Our sustainers
May 3, 2008 6:49 PM Subscribe
They've always said you can lead a horticulture, but you can't make it think.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:48 PM on May 3, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by five fresh fish at 7:48 PM on May 3, 2008 [1 favorite]
I think the three sisters approach is nifty, but I think perennial herbs and simpler mixed plantings of annual vegetables, where one vegetable doesn't rely on another one for structural support, would provide a better introduction to horticulture. They're more forgiving of an early learning curve and year to year environmental variations. Three sisters is actually a bit trickier in practice than these pages let on. I've only tried it once, and unfortunately it was in a very dry summer when the corn was stunted in much of my region, so the beans ended up sprawling all over the place without enough support. The corn was adorably tiny. I would love to try again though, once I have greenspace again.
If you are just starting out with a vegetable garden, I would suggest avoiding corn at first if you want to start with something "introductory." Maybe try beans and squash together, and then add corn in a year when you want to move on to the next level of difficulty. It's not that it's all that hard, just that someone who's got a better feel for it can handle things that go awry more adeptly, which is important when you've set up something sort of mutualistic. And corn can be somewhat demanding in terms of space, nutrients, and water-- it's easier to mess up. And you need to space it so that it pollinates.
posted by Tehanu at 11:15 PM on May 3, 2008
If you are just starting out with a vegetable garden, I would suggest avoiding corn at first if you want to start with something "introductory." Maybe try beans and squash together, and then add corn in a year when you want to move on to the next level of difficulty. It's not that it's all that hard, just that someone who's got a better feel for it can handle things that go awry more adeptly, which is important when you've set up something sort of mutualistic. And corn can be somewhat demanding in terms of space, nutrients, and water-- it's easier to mess up. And you need to space it so that it pollinates.
posted by Tehanu at 11:15 PM on May 3, 2008
Thanks for the practical perspective, Tehanu. I have a bed I'm going to try it on, and we'll see how it goes. I got cucumbers, pumpkins, sugar pumpkins and summer squash last year. That all went well, and I grew scarlet runners on a friend's fence, so maybe I'm ready for corn.
GMOBly, I spent my early childhood (6mo-4yo) here and here. We raised cattle, tobacco and corn, and I think sometimes soybeans. Not that I learned any of it.
posted by owhydididoit at 12:13 AM on May 4, 2008
GMOBly, I spent my early childhood (6mo-4yo) here and here. We raised cattle, tobacco and corn, and I think sometimes soybeans. Not that I learned any of it.
posted by owhydididoit at 12:13 AM on May 4, 2008
Tehanu, I failed at corn too, so here's a nifty article on companion planting for those with little space and a chart at the bottom.
The power of green manure.
Three sisters garden looks like fun tho', I'd give it try if I had the space.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 1:14 AM on May 4, 2008 [1 favorite]
The power of green manure.
Three sisters garden looks like fun tho', I'd give it try if I had the space.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 1:14 AM on May 4, 2008 [1 favorite]
One thing all of those articles leave out are the varieties of the plants those systems encouraged. Corn, as it migrated north, went through a transition. Corn easily grown in the warmer climates is able to be easily grown sweeter. This is not to say you can't grow sweet corn in the northern climes (I live in Washington and can grow sweet corn without a problem, albeit the plants are never huge and per dollar acre here aren't worth it, but customers love it and expect it).
As corn spread north it was selected for it starchiness. Starchy corn doesn't rot as easily in the ground and, from my experience, seems generally less susceptible to diseases that thrive off a high sugar content, i.e. molds and fungi. You can also save starchy corn easier than sweet corn for grinding into flour easier than you can sweet corn.
The squash varieties also make a difference. Although summer squash are botanically squash, i.e. Cucurbitacea, some produce all there bounty earlier in the year but in doing so need extra heat; read greenhouses. For winter squash I prefer Banana Pink Jumbo, Acorn, Delicata, and for a fun little treat Spaghetti squash.
