canesisters
Garden Master
I'm in VA. Sounds like you've got a great start!! I'd love to see some pictures.
Three Sisters Garden
- Thread starter aidenbaby
- Start date
I'm in VA. Sounds like you've got a great start!! I'd love to see some pictures.
897tgigvib
Garden Master
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2012
- Messages
- 5,439
- Reaction score
- 925
- Points
- 337
Howdy MiniKoopa! 
Welcome to the forum. After you do 10 posts you'll be able to do photos and stuff.
Have you read "Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden"? I read it on one of those free online book sites. Can't remember the site name now. I mention that book only so you can see that the classic 3 sisters garden methods most folks think of is not the only way to do it.
But in general, some Corn varieties make large tall plants, some make 6 foot plants, and some varieties make small plants. At least one variety makes 2 foot tall plants. Add to that, as you probably know, in rough conditions a variety of Corn that normally grows a set height, under poor conditions may grow half as tall.
Most of the commonly available Pole Beans like Kentucky Wonder are very vigorous vining. There are some Pole Bean varieties though, that are less vigorous.
So, what it looks like to me is you'll have to do is your best estimating of how vigorous and tall your Corn will be growing, and then time your Bean planting after just the best you can. I think it'll be one of those experience learning curve things. Make your best guesses, and maybe write down your various planting times, then decide for next year which timings and combinations worked best. So, basically, try a few different planting times, some here, some there later. Start perhaps with planting the Beans 2 weeks after the Corn. I understand that some Dent Corn varieties grow huge with good conditions. There are some pole varieties of bean actually called cornfield, selected for decades or centuries to do well planted in cornfields.
Most of the vining Squashes can make huge plants. What varieties will you be planting? Some, like Acorn Squash, might make a somewhat smaller vine, Connecticut Field Pumpkin will make a huge vine, and then things like Bush Acorn Squash make a small vine. Hubbards and Banana Squash vines are huge. The Squash are to be basically at the edges of the Corn/Bean patches. The Hidatsa also grew bush Dry beans, most of their beans were for dry, in patches inside the garden's perimeter.
Waheenee's Hidatsa tribe also grew Sunflowers around the perimeter of each family's garden. The older men of her tribe grew their Tobacco in separate gardens.
I did a google search to find the free online reading of it. I have a different laptop now than I had then, and don't have it on my favorites list with this one yet.
Welcome to the forum. After you do 10 posts you'll be able to do photos and stuff.
Have you read "Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden"? I read it on one of those free online book sites. Can't remember the site name now. I mention that book only so you can see that the classic 3 sisters garden methods most folks think of is not the only way to do it.
But in general, some Corn varieties make large tall plants, some make 6 foot plants, and some varieties make small plants. At least one variety makes 2 foot tall plants. Add to that, as you probably know, in rough conditions a variety of Corn that normally grows a set height, under poor conditions may grow half as tall.
Most of the commonly available Pole Beans like Kentucky Wonder are very vigorous vining. There are some Pole Bean varieties though, that are less vigorous.
So, what it looks like to me is you'll have to do is your best estimating of how vigorous and tall your Corn will be growing, and then time your Bean planting after just the best you can. I think it'll be one of those experience learning curve things. Make your best guesses, and maybe write down your various planting times, then decide for next year which timings and combinations worked best. So, basically, try a few different planting times, some here, some there later. Start perhaps with planting the Beans 2 weeks after the Corn. I understand that some Dent Corn varieties grow huge with good conditions. There are some pole varieties of bean actually called cornfield, selected for decades or centuries to do well planted in cornfields.
Most of the vining Squashes can make huge plants. What varieties will you be planting? Some, like Acorn Squash, might make a somewhat smaller vine, Connecticut Field Pumpkin will make a huge vine, and then things like Bush Acorn Squash make a small vine. Hubbards and Banana Squash vines are huge. The Squash are to be basically at the edges of the Corn/Bean patches. The Hidatsa also grew bush Dry beans, most of their beans were for dry, in patches inside the garden's perimeter.
Waheenee's Hidatsa tribe also grew Sunflowers around the perimeter of each family's garden. The older men of her tribe grew their Tobacco in separate gardens.
I did a google search to find the free online reading of it. I have a different laptop now than I had then, and don't have it on my favorites list with this one yet.
Hi Marshall. Thanks for the book recommendation. I glanced at it and it looks like it'll be a good read!
