Look Kids! Corn, Beans and Squash!

My husband and I took the kids on a trip to the east coast earlier this summer for a family reunion in Virginia Beach. The highlight for me? Not the sand & surf...but a quick visit to Historical Jamestown where I saw a real life example of a Native American planting method I have read about called the Three Sisters. My husband and kids were "oooh-ing" and "ahhh-ing" the old ships at the dock, and all I could do was scramble to take photos of corn, beans and squash!

Ha! I'm really turning into a garden nerd.

Here is how I understand the Three Sisters Method works...

• Work soil into flat-topped mounds about 12 inches high by 24 inches wide and 3 feet apart.
• Plant 4-6 corn kernels about 4-6 inches apart in a circle on top of the mound.
• When Corn plants are 5-10 inches tall, plant 5-8 pole beans in a circle about 5 inches away from the circle of corn plants.
• 1-2 weeks after planting the pole beans, plant 5-8 squash, gourd, or melon seeds around the outside edge of the mound about 12 inches from the bean plants.
• After all the seeds have sprouted, it is probably a good idea to thin half the seedlings of each kind of plant to avoid crowding.

Its a brilliant system. The corn provides a stalk for the pole beans to climb, and the squash shades the ground which minimizes water evaporation and heat gain, as well as, helping prevent weed growth. The photo above seems to use a smaller mound, so I guess there is room for experimentation. I will be attempting this next summer in the raised garden.

Renee's Garden - Native American Three Sisters Garden