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Purple Pear Farm

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Commenced:	01/01/2006
Submitted:	02/02/2011
Last updated:	26/09/2020
Location:	131 Anambah Road, Maitland, NSW, AU
Phone:	0249320443
Website:	www.purplepearfarm.com.au
Climate zone:	Warm Temperate

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Three Sisters visit the farm.

Project: Purple Pear Farm

Posted by Mark Brown about 12 years ago

I have bean going to squash this corny story but it just has to come out.

The three sisters companion planting as seen in the Americas by tradition and now used widely sees the corn grown with beans and squash for mutual benifit.

This year, due in part to the lack of water available, we have grown corn and squash ( mainly zuchinni) in the mandala beds.

The beds are planted out with plenty of the fast growing greens such as bok choi and lettuce while the corn and squash is young. The plants do provide some shade for the lettuce from summer Sun. So as part of the normal rotation in the mandala garden we plant corn and squash on south and west sides of the bed and towards the centre.

Back to the three sisters - the mutual benifits come from all directions as the three interplay in each others growing season. The corn benifits from the squash because of the shade the squash throws on the soil and preserves water which corn needs in abundance. The corn is a gross feeder and benifits fron the legumous beans to some extent but the biggest advantage is that the bean weaves support for the corn as it climbes and resistance to strong winds develops. The bean gets a stalk to climb on and shaded soil too.

We like to use purple king beans and yellow zuchinni or squash to make picking easier.

We have tried several combinations with cucumber and butternuts used and have had a few surprises when squash has outgrown the greens and are trying a plantout of squash seedling after the lettuce and greens are harvested.

Thank you to the first Americans for this valuable design tool!

Comments (8)

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Millie Hrdina : Thank you Mark. I welcome the reminder. My plan to do this this year got lost in the shuffle and this is the perfect time to be reininded. I really appreciate all that you share.

Posted over 11 years ago

Daryl Gana : credible login

Posted over 1 year ago

Victor Patrick : The three sisters companion planting method is indeed a valuable design tool that has been practiced by indigenous cultures in the Americas for centuries. It's wonderful to see how you have incorporated this traditional wisdom into your mandala garden and adapted it to your specific circumstances. Bitlife

Posted over 1 year ago

Bekean Loinse : The corn benefits from the fnf game presence of squash due to the shade it provides on the soil. This shading helps retain moisture in the soil, which is essential for corn's growth, as it requires abundant water.

Posted over 1 year ago

Robert Hones : The plants do provide some shade for the lettuce from summer Sun. Concord Concrete And Masonry Pros

Posted 11 months ago

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Posted 6 months ago

Gary Mark : The three sisters intercropping method, consisting of corn, beans and squash, is truly a wonderful agricultural technique cookie clicker.

Posted 4 months ago

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