Great idea to match the more vigorous beans with the taller corn. I do have the black-seeded variety of Kentucky Wonder, along with two vigorous purple pod beans. Three of the corn varieties are 8ft or taller so I think it'll work out.
The pumpkin varieties I got are Seminole pumpkin, Upper Ground Sweet Potato squash, and Sweet Meat squash. According to the place I got them (Southern Exposure Seeds) they are all vigorous vines. Figures. But ya know, sometimes I wonder if seed companies just like to say that about all their stuff.
Great idea to match the more vigorous beans with the taller corn. I do have the black-seeded variety of Kentucky Wonder, along with two vigorous purple pod beans. Three of the corn varieties are 8ft or taller so I think it'll work out.
The pumpkin varieties I got are Seminole pumpkin, Upper Ground Sweet Potato squash, and Sweet Meat squash. According to the place I got them (Southern Exposure Seeds) they are all vigorous vines. Figures. But ya know, sometimes I wonder if seed companies just like to say that about all their stuff.
MontyJ
Deeply Rooted
Let's keep something in mind here. Three sisters works well in hill planting, not row planting. Hills need to be spaced many feet apart because of the squash plants. You also have to take into account the type of corn, beans and squash you are planting. It just doesn't work with all varieties. Three sisters is an older concept that worked well with pre-hybrid varieties. Todays hybrids may, or may not perform as well.
897tgigvib
Garden Master
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2012
- Messages
- 5,439
- Reaction score
- 925
- Points
- 337
MiniKoopa, the Seminole Pumpkin is the kind that is related to Butternut Squash. For me, that species, moschata, has always been the slowest to begin taking off, but once going, can make a very long vine.
Remember, the First Nations peoples, Native American Indians, had variously long traditions for their gardening methods. Apparently the Hidatsa Sioux gardening tradition was not as long back in history as some others. The Native gardening methods were of course very different among the Apache than among the Hidatsa because of regional differences, climate, soil, but even neighboring Arikara and Mandan Sioux had different ways. The traditional 3 sisters as Europeans first came to understand it was from the east coast tribes. So many similarities were found among some tribes wide spread, so it became viewed as THE Indian way of gardening.
Not so. But, it can be seen as one of the major and common methods with modifications. It has little to do for instance with sunken bed gardening methods of the southwest, other than, there they are, Corn, Squash, and Beans, among many other vegetables.
What I'm getting at is, the Squash does not need to be planted in among the Corn to be doing a set TRADITIONAL Indian gardening method. Unless you are planting according to the ways of one or several tribes that did. They had their specific varieties for it.
=====
Oh! You have the Black Seeded Kentucky Wonder! Way cool. I'm growing the other less common kind, White Seeded Kentucky Wonder, also very stout and vigorous vining. Purple Podded pole Bean varieties tend to be very fast and quick to run, but I don't know what variety yours are. Mine are Dow Purple Pod. They still win the running race up the poles and twine, but Nova Star and Meraviglia di Venizia and my other flat wax give them a good race up. Looks like Beauty Pod Borlotti is racing too.
Let us know what you think of Waheenee's story! I like her childhood name.
Remember, the First Nations peoples, Native American Indians, had variously long traditions for their gardening methods. Apparently the Hidatsa Sioux gardening tradition was not as long back in history as some others. The Native gardening methods were of course very different among the Apache than among the Hidatsa because of regional differences, climate, soil, but even neighboring Arikara and Mandan Sioux had different ways. The traditional 3 sisters as Europeans first came to understand it was from the east coast tribes. So many similarities were found among some tribes wide spread, so it became viewed as THE Indian way of gardening.
Not so. But, it can be seen as one of the major and common methods with modifications. It has little to do for instance with sunken bed gardening methods of the southwest, other than, there they are, Corn, Squash, and Beans, among many other vegetables.
What I'm getting at is, the Squash does not need to be planted in among the Corn to be doing a set TRADITIONAL Indian gardening method. Unless you are planting according to the ways of one or several tribes that did. They had their specific varieties for it.
=====
Oh! You have the Black Seeded Kentucky Wonder! Way cool. I'm growing the other less common kind, White Seeded Kentucky Wonder, also very stout and vigorous vining. Purple Podded pole Bean varieties tend to be very fast and quick to run, but I don't know what variety yours are. Mine are Dow Purple Pod. They still win the running race up the poles and twine, but Nova Star and Meraviglia di Venizia and my other flat wax give them a good race up. Looks like Beauty Pod Borlotti is racing too.
Let us know what you think of Waheenee's story! I like her childhood name.
