Three Sisters Garden
- Thread starter aidenbaby
- Start date
Good morning all!!!
I have dug up this thread to glean some information. Not until the last page did I read anything about "dry beans".
I am going to try my hand at a 3 Sisters Garden this year. Due to the loss of my flock, damn coyotes, I have a large area in my orchard available.
So I have done a bit of reasearch and watched a few YouTube videos. It seems that planting corn, beans and winter squash together then leaving them to die and dry makes the most sense to me.
So Im trying to figure out what types of corn and beans to plant. The winter squash choices will be easy, pie pumpkins, butternut, spaghetti squash. The corn... Well I have country Gentelman on hand so I will probably use that.
But dry beans are a new thing for me. Any sugestions or ideas???
Thanks,
Gina
I have dug up this thread to glean some information. Not until the last page did I read anything about "dry beans".
I am going to try my hand at a 3 Sisters Garden this year. Due to the loss of my flock, damn coyotes, I have a large area in my orchard available.
So I have done a bit of reasearch and watched a few YouTube videos. It seems that planting corn, beans and winter squash together then leaving them to die and dry makes the most sense to me.
So Im trying to figure out what types of corn and beans to plant. The winter squash choices will be easy, pie pumpkins, butternut, spaghetti squash. The corn... Well I have country Gentelman on hand so I will probably use that.
But dry beans are a new thing for me. Any sugestions or ideas???
Thanks,
Gina
897tgigvib
Garden Master
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2012
- Messages
- 5,439
- Reaction score
- 925
- Points
- 337
Your timing could hardly be better. We here are very lucky because a surviving Wanigan Associate is in the forum, and he'll have details about some varieties of Beans we'll be swapping.
There are some great dry beans that are good for climbing corn. A common one is Hidatsa Shield Figure. Large rounded productive dry beans that fill a coffee can in a hurry.
3 sisters gardening has more to it than folks know. Not many tribes that gardened did it the same way. Waheenee, Buffalo Bird Woman, gardened a description that kept the varieties more separate, and definitely included 2 kinds of sunflower planted as a border because it looked good that way. The men grew Tobacco separately from the main gardens, and they fenced their gardens with a sort of jack fence made of willow branches that often took root.
In a year I will have increased a new variety of dry pole bean, or 2 or 3, that appeared new in my garden. If they breed true to growth characteristics, they are relatively early, make a crop, then another small crop at season end for a decent zone.
There are some great dry beans that are good for climbing corn. A common one is Hidatsa Shield Figure. Large rounded productive dry beans that fill a coffee can in a hurry.
3 sisters gardening has more to it than folks know. Not many tribes that gardened did it the same way. Waheenee, Buffalo Bird Woman, gardened a description that kept the varieties more separate, and definitely included 2 kinds of sunflower planted as a border because it looked good that way. The men grew Tobacco separately from the main gardens, and they fenced their gardens with a sort of jack fence made of willow branches that often took root.
In a year I will have increased a new variety of dry pole bean, or 2 or 3, that appeared new in my garden. If they breed true to growth characteristics, they are relatively early, make a crop, then another small crop at season end for a decent zone.
digitS'
Garden Master
Hi Gina 
!
Well, I have become very frustrated over Picasa doing things with my photo gallery! I've just looked back at some threads where I've posted pictures of my "more recent" growing of the 3 sisters and the pictures are all messed up! Dang it! Those photo's are still in Picasa but they don't show up in TEG.
Anyway, in 2011 I grew Painted Mountain flour corn, Rattlesnake beans, and Buttercup squash together. Some of the pumpkins also crept over into the 3 sisters corner. I made use of everything! The corn went into cornbread, I made a pot of beans, and squash pie! I guess I can recommend Rattlesnake but there are more experienced bean growers here to make suggestions.
Are you planning on using the Country Gentleman corn dry?
Steve
!Well, I have become very frustrated over Picasa doing things with my photo gallery! I've just looked back at some threads where I've posted pictures of my "more recent" growing of the 3 sisters and the pictures are all messed up! Dang it! Those photo's are still in Picasa but they don't show up in TEG.
Anyway, in 2011 I grew Painted Mountain flour corn, Rattlesnake beans, and Buttercup squash together. Some of the pumpkins also crept over into the 3 sisters corner. I made use of everything! The corn went into cornbread, I made a pot of beans, and squash pie! I guess I can recommend Rattlesnake but there are more experienced bean growers here to make suggestions.
Are you planning on using the Country Gentleman corn dry?
Steve
Ridgerunner
Garden Master
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2009
- Messages
- 8,231
- Reaction score
- 10,070
- Points
- 397
- Location
- Southeast Louisiana Zone 9A
How do you plan to use that Country Gentleman corn? That's a shoepeg variety. I have no idea what variety Dad grew but when he grew a shoepeg corn, we ate that as a sweet corn, either corn-on-the-cob or cream style. We did not wait until the end of the season and harvest it as a dried corn.
People do a lots of variations of the Three Sisters method with sweet corn, summer squash or green beans. It's just harder to harvest those without causing damage to the others but it can be done.
