We always like to experiment at the community allotment and we tend to find the old tried and tested methods work really well. Our latest experiment is the Three Sister's planting method.
So what is the three sister's planting method? It dates back to around three hundred years ago used by Native American tribes, it allows you to successfully grow three crops in the area of one. The three crops are corn, beans and squash family (pumpkins, courgettes gourds etc) This method is ideal if you are limited in space and want to grow a variety of crops. The idea is each plants contributes and thrives from being near to each other. The sweetcorn provides a structure for the bean to climb up, the beans stabilise the corn so it doesn't snap in the wind and the sprawling squash plants block sunlight from the soil creating a living mulch which keeps the soil moist and supresses weed growth. You can add sunflowers around the edge as the fourth sister to act as a pollinator.
The beans, sweetcorn and pumpkins, are growing really well with the sun and recent rain. Watch this space to see how this works out.
Have you tried this method of growing or you have any other interesting methods you would like to share, please just get in touch.