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Re: Corn, beans and squash

Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html

Hi Laura, 

You should space the corn about a foot apart, and try to grow it in a
block shape, instead of a long row. The corn will pollinate much better.
In between the rows of corn sow the bean seeds and squash seeds. A good
ratio for sowing would be for every four corn plants sow one bean seed
and one squash seed. 4-1-1 : 4 corn, 1 bean, 1 squash. You can sow the
bean and squash seeds anywhere in the soil inside the block of corn. The
vines will find the closest stalk and climb up them as they grow. 

I am growing my first Three Sisters gardens this year too. There are as
many different ways to sow a Three Sisters garden as there are
combinations of corn, bean, and squash. There is no right way or wrong
way. The only essential needs are fertile soil, adequate water, and
sunshine. To achieve a good soil dig in some compost, bagged composted
manure, or peat moss before you sow the seeds. Water the patch well each
week, you don't want it soggy, but it shouldn't dry out either. 

I have made two Three Sister Gardens, both are very different. My first
one is sown in a block. I have a novelty 15 foot corn, scarlet runner
beans, and some jack be little pumpkins. My second one is a large sized
garden behind my garage. I actually excavated a low hill to make it and
it and it is now  minimally six inches below the original soil surface.
I dug the soil well and have hilled it into eight mounds, each about
three feet across and a couple of feet high. I spread grass clippings
soil around the mounds for a mulch.. This will give me something to walk
on and will help conserve moisture in the bed. All the hills are all
sown with assorted, decorative gourds, edible gourds, and Cinderella
pumpkins. I just sowed them two weeks, a few days later I sowed the
mounds with corn, about six to eight stalks for each mound, and I sowed
some seeds for pole beans at the same time, probably about four or five
seeds per mound. 

Good luck with your Three Sisters Garden. I am sure for both of us it
will be just wonderful and a great learning experience. If it works out
I could grow a different one each year and begin a tradition.

          Trudi


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