Sunday, February 2, 2025 - The ‘Three Sisters’ Companion Planting

 

The ‘Three Sisters’ Companion Planting

The “three sisters” refers to a companion plant cultivation technique that played a crucial role in many Indigenous communities’ agricultural and culinary heritage. It involves planting corn, beans, and squash. These three plants help each other when they’re grown together: 

  • The corn’s tall and robust stalks act as stakes for the beans.
  • The beans’ roots enrich the soil.
  • The squash’s leaves cover the soil, preventing weeds from growing and creating natural plant mulch to maintain moisture.

Planting a Three Sisters Garden

There are some variations to the three sisters garden method, but the idea is to plant the seeds in clusters rather than a traditional single row.

  • Start with a mound of soil, roughly 10 cm high, that gets plenty of sun.
  • The corn is planted first in the centre of the mound once the danger of frost has passed.
  • Once the corn is 15 cm tall, plant four bean seeds evenly spaced around the stalk.
  • About a week later, plant the squash seeds around the perimeter of the mound.

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