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This month . . .
Creating a Three Sisters Garden
Discovering A Native Trio
Native peoples from different parts of
North America have used a wide range of agricultural techniques.
Perhaps the best known is the interplanting of corn, beans, and
squash together – a trio often referred to as the "three sisters."
Cultivating these
companions in your school garden, a small patch near the building,
a barrel, or even indoors, can inspire studies of Native American
customs, nutrition, and folklore. As students dig in, investigations
of plant growth and relationships will also flourish.
In
a three sisters planting, the three partners benefit one another.
Corn provides support for beans. Beans, like other legumes,
have bacteria living on their roots that help them absorb nitrogen
from the air and convert it to a form that plants can use. (Corn,
which requires a lot of nitrogen to grow, benefits most.) The
large, prickly squash leaves shade the soil, preventing weed growth,
and deter animal pests. The three sisters also complement each
other nutritionally. (See Nutritious
Lessons.)
It's hardly surprising that these crops – considered by
many to be special gifts from the creator – played such
an important role in the agriculture and nutrition of most of
the Native people of the Americas. Because of the sisters' central
role as "sustainers of life," a host of stories, customs,
celebrations, and ceremonies are associated with them.
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Materials
soil
preparation tools (e.g., spading forks,
rakes)
measurement
tools (rulers, yardsticks, or tape measures)
sticks
(to mark mound locations)
seeds: corn, pole beans, winter squash or pumpkins
(Find seeds that mature between your
area's "frost-free" dates. The Resources
page features links to sources of traditional Native seeds.)
Creating
a Three Sisters Garden
Each Native culture
that grew the three sisters had a unique planting system. Here we
feature guidelines for one type of setup.
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Plan
and select a site. You'll want to plant your three sisters
garden in late spring once the danger of frost has passed. Choose
a site that has direct sunshine for most of the day and access to
water. Once students have determined their site's dimensions, challenge
them to plan their three sisters garden on paper. They can use the
layout suggested below or research and try others.
-
Prepare
the soil. First, break up and rake the soil. Next, build a mound
about 12 inches high and between 18 inches and 3 feet in diameter.
If you're in a dry area, flatten the top of the mound and make a
shallow depression to keep water from running off. The number of
mounds your students create depends on the size of your growing
area. Mounds should be 3 to 4 feet apart in all directions.
-
Plant
corn. Soak
four to seven corn seeds overnight and then plant them about 6 inches
apart in the center of each mound. (You'll eventually thin to three
or four seedlings.) Many Native people honor the tradition of giving
thanks to the "Four Directions" by orienting the corn seeds to the
north, south, east, and west. By doing the same, students can learn
to use compasses and observe the sun's movements.
- Plant beans
and squash. After
a week or two, when the corn is at least 4 inches high, soak and then
plant six pole bean seeds in a circle about 6 inches away from the
corn. (You'll eventually thin to three or four bean seedlings.) At
about the same time, plant four squash or pumpkin seeds next to the
mound, about a foot away from the beans, eventually thinning to one.
If you are planting a large area, you can also sow the squash in separate
mounds (1 foot in diameter) between every few corn and bean mounds.
- Consider
other additions. Consider
planting other traditional crops, such as sunflowers or jerusalem
artichokes (a tuberous perennial sunflower), around at the edge of
the three sisters garden. Put them on the north side so they won't
shade your other plants. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other native
crops are often planted in nearby plots. (Some of the many other indigenous
plants used by native North, South, and Central Americans include
melon, tobacco, chili pepper, cotton, blueberry, wild rice, and hazelnuts.)
Let your students' creative juices flow as they create a unique scarecrow;
a number of Native culture's gardens incorporate these familiar figures.
- Maintain
your traditional garden.
As corn plants grow, weed gently around them and
 mound
soil around the base of each stem for support. When the corn is knee-high
and again when silks appear on the husks, "side-dress" by putting
a high nitrogen fertilizer (such as aged manure or fish emulsion)
on the soil surface near each plant. If
beans aren't winding their way around the corn, youngsters can help
by moving tendrils to the stalks. (Keen observers may notice a pattern
in the direction in which the bean vines wind.) To allow room for
corn and beans to grow, gently direct squash vines into walkways,
garden edges, or between mounds. Once students observe young fruits,
side-dress the squash plants with aged manure or compost. If you pinch
off the tips of squash runners after several fruits have started to
form, the plants will devote more energy to producing squash.
Raising Three
Sisters in Containers
If your outdoor
growing space is limited, you can create a mini three sisters garden
in an outdoor container, such as a barrel, or even in the classroom.
Although students won't likely see the crops grow to maturity, especially
indoors, they should be able to observe the pole beans twine around
the corn and the large squash leaves form a mat. To simulate this planting
system, use a large container with holes or gravel in the bottom and
fill it with potting mix (and compost if you're growing outdoors). Follow
the above instructions, but plant only 3 corn seeds (and thin to1),
2 bean seeds, and 1 mini pumpkin seed. Place the container where it
will receive at least six hours of sunlight (or 12 hours of grow lights)
each day.
Coming
Full Cycle (Saving Seeds)
By saving and replanting some of the seeds from their three
sisters gardens, Native cultures brought the cycle of life
full circle. Your students may want to save some to replant
or package and give to other gardeners. Below are some tips
for gathering and preserving the seeds.
Corn
Leave several ears on the stalk until husks dry and turn brown.
Remove and peel back the husks and hang them to dry, out of
direct sun, for a month. Once they're dry, remove the individual
kernels. Store them in an airtight container. (Note: If you
save and replant seed from hybrid corn, the plants will not
have their parents' good qualities.)
Beans
Leave several pods on a plant until they turn brown and brittle.
Break open the pods and remove the seeds. Leave them on a
flat surface or screen, out of direct sun, to air dry for
a few days. Put them in an airtight, dark container protected
from extreme heat and cold.
Squash
Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and rinse them with water
in a colander. Follow the same instructions as listed for
drying and storing beans.
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Copyright©
2002 National Gardening Association
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