Three Sisters Garden

Traditional Native American companion planting with corn, beans, and squash in harmony.

CompanionIntermediateHigh summercompanion plantingNative Americanthree sisterssustainable

6 × 6 cells· 15 plants · 0 elements · 3

About This Template

The Three Sisters is an ancient companion-planting method practiced by Indigenous peoples of North America for thousands of years. Corn provides a natural trellis for beans to climb, beans fix nitrogen in the soil that corn needs, and squash spreads along the ground to shade out weeds and retain moisture. This symbiotic relationship produces abundant harvests with minimal external inputs and builds soil health season after season.

Benefits

  • 1Nitrogen-fixing beans enrich soil naturally
  • 2Corn stalks serve as natural bean trellises
  • 3Squash leaves suppress weeds and retain moisture
  • 4Provides a complete protein when crops are combined
  • 5Builds soil health over successive seasons

Growing Tips

  • 1Plant corn first, then beans 1–2 weeks later when corn is 6 inches tall
  • 2Add squash when corn reaches 12 inches to avoid overwhelming seedlings
  • 3Hill soil around corn stalks for stability as they grow
  • 4Water deeply once a week during dry spells

Included Plants (4)

Corn

Zea mays

Green Beans

Phaseolus vulgaris

Zucchini

Cucurbita pepo

Sugar Pumpkin

Cucurbita pepo

Ready to Start Growing?

Use this template as a starting point and customize it in the garden editor.