Planting the Three Sisters

In the Americas long ago, and even modern day in some cultures, people relied on the Three Sisters to feed themselves. The sisters are corn, squash, and beans. This combination has proven to be a secret to balancing a diet when consumed together. The good news, is they thrive when they are planted together.

I have read about this often as I taught Native American History to elementary students. I was always fascinated by the knowledge that cultures had so long ago. I remember reading about how Squanto had helped the Europeans farm successfully, teaching them to plant fish under the corn seeds in a mound. Now, we buy special fertilizers made from fish emulsions to avoid chemical fertilizers. Listening to the past can be so valuable.



I have always wanted to do this myself. Afterall, I can't think of a better group of vegetables. I referenced a couple of sites including the Old Farmers Almanac. For the most part, I followed their advice. Visit their site for complete details.

In the center of my raised garden, I made two mounds. The garden bed is 10 feet wide, so each mound was just under 4 feet in diameter. The top was a plateau of about 2 feet in diameter. I planted six corn around the top, four beans around each corn, and a squash/zucchini plant at the bottom of the mounds below the corn. I didn't have enough squash to do all six around, but I planted what I had.

Ordinarily the plants are sowed at different times, corn first, then beans, then squash. But I was impatient and planted all at once. Some of my corn I had started in pots. Also, the idea of putting the beans with the corn is so they can climb up, but I mistakenly bought bush beans. It seems to be working out regardless.

Here are a few photos. I have already harvested some beans. Tips on harvesting green beans to come in the next post!