Three Sisters – Sweetcorn, Beans and Squash

[Gary.J.Kelsey]

Anyone had any experience trying this, good or bad?

Now I have got an allotment, I fancy trying this. My plan was to trial all the various seven combinations to see what is the most productive i.e.

Corn
Corn & Squash
Corn & Beans
Corn, Beans & Squash
Beans & Squash
Beans
Squash

Each combination will get a 4ft (1.2m) square plot. I will provide support for beans where sweetcorn is not present, design yet to be decided (suggestions for bean support welcome). The bed runs west to east, so should get reasonable equal sunlight. All plots have had equal treatment, a thick layer of municipal compost on top of clay.

Spacing wise I haven’t completely decided, but I have 53 sweetcorn plants, so works out 13 per plot where corn is present, so can space 3 plants per row, 4 rows per plot. So will aim to raise same amount of beans, 1 plant per sweetcorn plant. Then I was planning to locate one squash plant in the middle of the plots, possibly Butternut, as it is far behind my other squashes from a 17th April sowing.

Any thoughts much welcomed.

[charles]

Three sisters comes from a hotter climate than Britain and here its unlikely to have sweetcorn growing in time for beans to climb it. I had success with two sisters of one squash per yard on a 4 foot bed, with two sweetcorn between each squash on the bed edge.

[Plot 33]

Well done guys -for reminding me to sow my sweetcorn. I usually grow it in a block with my butternut squash ( I will now call it Two Sisters!!).

In the past I’ve always used the spacing of the butternut (90cm) in a diamond grid and one sweetcorn in between. I will try two sweetcorn in the gaps (if you think it will work). Don’t know why I never thought of that before? My chickens will be pleased, they love sweetcorn. I must try to harvest it before the squirrels get to it.

[Leif]

I am doing similar, albeit with a 5m long row of courgetes and squash, one plant per square metre. I reckon on one sweetcorn per 30cm along one side of the bed, the only concern is pollination, they say you should plant corn in a grid.

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