The idea is to use the cucurbit as a 'living mulch'.
If you have a vining rather than bush summer sqash, I don't see why not.

I grow zucchini they seem to cover a large amount of ground.
Thank you
Anthony

The thing with this style of garden is it's hard to harvest the squash, that is why the winter variety is preferred. I think it is hard to harvest the beans too.

What makes harvesting so hard?

What makes harvesting so hard?

The over-crowding. 3 sisters format is notorious for over-crowded plantings and access problems.

With bush variety plants like zucchini that grow low to the ground is it very hand to get to them to pick. Theyt are buried under the corn and beans. That is why vining types are used, so that they grow up the corn stalks and are easier to to pick.

Plus the low growing bush varieties can't get enough sun low to the ground as the taller plants shade them out. Plus the summer squash ripen much earlier than winter squash. With winter squash the other vegetables are usually done by the time the winter squash is ready to pick.

3 sisters gardens are difficult to make work even with ideal conditions so for best success you would want to stick with the recommended varieties.

Dave

When I tried it, the problem was getting in through the squash to harvest the corn.

I grew 3 lines of corn along one side or my raised beds which formed a wall. The beans grew up around the corn. Two plants of summer squash up front. To harves the corn all I had to do is walk to one side of my raised beds, the Summer squash was easy to find up in the front and it had some room for over spill. Worked out great for a small area and we still had enough for our little family. Good luck!

In Native American gardens the three sisters were grown as food to be stored during the cold season, not eaten fresh during the summer. Corn was harvested when dry and ground into meal. Beans were harvested when everything had dried up and then shelled and stored as dried beans, not eaten earlier as snap beans. Trying to grow this combo today for fresh sweet corn and snap beans would make for difficult harvests. I've seen it done with success for a late fall harvest of dry, mature corn and beans. The squash was picked as the other crops were removed.

I could see doing this for historical reasons but do not see it as a way to increase the harvest from a garden.

I don't see why you have to grow it THAT intensively. Sure the squash would cover everything, but having fewer corn stalks and pole beans going up each one would make harvesting doable in my opinion. I've not done it, but overcrowding is a choice to maximize yield. Use the three sisters how you want, though don't try bush beans, you're right, they won't get enough sun.

BTW, Since sweet corn stalks are shorter and less sturdy than field corn stalks they are not likely to hold up well to the weight of heavily laden pole beans that might overtop them.

I tried half-runner beans on my sweet corn one time with decent results though.

My thought for this year is an improved layout with corn/bean hills in central blocks surrounded by my hills of winter squash. I don't usually have a problem wading through the winter squash vines for various purposes since they sprawl out freely in a less dense fashion than the bushier summer squash.

In The Resilient Gardener, the author addresses this. She recommends planting the beans and squash on the outer rows of the corn so that these plants don't get shaded out by the corn. Something to think about. (Pay attention to the above poster who talked about harvesting all three crops at the close of the season. She discussed that too.)

I highly recommend Carol Deppe's book too (The Resilient Gardener)--it has much more than just the three sisters--it has just about everything you need for a more manageable garden.

I do this every year(family tradition) simply allow more room between plants, just one less of each type. I alternate summer and winter squash (only occasionally a fancy hybred)give the corn a 12 to 18 inch head start though. Last year some of my pole beans reached 20 ft(ok, 18.8)so I had to add trellises. but, I was still picking a few beans into november in nw indiana.
>^..^ Carlacc

firsthouse_mp I read the book not worth peoples time to read it it do to fact it contains to much fluff

ribsy, So sorry you didn't appreciate the book, but I know everyone has different opinions. If you want to read what others have written about their experience with this book, there is a current thread by the same name on this forum--just search it. Many have enjoyed the info in it and have found it very helpful.

Most of the "fluff" is actually helpful context for understanding Deppe's point. Perhaps some of the "fluff" is the recipes. But for one looking for such specialized info one actual use of garden produce, it's anything but fluff.

Regarding this thread's discussion of three sisters' plantings, Deppe gives a good deal of practical advise based on personal experience. I suppose that some would prefer something more concise. But, personally, I like to follow their reasoning. I like to know what didn't work, and think through the problem, with the author, either coming to the same conclusion, or perhaps my own.

George
Tahlequah, OK

If you want to know exactly when and how Native Americans planted, grew, stored and consumed the three crops I recommend this detailed first hand account. Note that they were consumed at all stages.

http://www.archive.org/details/agriculturehidatsa00waherich

You can still purchase these varieties and others

Great northern beans
Hidatsa shield beans
Hidatsa red beans
Yellow Arikara beans

Mandan squash
Arikara squash
Mandan Bride corn
and others

Is there anyone here who has tried the Three Sisters in Southern New England? I'm looking for suitable varieties of each plant to grow/hybridize, with the hopes of developing new varieties ideally suited for my yard. What has worked in the northeast?

try looking up the varieties used in PBS TV series "Colonel House.

Thank you all for all the input. But I am not growing the three sisters for historical reasons. I am doing it for a little educational experiment with the kids (it will be their garden) and the food will be the payoff. The three sisters will be sweet corn, pole beans and zucchini. Not traditional but I know that it's what the kids will have fun eating.

Anthony

Normal pole beans are too tall and vigorous to be supported by sweet corn. Sweet corn stalks are shorter and less substantial than the traditional, field corn varieties.

I had success substituting half-runner beans a couple years ago.

I will try the runner beans.