Growing Vegetables
fellow traveler planting is a useful gardening technique of growing certain veggies together to take advantage of their natural tendencies and relationships . This is an theme that has been practiced for centuries , and most famously with the “ Three Sisters ” method .
Companion Plants in the Three Sisters Method
The three sisters is a combination of these three plants working together :
How the Three Sisters Garden Works Together
Cornstalks act as a treillage for the beans ( the plant ’s thin tendrils do n’t get in the way of the growing ears ) . The beans , like most legumes , have a quasi - magical power to take nitrogen from the melody , where it is abundant , and convert it into a ground - bound physical body that is useful to other plants . This process , known as N - fixation , is especially utilitarian to corn whiskey , which requires turgid quantities of the food . in conclusion , crush plants grow low and wide around the maize and beans , their immense leaves carpeting the ground and preventing both smoke growth and desiccation of soil wet .
This traditional triad , popularly known as a three sis planting , was central to the diet of many Native American clan , who assign great cultural , even spectral , significance to the kinship between the species . Modern - day dietician impute another meaning : eaten together , corn whisky and beans have all the aminic acids of a complete protein , making an ideal vegetarian repast . The squash adds extra minerals and vitamins , plus a touch of sweetness .
Choosing the Right Varieties of the Three Sisters
Here are criteria for choosing varieties of each craw that are suitable for a three baby garden :
Corn : Traditionally , texture maize was used ( the kind you would use for cornbread or tortillas ) , but three sister planting also work with odorous corn . One caveat : Some modern corn varieties are middling inadequate , which leave in the stalks being overwhelmed by the bean vines , so be sure to pick a form that mature to at least six feet in elevation , the taller the good .
Beans : Traditionally , the bean in a three sisters garden were the form entail to be dried and stored for later use , but green beans for smart feeding are also an alternative . They must be “ terminal ” edible bean ( vine - type ) , however , as modern “ bush ” bean are incapable of climbing corn stalk .
Squash : The only demand here is that you use a winter squash motley — butternut , acorn , delicata and the alike — which grow on vines that spread out across the soil ( these ripen in fall , but are call winter crush because their tough outer rind tolerate them to keep through the winter months ) . Summer squash varieties ( such as summer crookneck and pattypan varieties ) wo n’t influence because they grow in single clumps , rather than as a circularize groundcover .
How to Plant a Three Sisters Garden
There is no one right manner to do a three sisters planting . Ultimately , you ’ll probably need a bit of run and misplay over several seasons to perfect a process that works in your climate and with the special varieties you want to use .
The cay is descend up with the right spacial shape and the right timing for sowing each type of seed . The pace below outline the universal outgrowth and principles . Note that all three crop call for warm conditions and will shrivel up at the slightest sign of rime . Plant them only once you are certain the weather has warmed up for good .
1 . Build a circular mound of soil about 5 feet in diameter , raking the top of it into a flat planting domain with tapered sides ( the ruined bottom should be at least 6 inches improbable ) . blend compost and soil amendments into the soil as needed .
2 . Plant the corn first so it pay off a head start . seed the seed eight inches aside in a 3 - foot diam circle on top of the layer .
3 . Once the cornstalks are 6 to 8 in tall , found the bean and squash source . The bean seeds go inside the circle of edible corn , with one seed establish about 3 inches from each corn stalk . The squash seeds go outside the circle of corn near the edge of the bed ; the seeds should be about 12 inch from the closest cornstalk , but infinite these widely , with about 24 inches between each .
4 . As the bean vines grow , take aim them toward the near corn stalk ; you’re able to tie them to the stalk with a piece of twine to insure they clamber upwards , rather than along the solid ground .
5 . Build as many circular knoll as you care , but forget great deal of space between each one , as the squash will chop-chop spread beyond its bed to encompass an area roughly 10 feet in diam .
6 . Keep the beds water and weeded as needed .
7 . The noodle and Zea mays will ripen first . pace cautiously among the squash vines to glean them as they ripen .
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