by Jennifer Langille
Every now and then, a book comes along that sweeps you off your feet and stirs something deep in you. About a year ago, I had the pleasure of reading Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass. This remarkable book delves into creation stories with Mother Earth and the teachings of plants, exploring the profound relationship between humans and the land. It weaves together cultural wisdom, scientific knowledge, and practical insights, making it both deeply moving and motivational.
In one chapter, Kimmerer describes the companion planting technique of The Three Sisters. It is an example of plants and people living in harmony and listening closely to what each has to teach. Kimmerer calls The Three Sisters – corn, beans and squash – the “genius of indigenous agriculture.”
I decided to grow a small Three Sisters garden to learn more about interplanting. Watching the plants grow this summer has made me rethink how I cultivate fruits and vegetables. Interplanting, intercropping and companion planting are all terms that refer to methods of maximizing garden space, increasing yields, decreasing labour inputs and reducing disease.
There are many ways to implement these practices, and many benefits and advantages therein. The Three Sisters is one example that has a rich history, tradition and meaning among our Indigenous Peoples. Practically speaking, this method uses corn, beans and squash because they are mutually beneficial and nutritionally complete.
Grown in indigenous cultures for over 3000 years, these three plants are traditionally planted together in a series of mounded hills of soil. I made my planting in one end of a raised bed that is south-facing and protected from wind. Available garden space is at a premium for me, and this was to be a trial to see how the planting performed on a very small scale. Raised beds have excellent drainage, and the well-aged compost I added provided plenty of organic matter and some nutrients.
I planted three rows of sister one, corn, on May 27, after our last risk of spring frost. (Traditional wisdom teaches that the time to plant corn is “when dogwood leaves are the size of a squirrel’s ear”! See our article on last frost dates here.) For optimal pollination, corn needs to be planted in ‘blocks’ so that pollen can be effectively collected and carried by the breeze to neighbouring plants. Corn needs well-drained, fertile soil. The variety I planted, Early Sunglow, matures in 63 days.
Once the corn was about 4 inches high, sister two was planted: beans. On June 3, I planted a green climber bean, Kentucky Blue, which matures in 60-70 days. Beans take longer to germinate than corn. As the corn began its reach for the sky, the bean seeds were sending their primary roots down into the soil, and making a U-turn up towards the light with their pairs of first leaves opened to capture sunlight. Beans also require soil with good drainage that has been amended with compost. Beans fix their own nitrogen; that nitrogen is not available until after the plant dies, so the next plantings reap the benefits.
Although it is recommended to hill or mound up soil around the base of corn plants as they grow to provide support, I never seem to remember to do it. As a result, my corn has succumbed to the wind and toppled in the past.
With the Three Sisters companion planting, the bean vines served as an anchor, stabilizing the corn as much as the corn supported the beans. True to companion planting principles: cooperating, not competing.
A week later, on June 10, I planted sister three: squash. Squash seeds take even longer to emerge from their seed coat, and they appeared 7 days later. Any member of the squash family is suitable here, and I used a couple of varieties that I had on hand: Pinnacle Spaghetti Squash and Delicata. Squash requires a longer growing period and matures after 95-105 days. It thrives in well-drained soil that is rich in nutrients and kept evenly moist. The addition of organic matter helps with the uptake and retention of moisture and nutrients.
This sequence and timing of planting is important for future mutual benefits. The corn has a head start as it stretches skyward with its strongly noded stalks. Meanwhile, its sister, the bean, puts energy into growing pair after pair of leaves. When the bean begins to twirl and vine upwards, the cornstalk is strong and tall, ready to provide support. Aware that a bean shoot can travel up to a meter in one day, I set myself up next to these plants to watch in wonder. Considering these three very familiar plants in the context of this beautiful relationship left me breathless.
Here you can see the graceful upward spiral of the bean plants, sister two.
