How to Grow a Three Sisters Garden at Home

How to Grow How to Grow a Three Sisters Garden a Three Sisters Garden at home at home

What Is a Three Sisters Garden? What Is a Three Sisters Garden? A Three Sisters garden follows planting corn, pole beans, and squash closely together to allow all three easy-to-grow vegetables to benefit from their proximity to another. A Three Sisters garden follows planting corn, pole beans, and squash closely together to allow all three easy-to-grow vegetables to benefit from their proximity to another.

The Ultimate Companion Plants The Ultimate Companion Plants The beans climb the cornstalks and add nitrogen to the soil, while the squash vines create a living mulch. Their broad leaves shade the ground, suppressing weeds, repelling pests, and keeping the soil damp. The beans climb the cornstalks and add nitrogen to the soil, while the squash vines create a living mulch. Their broad leaves shade the ground, suppressing weeds, repelling pests, and keeping the soil damp.

Corn Corn The corn stalks serve as a living trellis for their sister beans. Although you can grow sweet corn as a substitute for the flint type, avoid popcorn. The corn stalks serve as a living trellis for their sister beans. Although you can grow sweet corn as a substitute for the flint type, avoid popcorn. Our Recommendation: Thresh Seed Co. Rhode Island White Cap Flint Corn at Amazon for $8.89. *BobVila.com and its partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.

Beans Beans Pole beans can either be harvested young to eat their pods (such as familiar green beans) or allowed to ripen on the vine to produce shelling or soup beans. Pole beans can either be harvested young to eat their pods (such as familiar green beans) or allowed to ripen on the vine to produce shelling or soup beans. Our Recommendation: Thresh Seed Co. Cherokee Black Shelling Bean at Amazon for $8.89.

Squash Squash You can choose whichever type of squash or pumpkin suits your fancy for this sister plant. Keep in mind that summer squashes tend to grow more bushy than vine-like, so they don’t make the best groundcover. You can choose whichever type of squash or pumpkin suits your fancy for this sister plant. Keep in mind that summer squashes tend to grow more bushy than vine-like, so they don’t make the best groundcover. Our Recommendation: Everwilde Farms Cushaw Green Striped Pumpkin at Amazon for $3.25.

Other Sister Plants Other Sister Plants In addition to the Three Sisters, you may also want to sow other tall plants, like sunflower, Jerusalem artichoke, or amaranth, in the spaces between the hills. In addition to the Three Sisters, you may also want to sow other tall plants, like sunflower, Jerusalem artichoke, or amaranth, in the spaces between the hills.

Three Sisters Planting Three Sisters Planting Because you can never predict how many seeds will sprout, it usually is a good idea to plant twice as much as you need in your Three Sisters garden layout and thin out the extra plants. Because you can never predict how many seeds will sprout, it usually is a good idea to plant twice as much as you need in your Three Sisters garden layout and thin out the extra plants.

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