I began this post,
then thought of our own dear departed
Billy Thorpe and The Aztecs.
OK! so I am showing my age!
But doncha love the dancing, and the suits?
And why was I thinking of the Aztecs?
Because of the corn and the beans of course.
I waited until the corn was up and growing...
then I hilled up the soil around their roots
and planted climbing beans.
Just like the Aztecs
(the civilization, not the band)
used to do in South America.
This combination is the absolute pinnacle
of companion planting.
The beans fix nitrogen in the soil for the hungry corn,
and the corn provides something
for the beans to clamber up.
A real win-win situation.
Of course, the Aztecs would have planted
some squash nearby and allowed it to ramble
through the lot to save space.
And no 'poison ivy' in sight!
Can't wait to see how much it has grown
when I get home.
I'm going to try the Three Sisters technique next year. What type of bean did you use?
ReplyDeleteI used my favorite...lazy housewife, of course. On the tripod I planted a three col our heirloom mix. Can't wait to see them all when I get home!
ReplyDeleteBilly was one of my pin up boys too.
ReplyDeleteTony picked the first corn last night and is still raving about it.
Things have been growing so quickly, I'm sure you are going to come home to a forest!
ReplyDeleteI have wanted to try the three sisters for a while now but have to get past the corn falling over when it rains first. Maybe the beans would help hold them up,..but I kind of doubt it. The better soil in raised beds may be the best thing for them, I hope anyway.
ReplyDeleteBecky, I have never bothered before but I read that once the corn is 1ft tall to hill up the soil around the stem. I have tried it this year maybe you could try that
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ReplyDeleteFantastic! Sadly my corn are not doing well. Too many pecks from greedy beaks before the greedy fox came.
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