[Stree]

I am considering using the Three sisters method but using courgettes instead of pumpkin or squash. Any thoughts on this anyone?

[Yorkie]

I see no reason why the principle should be any different.

However, people have had very mixed success with the method in this country, as it's designed for a very different climate than ours.

[JayG]

The practice originated in America apparently, where the summers are a lot more reliable than they are here - I think you need a combination of sun, very rich soil, and also plenty of water to get them all performing at their best.

If you go ahead don't forget that many of the sweet corn varieties bred for this country only grow to about 5' (including the tassels) which might not be tall enough for the beans to climb up, and that courgettes need access for picking a lot more frequently than squashes do (maybe every day if things go well!)

The nearest I've got to it was letting a rampant winter squash meander through the sweet corn - recent poor summers and light sandy soil are not a confidence-inspiring combination for me to try all three.

[Stree]

Fair points, but in favour I have very rich soil.Courtesy well rotted straw and poultry muck mixed in with ordinary compost. This is dug in every year in one particular patch.
As for sweetcorn height, well seing as they will only be acting as support and not particularly for crop, perhaps I could substitute these with teasels?  might tear the bean stems to shreds though.
I quite like the idea because of the natural cycle it represents.

[sunshineband]

I do grow sweetcorn and sqaushes/pumpkins and courgettes in the same bed, but not beans as I coudl not accommodate enough climbing up the corn to be that worthwhile.

Werks fine for me, but they do need a lot of water and a feed every now and again too 

[Stree]

I think I might as well grow the beans on a cane frame as usual and have the courgettes at the base, at least the  courgettes will act as a mulch and shade for the soil at the base of the beans and perhaps the courgettes might get some benefit from the nitrogen released  by the beans.
The beans are Borloto or Borlotti ( seems to be various ways to spell) which I know are red and white blotchy pods , but don`t know what colour the flowers are. Should be a nice foil for the yellow courgette flowers anyway.

[Totty]

I have grown courgettes and squash in amongst corn before now. It works fine as there is still plently of light getting to the plants beneath, the squash then cover the soil which halts evaporation a little. The problem with growing them under a bean wigwam is that they will struggle to get any light when the beans get going, and the beans have roots that go very deep in search of water, so although the squash leaves will help the beans a little they will not benefit them nearly as much as the shallow rooted corn.

Totty

[bigben]

I am planning to put a few squash in among my corn but not beans. My corn is the crop that my kids will kill for so I dont want to risk it being spoiled by beans climbing it. I also tend to grow the low stuff as my site is windy.

[Salmo]

I have grown a mix of courgettes, squash and pumpkin with sweet corn with good results for several years. I have never suceeded with beans which always seem to get swamped.

I think you must accept that you cannot expect twice the crop and give both courettes etc and sweet corn a little more spacing than if they were on their own.

Both sweet corn and courgettes etc grow well through gaps in weed membrane and like that there is no need to weed and stepping in between plants to harvest is never muddy.

[WebSiteEvo]

Worked well for me, but the beans had a frame to grow up and over.



There are some runner beans at the back but not that easy to spot on the photo.

[New shoot]

I always grow a few climbing beans up my sweetcorn.  If there is nothing at the base of the corn, I go for beans you grow for the pods.  I find you trample the squash too much trying to get the beans if you want to be in there picking regularly.

If I've got squash, courgette or outdoor cuccumber (done all of these and they all work) at the base of the corn, I go for beans to harvest either as dried beans or fresh but for the beans, not the pods. so your borlotti shoud be perfect.

I'm on a fairly heavy clay soil and use a patch I've dug a lot of compost into the year before  

[emptydraw]

I'll be going down the two sisters route (twice!).

So that's sweetcorn with pumpkins/squash around the the base and also beans grown up a munty frame with courgettes growing around the base.

Worked well last year, I cant wait for the sweetcorn....yum

[sunshineband]

I do have courgettes at the base of my climbing bean frame 

[Stree]

Some nice variations on a theme there.......got a few weeks yet to decide..