Three sisters - gardening
The three sisters: corn, pole beans, and squash.
A starch, a protein, and vitamins.
A pole (corn) for the beans to climb, a provider of nitrogen for the soil (beans), and the squash gives three benefits: 1) a weed suppressant, squash have very large leaves; 2) an insect repellant, spiny stems; 3) water retention, those large leaves shading the soil to reduce evaporation. They all attract pollinators.
An Iroquois legend is that corn, bean, and squash were three inseparable sisters given to the people by the Great Spirit.
Here’s our Three Sisters area in the garden (August 6):
So if you’re looking for natural, chemical-free gardening, go back in time to the three sisters. Modern farming calls it companion planting. It maintains high yields, promotes healthy soil, suppresses weeds, attracts pollinators, promotes genetic diversity, and requires low water input – all without harmful chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
A starch, a protein, and vitamins.
A pole (corn) for the beans to climb, a provider of nitrogen for the soil (beans), and the squash gives three benefits: 1) a weed suppressant, squash have very large leaves; 2) an insect repellant, spiny stems; 3) water retention, those large leaves shading the soil to reduce evaporation. They all attract pollinators.
An Iroquois legend is that corn, bean, and squash were three inseparable sisters given to the people by the Great Spirit.
Here’s our Three Sisters area in the garden (August 6):
So if you’re looking for natural, chemical-free gardening, go back in time to the three sisters. Modern farming calls it companion planting. It maintains high yields, promotes healthy soil, suppresses weeds, attracts pollinators, promotes genetic diversity, and requires low water input – all without harmful chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
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