Any tips first time planting the 3 sisters garden in Northeast
Ohio?

Grady56 said:Any tips first time planting the 3 sisters garden in Northeast
Ohio?

Welcome @Grady56!

Is it possible that you've posted your question in the wrong place? There's an Ask A Question forum that might be helpful, and there's an article here that might be helpful: https://garden.org/learn/artic...

You've posted in the NARR announcement for spring, 2017. But watch for the announcement about the next NARR (Not A Raffle Raffle)! It's a lot of fun and you might even win something!

What an fun thing to do! The veggie forum folks should have some advice to offer. I'm surprised to see no responses yet but it's still so very early in the season. I've not done it but always thought it sounded interesting.

Old Farmer's Almanac & Rodale's are sources that speak from experience:
https://www.almanac.com/conten...
https://www.rodalesorganiclife...

Thanks for shedding some light on the subject Tiffany.

purpleinopp said:What an fun thing to do! The veggie forum folks should have some advice to offer. I'm surprised to see no responses yet but it's still so very early in the season. I've not done it but always thought it sounded interesting.

Old Farmer's Almanac & Rodale's are sources that speak from experience:
https://www.almanac.com/conten...
https://www.rodalesorganiclife...

I think there were no replies because it was originally posted in the wrong place. But it's in the right place now so...! !!! Will be great to learn more about it!

I belive , it's something like , planting corn, pole green beans, and bush squash, together, in rows. Space, as directed on package. Corn supports beans, bush squash grow underneath.
Any other tips you need ?
😎😎😎

Philipwonel said:I belive , it's something like , planting corn, pole green beans, and bush squash, together, in rows. Space, as directed on package. Corn supports beans, bush squash grow underneath.
Any other tips you need ?
😎😎😎

You have that right but it should be noted , it was originally done not because it gave a greater yield, it does not , it reduces yield, but due to limited resources of the people that had to use it.
I found my little book on plants that do not like to be planted next to each other, which is nearly all but there are a couple that do well together.
I will have to give it a quick read .

If you are space limited , go for it.
If you are not , it has no advantages.

There are some advantages...

The corn supports the the beans, giving them space to climb...
Beans, a nitrogen fixing plant, pulls nitrogen from the air and delivers it into the soil. Corn and squash both benefit from this (especially corn, which is a nitrogen hog)...
And the squash, with it's sprawling habit, provides shade that keeps the soil moist and cool and helps to prevent weeds.

All that being said...I've never grown them this way and likely won't, but that's just cause the way I'm doing things now seems to work just fine.

I have not tried corn or pole beans yet and want to try this 3 sisters experiment. I have a raised bed set aside that is 6' x 6' beautiful soil in full sun (all I could manage with my space) and wanted to ask if anyone can give me an idea of how many hills would be a good idea. I think 4 hills of 5-6 corn plants each hill and about that many beans and 4 zucchini in each valley. Do you think it will be too crowded? I decided to go with half runner (pintos) because of other advice.

Welcome Frugal Gramma! I have planted the three sisters garden plan before but didn't have much luck with it. I understood it in theory but planted everything at once which was a mistake. In my very short growing season it is a trickier way of planting and takes more thought then I had put into it regarding the growth of the individual plants. The only real value for me was the living mulch that was formed by the squash and that would have happened no matter how I had planted it. I do think your 6' x 6' garden might be to small to plant that heavily. Here is a link that I think might be useful as a starting point for learning more about this technique. http://www.wfan.org/wp-content...

FG Howdy
Only thing I would change is, cut the zucchini to two plants per hill.
Feed them manure every month.
I believe you'll, or should I say, 🤔!!! They, will do good.

You're the crew chief !
You have to take care of your workers ! ( THE PLANTS ! ). :))
HE. HE. HE. 👍👍

Ta. Ta.
Philip 😎😎😎

Thank you so much
@Freezengirl: I will cut back the corn (per the link) to 4 in a hill. Also I thought that the nitrogen was fixed during the growing season, but the link says it takes a year to get it to the corn. Good thing that soil is from my oldest beds and the best I have!

@Philip: I was going to plant 4 zucchini in the whole 6' x 6' (not in each hill). Do you still think I should only have 2 in there?

Grammar : )
Miss.Communication got in the way. Blast her !

Six foot, by six foot bed, Right ?
Four hills, Right ?
I would say, you could probably put, two squash plants on each hill.
A total of eight plants.

Have FUN 👍😀
😎😎😎

Found this bit of info on three sisters gardening and just wanted to share.

http://www.angelmounds.org/exh...

I've tried that twice without much success, though I still like the concept.

1. Modern corn is shorter and has thinner stalks. They may need some support.

2. Modern squashes don't like to climb much. You may want an OP variety.

3. Pole beans can take over the corns. But I like flat italian ones so that might make a difference.

Best of luck and I hope to see a great 3 sisters garden. You'll never know if you don't try it...

Blue23rose & Yardenman

I am going to plant the corn first and get some growth out of it before planting the pintos and lastly the squash. I'm going to ask our fish store if they can give me some throw-away pieces so that I can bury it beneath the hill like the Native Americans did. If I am successful I will let you know!

Well well well. May the people who came up with this idea rot in their compost heap! What a mess. Corn falling over from the weight of the vines, squash in too much shade and has produced poorly, and now the beans look like they have rust because of the closeness and probably lack of air circulation. Disgusted!

Thanks for reporting back... too bad it didn't work out better! Do you think it would have helped to put a tomato cage or set of stakes around each hill? Wonder if pruning to reduce density would help health of bean & squash plants? Or maybe this was just such a wet summer... my ordinary garden didn't fare well.

I've heard that when this was done historically, the corn used was field corn, which is taller and stronger. Now days, most people grow sweet corn.