Growing Together: How to plant a three sisters garden

Indigenous people, such as the Anishinaabeg, have been farming for thousands of years. They practiced, and still practice, growing different plants together to get the best harvest. This is called companion planting.

The most common companions planted together were corn, beans, and squash, also known as the Three Sisters. The corn (Mandaamin) grows tall and acts as a pole for the beans (Mashkodesimin) to climb up. The beans add nitrogen to the soil, helping to feed her sisters. The squash (Okosimaan) covers the ground with her big leaves to keep moisture in the soil and her prickles protect her sisters from rabbits.

Planting a Three Sisters Garden

There are some variations to the three sisters garden method, but the idea is to plant the seeds in clusters rather than a traditional single row.

• Start with a mound of soil, roughly 10 cm high, that gets plenty of sun.
• The corn is planted first in the centre of the mound once the danger of frost has passed.
• Once the corn is 15 cm tall, plant four bean seeds evenly spaced around the stalk.
• About a week later, plant the squash seeds around the perimeter of the mound.

Harvesting a Three Sisters Garden

Harvesting typically begins in late September:

• Normally beans are ready to pick first. It is best to pick them when they are tender, meaning before there are bumps on the pod where the seeds are.
• Corn is ready to pick when the cornsilk turns from a light yellow to a dark brown. To double-check the ripeness of the corn, pull back the husk and look at the kernels.
• Squash is ready to pick when the rind (skin) is firm and glossy and when the vine is turning hard and brown/yellow. Squash is best picked right before the first frost.

Recipe

Three Sisters Soup

• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 16 oz. corn
• 16 oz. beans
• 1 small onion (chopped)
• 1 stick celery (chopped)
• 15 oz. cooked squash
• 5 fresh sage leaves OR 1/2 tsp. dried sage
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder

Instructions

1. Bring stock to a slow boil in a large pot.
2. Add corn, beans, onion, and celery. Boil on medium heat for 10 minutes until softened.
3. Add sage leaves, curry, and squash. Simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

We can’t wait to see how your garden grows. Share your photos using #3SistersGardenMB or tag us on Facebook, Twitter (both @ParksCanadaMB), or Instagram (@parks.canada).