There are also a large swath of bean varieties to choose from; some for fresh eating, some that can be eaten young and fresh or aged and stored, and some that you dry and store. Again, depending on what climate these crops where grown in and the seasonally variable foodstuffs would vary the variety of crop that were grown.
posted by ZaneJ. at 4:08 AM on May 4, 2008 [2 favorites]
As corn spread north it was selected for it starchiness. Starchy corn doesn't rot as easily in the ground and, from my experience, seems generally less susceptible to diseases that thrive off a high sugar content, i.e. molds and fungi. You can also save starchy corn easier than sweet corn for grinding into flour easier than you can sweet corn.
The squash varieties also make a difference. Although summer squash are botanically squash, i.e. Cucurbitacea, some produce all there bounty earlier in the year but in doing so need extra heat; read greenhouses. For winter squash I prefer Banana Pink Jumbo, Acorn, Delicata, and for a fun little treat Spaghetti squash.
There are also a large swath of bean varieties to choose from; some for fresh eating, some that can be eaten young and fresh or aged and stored, and some that you dry and store. Again, depending on what climate these crops where grown in and the seasonally variable foodstuffs would vary the variety of crop that were grown.
posted by ZaneJ. at 4:08 AM on May 4, 2008 [2 favorites]
Count me in as another "corn failure." The first year I moved to NC I tried growing corn and ended up with a nasty blue fungus. I'm not big on fungus/blight/mold/wilt/insect control-- I'll feed and water and weed, but then my plants are on their own. So squash, yes. Beans, yes. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, peas, herbs, flowers, yes. But no corn. Besides, it takes a lot of room and I can get 3 ears of corn for a dollar (and even for free at the height of the season) at the farmer's market.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 8:15 AM on May 4, 2008
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 8:15 AM on May 4, 2008
How do the massive monoculture corn farms prevent blue blight and the like? It's kinda scary that you could end up with blight so quick and easy, and they never do...
posted by five fresh fish at 8:21 AM on May 4, 2008
posted by five fresh fish at 8:21 AM on May 4, 2008
I've never had the space for corn, but this made me think about using an artificial "corn" (namely heavy sticks anchored in the dirt) for structure and planting at least the squash and beans together. My neighbor just cut back a huge forsithia bush and I salvaged the branches-- I've been wondering what to do with them.
I also thought I would try growing my cucumbers "up" this year, due to a constricted space. Anyone had any experience training cucumbers up a support?
Marie Mon Dieu, the companion planting post is great, thanks. Interesting to see that I did a lot of "companion planting" as a solution to a small space and my aesthetic discomfort with order! Plus, i seem to have put them in the right combinations through dumb luck.
nice post and as always great gardening tips from MeFites, thanks.
posted by nax at 8:56 AM on May 4, 2008
I also thought I would try growing my cucumbers "up" this year, due to a constricted space. Anyone had any experience training cucumbers up a support?
Marie Mon Dieu, the companion planting post is great, thanks. Interesting to see that I did a lot of "companion planting" as a solution to a small space and my aesthetic discomfort with order! Plus, i seem to have put them in the right combinations through dumb luck.
nice post and as always great gardening tips from MeFites, thanks.
posted by nax at 8:56 AM on May 4, 2008
I always run my cucumber up a trellis or some such support. Saves room and keeps the fruit nicer looking. As long as you're not doing some hybrid with freakish huge fruit it shouldn't be an issue (lemon cukes work really well, btw).
posted by kjs3 at 11:31 AM on May 4, 2008
posted by kjs3 at 11:31 AM on May 4, 2008
A couple of other related resources on this topic:
Here is some info on varieties and traditional layouts of various tribes that grew three sisters gardens
and
Here is a very interesting (but long) account of traditional first nations gardening in the Hidatsa tribe.
posted by aquafiend at 7:35 PM on May 4, 2008 [1 favorite]
Here is some info on varieties and traditional layouts of various tribes that grew three sisters gardens
and
Here is a very interesting (but long) account of traditional first nations gardening in the Hidatsa tribe.
posted by aquafiend at 7:35 PM on May 4, 2008 [1 favorite]
Thanks, aquafiend, I might try using a starchy corn.
posted by owhydididoit at 8:26 PM on May 4, 2008
posted by owhydididoit at 8:26 PM on May 4, 2008
« Older Microsoft gives up on its bid for Yahoo! | Living life after death Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by Frasermoo at 6:59 PM on May 3, 2008