Three Sisters Planting

The three sisters at the Sanctuary garden plot are sunflowers, climbing beans and pumpkins or squash.  Originally an idea from the Americas it's a way of utilizing space and putting complementary plants together that help each other just like sisters do.  Usually the eldest sister is maize or corn but we have planted sunflowers.

On our first community working bee in late September one of the tasks were to plant out sunflower seedlings that were about 30cm high.  The seedlings were grown up in the greenhouse over winter.  The first year the community tried the Three Sisters planting they planted the sunflowers at the same time as the beans but the beans grew faster than the sunflowers.  

Just like planning a family the eldest sister needs time to grow up a little before the next sister arrives.   This year they waited a month before planting bean seeds around the outside  of the sunflowers.   Here you can see the sunflowers were planted 5 or 6 in a circle and each group about a metre apart in rows.    Before planting the beans the soil is mounded up around the sunflowers to add support for their roots.   Trevor tells me that the sunflowers would normally put on more height before they plant the beans.  The reason - the eldest sister only received two-thirds of the normal rain for Aucklnd during November.     

Just like magic the beans started to climb up and use their sunflower sisters as a climbing pole.

The sunflowers also attract bees and other beneficial host insects. 

Next working bee day towards the end of November the pumpkin seedlings were planted in the ground between the rows.   The third sister pumpkin will spread out her foliage and will help keep the moisture in the soil...and perhaps keep the wild rabbits away from the beans with her prickly stems. She and her elder sister will in turn lap up the nitrogen provided by sister bean.  

 It's a great way to get three crops from one patch of ground and we do have the luxury of a large plots at Sanctuary gardens.

Last working bee we also harvested all the broad beans next to the sunflowers.   We just cut the stalks to about 20 cm above the ground.   If you pull up your exhausted broad bean plant take a look at the roots and there you will see the clusters of nitrogen clinging to the roots.   By allowing the bean stalk to remain in the ground the soil will keep that nitrogen ready for the next crop.    

So sister bean is the most giving of all.  She helps to bind the sunflowers together to withstand the wind and feeds both her sisters with nitrogen she pulls from the air down into the soil.  I have read that sunflowers and beans should be kept apart ...but they are certainly getting along well at the moment.  I will keep you posted on their progress.