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katylaide
- Cool Member
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- Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2010 10:12 pm
- Location: Adelaide Hills, Australia
Plants which serve as trellises
I'm intrigued by the Three Sister way of planting. I'm a very new gardener and this is basically a hypothetical question right now, but apart from corn and sunflower, what other plants could serve as trellises? I was thinking narrow fruit trees, artichokes or asparagus might do it, especially if the fruit trees are pruned to be open.
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applestar
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- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
OK. I had to stop and think. First, it's a good idea to consider how well they pair up. Some beans are too vigorous and will shade or pull down your corn. Earlier maturing corn tend to be less supportive. You want 7~8' or taller varieties. I found that you can continue to use the corn stalks after harvest, but they know their purpose is done and can fall over before the beans are done. It helps to tie them into tee-pee trellises. The stalks and leaves can get smutty too (grow black mold).
Same consideration for sunflowers -- some varieties are smaller and less sturdy. Sunflowers, being top-heavy, are prone to falling over anyway....
Asparagus would be too delicate, I don't have experience with artichoke. Taller varieties of okra might work.
After some thought, I would recommend AGAINST using fruit trees. Having the vines on them would create humid conditions that may invite disease or hide insects. Also, fruit trees will require far more frequent treatments for fungal and pest conditions. I only use milk solution and clay, but if you use anything else, you may be spraying your beans, which are eaten whole, more often and with other substances than you want. Finally, the beans will seek sun and WILL grow to the end of the branches, thereby shading and interfering with fruit production.
I think you *might* be better off growing spring peas.
You might be able to combine beans with non-fruiting open structured trees, but I'm still a bit uncertain about shade/light conditions near the trunk.
OH!! And when you grow the Three Sisters, be care ful of the pumpkins/squash wanting to grow on the corn.
Also, add a Fourth Sister -- traditional choice is Spider Flower (Cleome) but any umbel forming flowers or herbs would do well -- I like using Cilantro in the cooler months and Dill in the hotter months. Fennel would work too, though I wasn't successful growing them last year. They attract beneficial insects.
Same consideration for sunflowers -- some varieties are smaller and less sturdy. Sunflowers, being top-heavy, are prone to falling over anyway....
Asparagus would be too delicate, I don't have experience with artichoke. Taller varieties of okra might work.
After some thought, I would recommend AGAINST using fruit trees. Having the vines on them would create humid conditions that may invite disease or hide insects. Also, fruit trees will require far more frequent treatments for fungal and pest conditions. I only use milk solution and clay, but if you use anything else, you may be spraying your beans, which are eaten whole, more often and with other substances than you want. Finally, the beans will seek sun and WILL grow to the end of the branches, thereby shading and interfering with fruit production.
I think you *might* be better off growing spring peas.
You might be able to combine beans with non-fruiting open structured trees, but I'm still a bit uncertain about shade/light conditions near the trunk.
OH!! And when you grow the Three Sisters, be care ful of the pumpkins/squash wanting to grow on the corn.
Also, add a Fourth Sister -- traditional choice is Spider Flower (Cleome) but any umbel forming flowers or herbs would do well -- I like using Cilantro in the cooler months and Dill in the hotter months. Fennel would work too, though I wasn't successful growing them last year. They attract beneficial insects.