I'm dividing my garden into three areas: 8'x4', 8'x6', and another 8'x4'. I'm really interested in creating a Three Sisters garden in one of the 8'x4' sections, but I'm worried it might not be big enough for the corn to get properly pollinated. Has anyone tried this size for a Three Sisters setup?
3 Answers
I wouldn't recommend that size for corn unless you're hand pollinating. And keep in mind, if you're planning on growing vine squash, they'll take over more space than you think! Just make sure you've got room outside of your planters for them to spread out.
Yeah, I’ve done corn in a space around 9x3 and it turned out okay, but I hand pollinated too. Honestly though, I think you'd need at least 4 rows for better pollination. And if you’re going for sweet corn, just a heads up, it might not perform well in a Three Sisters garden since its stalks usually aren’t sturdy enough for the beans.
I think it could work if you're willing to hand pollinate the corn. I'm trying something similar, and while I don't expect a huge yield, I've seen folks successfully grow corn in smaller spaces. A friend of mine does just fine with her 4x4 setup without hand pollination, but she doesn't use the Three Sisters method.