People do a lots of variations of the Three Sisters method with sweet corn, summer squash or green beans. It's just harder to harvest those without causing damage to the others but it can be done.
Well I did plan to use the corn dry. I have no problem changing the variety. For some reason the shoe peg didn't come to mind. I planted corn on the slope around my driveway two seasons back. By accident most dried on the stalk so I saved it. I remember when I removed it from the cobs it was straight row. Perhaps it was a different type.
I will need to hop on over to Baker Creek and see what they have in stock. I had seen the rattlesnake beans mentioned here and in my YouTube exploration.
As for the variety of beans... When cooking I use a lot of Great white Northers and small white navy beans. Not sure if those are heirloom or not. I have been working over the past few years to convert to only heirloom seeds. It's going pretty well.
It's funny that sunflowers are mentioned. That is on my to do list as well. But in another area of the garden.
I guess I have more research to do.
thanks,
g
Ridgerunner
Garden Master
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2009
- Messages
- 8,231
- Reaction score
- 10,070
- Points
- 397
- Location
- Southeast Louisiana Zone 9A
I did a Google search and the first few that popped up called Country Gentleman a shoe peg variety. I just had not heard of that variety so thought I'd look it up. Then when I saw the shoe peg it brought back memories from a lot of decades ago. Interesting that yours grew in rows.
I don't know of any reason you can't use it as a dried corn. The supersweet hybrids can get kind of gummy if you grind them up for cornmeal but I don't remember Dad's shoe peg variety as being all that sweet. I'd expect it to work fine as a dried corn.
I don't know of any reason you can't use it as a dried corn. The supersweet hybrids can get kind of gummy if you grind them up for cornmeal but I don't remember Dad's shoe peg variety as being all that sweet. I'd expect it to work fine as a dried corn.
ducks4you
Garden Master
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2009
- Messages
- 11,988
- Reaction score
- 16,159
- Points
- 417
Corn is a very heavy feeder. It's 2nd or 3rd in line--can't remember. The heaviest feeder is tobacco, then corn or cotton are 2 and/or 3.
I plant my sweet corn in plots in my little orchard where I pile up stall leavings throughout the winter. Very fresh, and very rich, and the corn loves it.
I use those spots when the turnout is a mudpie and it's difficult to push a wheelbarrow through it. I also try to plant sweet corn when the farmers are planting seedcorn behind my property ( or close by .)
I've had success with beans climbing my corn, but not with squash growing amongst them
I plant my sweet corn in plots in my little orchard where I pile up stall leavings throughout the winter. Very fresh, and very rich, and the corn loves it.
I use those spots when the turnout is a mudpie and it's difficult to push a wheelbarrow through it. I also try to plant sweet corn when the farmers are planting seedcorn behind my property ( or close by .)
I've had success with beans climbing my corn, but not with squash growing amongst them
Well Ive been exploring Baker Creek and think I figured it out.
I believe the corn could have been Stowell's. The name sounded familiar. Either way Im going to plant something I already have. I guess I'll just see what happens.
I did find a bean that looked interesting. Due to where I live I thought it would suit my climate. It's called the Ojo De Cabra.
http://rareseeds.com/vegetablesa-c/beans/bean/ojo-de-cabra.html
I'm still going to be planting all my favorite fresh pole beans in the regular garden. I cant pass up the McCaslan, love um!!!
I'll let you know how things progress. We had a good rain last night so I figure I will break out the rototiller later in the week. :tools
g
I believe the corn could have been Stowell's. The name sounded familiar. Either way Im going to plant something I already have. I guess I'll just see what happens.
I did find a bean that looked interesting. Due to where I live I thought it would suit my climate. It's called the Ojo De Cabra.
http://rareseeds.com/vegetablesa-c/beans/bean/ojo-de-cabra.html
I'm still going to be planting all my favorite fresh pole beans in the regular garden. I cant pass up the McCaslan, love um!!!
I'll let you know how things progress. We had a good rain last night so I figure I will break out the rototiller later in the week. :tools
g
canesisters
Garden Master
Tankshill - I'm planning to give the 3S a try this year (my first garden)
I have Golden Bantam & Country Gentleman corn with spaghetti squash, connecticut field pumpkins and malali melons to be my 'living mulch'.
I didn't realize it at the time but I had edited my bean selection down to 2 bush types and only one pole... so I want to get 1 or 2 more kinds of those.
I'm planning a 'circle garden' so the 3S will be in the corners along the path to the center. Maybe 3 'hills' in each wedge..
yeah... that's MY plan.... LOL... It'll be interesting to see what has actually happened by the time October rolls around.
I have Golden Bantam & Country Gentleman corn with spaghetti squash, connecticut field pumpkins and malali melons to be my 'living mulch'.
I didn't realize it at the time but I had edited my bean selection down to 2 bush types and only one pole... so I want to get 1 or 2 more kinds of those.
I'm planning a 'circle garden' so the 3S will be in the corners along the path to the center. Maybe 3 'hills' in each wedge..
yeah... that's MY plan.... LOL... It'll be interesting to see what has actually happened by the time October rolls around.