While this interplay of climbing and supporting, reaching and expanding was happening, the squash grew to cover the soil. Its broad, bristly leaves deter pests and shade the soil, conserving moisture and reducing weed populations. No one leaf overlaps another, optimizing photosynthesis while providing a dense canopy over the soil. How perfect.
The harmony among these plants, along with their forms and functions is thought to be their message to the world: with mutual respect and support, giving and receiving, there is enough for all of us.
My Three Sisters garden grew into a wild, wonderful, chaotic jumble of green, and deep within the garden was a beautifully symbiotic relationship between the three plants. Everything grew well and I became quite enchanted with the quiet, deep observing of it all. Tassels formed on the corn, the beans blossomed, and the squash sprawled while pistils began to bulge.
One of the challenges with the dense leaf canopy resulting from interplanting, however, is providing good air flow and, with the extreme long-lasting heat and humidity we endured this summer, powdery mildew set in in mid-August. This fungal disease does not typically kill the plant, it just slows growth and decreases production. I removed affected leaves to slow the spread and increase air circulation. Next summer, I will try mounded plantings in the ground and provide more space.
As summer wore on and harvesting began, there was a much more reverent twisting of cobs and snapping of beans than in previous years. Our first taste of the sweet corn with a side of steamed beans and stuffed squash blossoms was nothing short of divine.
When enjoyed together in a steaming stew or a delicious dish such as succotash, the nutrients found in the three sisters are nutritionally complete. Just as each plant complements the others in the garden, each vegetable enhances and complements the nutritive value of the others when combined in a meal. Corn is a source of starch; beans are high in protein and the flesh of squash is rich in vitamins. Vegetable proteins found in each of the three sisters efficiently combine to form all 9 essential amino acids – complete protein – necessary in a vegetarian diet.
As I tended my Three Sisters garden, I reflected on the deeper symbolism these plants represent. Corn, beans, and squash—each plant brings something unique to the garden, supporting the others in ways that ensure mutual survival. The corn grows tall and strong, providing a natural pole for the beans to climb. The beans, in turn, fix nitrogen in the soil, nourishing the corn. The squash, with its wide leaves, shades the ground, conserving moisture and preventing weeds. Each plant contributes its strengths to the others, creating a balanced and supportive ecosystem.
This harmony reminded me of my own sisters. We three “Lloyd Sisters” are each distinct in our personalities and strengths, yet deeply connected by the bonds of family and shared history. Like the Three Sisters, we complement one another. Sister one stands tall, grounded and steady, much like the corn, offering guidance and stability. Sister two, like the beans, is adaptable, finding ways to uplift and support, always entwining herself around us when we need her. And sister three—me—spreads out like the squash, rooted and exploring, covering the ground to provide protection and care.
Just as the Three Sisters work together to nourish the soil and each other, my sisters and I have always found ways to nurture one another. In moments when one of us needed strength, the others were there to lend support. Just as Mother Earth weaves together the Three Sisters in a delicate balance, our own mother has always been a constant presence, threading her love and wisdom through each of us. Her influence continues to help us grow and flourish as individuals, always connected in the same family soil.
The Three Sisters together feed the people, feed the land and feed our imaginations, telling us how we might live.
Robin Wall Kimmerer
Copyright©2024 Jennifer Langille
6 Responses
Congratulations Jennifer! I enjoy your writing very much each time Chris sends an article to me.
Your mother would be so proud of you and I know your dad is too.
Thanks so much, Pat, for your kind words. I’m really glad you’re enjoying the articles!
What a great article, thanks so much — really informative, full of practical tips, plus a truly enjoyable read. I’ve earmarked this for next year so I can give this method a go!
This is the best reply – hearing that you’re going to try a Three Sisters garden yourself. Happy you enjoyed the read, Michelle!
I am simply overcome. Poignant words and an inspiring, resounding message. No matter where we are, no matter what life sends us, we three will always be sisters.
Love,
“the bean”
Thank you, my sweet bean!