HelpfulGardener.com

Growing pole beans with corn in small corn patches at least is a bad idea. The problem is the beans vines entangle the corn which is the whole ides but if wind or rain or even heavy watering occurs and one stalk of corn starts to fall over it takes the whole row with it. Also, if the bean vines jumped rows, adjacent rows will fall too. It's a trick of the devil to think you can get away with not having to build trellis platforms for beans and laziness always prevails. But after losing a corn crop and cursing too, you'll never try this stupid suggestion again. Just plant your corn in one spot and your pole beans somewhere else and all will be happy including you.
Bob

Oh no! I just planted corn, it is now about 6" tall and I was planning on planting beans this week to climb up the corn, then next week squash to be a living mulch under them.

I did, and didn't plant in rows, I planted a raised bed 3 rows wide by 4 plants long. Only a dozen plants, and left room in the spacing for the other two to grow!

My hubby has corn in long rows, and I was considering putting beans with his corn too. Maybe he will get bush beans. Hey still legumes! Limas?

Have you tried it? In my experience, it depends on the corn and bean varieties. Shorter fast maturing corn will not support the bean vines very well compared to taller, sturdier corn varieties, and there are vigorous pole beans and not so vigorous ones.

I don't have any experience with this, so this is just an out of curiosity question. Does it make a difference the spacing of the corn? Is this an eg where jal_UT's wide spacing would really help? I'm thinking slowing the beans down from spreading too much from plant to plant and especially row to row. Jal spaces his corn rows 3' apart. I'm thinking at that spacing it would be pretty difficult for the beans to jump rows anyway... And have more space in between for growing the squash/ pumpkin if you are doing 3 sisters.

Welcome to the helpful gardener, RP!

I'm sorry to hear about your corn, at least you learned something from it.

Perhaps it's better to let the corn mature more and plant the beans a little later, this way, they won't overpower the corn as much.

Welcome rpmarr !

I am with you on this. I tried beans with corn one time and decided it was detrimental to both. My idea of companion planting is to plant three rows of corn, move over 3 feet and plant three rows of beans. The squash can go somewhere else. All plants will do better if they are not in competition with other plants for sunshine, water, nutrients, root space and wind.

Yes, wind, that is where the plants get the carbon (carbon dioxide). Perhaps not so critical in a backyard garden, but it is very important in a large stand of corn.

Some of the old standard corn varieties were much stronger against the wind than SE and sh2 varieties. All corn is not equal when it comes to standing up in the wind.