How to Grow the Three Sisters

The Three Sisters interconnect and grow together on a mound. One sister, corn, stands in the middle, supporting its next sister, beans. Their sister squash keeps weeds out and cools the soil with her large leaves. This method of growing the Three Sisters dates back hundreds of years.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Shovel
• Corn seeds
• Bean seeds
• Squash seeds
• Knife

Grow the Corn

1. Grow the Three Sisters in full sun. They need 6 to 8 hours of sunlight.
2. Build one or more soil mounds with 2-foot wide tops, each 1-foot high. Level the top with a shovel, slope the sides and measure 3 to 4 feet between mounds.
3. Place 5 to 6 corn seeds in a circle on top. Space seeds 6 inches apart. Push them 1 inch into the dirt, cover with soil and then water the mound.
4. Harvest in autumn.

Grow the Beans

5. Plant bean seeds 2 weeks later or after the corn reaches 5 to 7 inches high. Pole beans use the corn stalks for support.
6. Sow 6 to 8 beans 1 inch under the soil. Place these 5 to 6 inches from the corn, either at the edge or in the slope. Firm the soil with the back of the shovel and water.
7. Wrap the bean's vines around the corn stalk as needed.
8. Pick firm and crisp bean pods during the growing season. The plants continue to flower and produce pods.

Grow the Squash

9. Give the beans 1 to 2 weeks to grow before planting the squash.
10. Set 6 to 8 squash seeds an inch under the ground at the mound's base. Space these evenly around the circle.
11. Firm the soil with your hand or shovel and water. The squash sprouts in about a week.
12. Direct the vines up and around the mound.
13. Use a knife to cut the hardened squash later in the season. Leave 3 to 4 inches of stem.

Tips & Warnings

• Plant seeds after the last frost.
• To insure pollination of the corn, consider planting the mounds in an 8 to 10 foot square or circle. Planting only one mound produces squash and beans, but there's a chance you'll have less mature ears of corn.
• Buy the type of corn you like based on flavor, use and resistance to disease.
• Combine squash and pumpkin seeds for color and taste.
• Water as directed on the seed packets.

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