans in the north side of the corn for protection from the direct sun. This issue is strictly related to our extreme desert heat, so elsewhere, I bet it is does well! The beans introduce lots of nitrogen that the corn uses, which seems like a wery functional way to garden.