Growing the Perfect Pumpkin


OldFashionedLiving.com
Home   |   Holidays   |   Garden Path   |   Home & Hearth   |   Kitchen   |   Tea Time   |   Rememberances   |   Corner Library   |   Crafter's Attic   |   Treehouse   |   Pathways   |   Moms   |   The Parlor


Search

Monthly Newsletter

Daily Tips Newsletter

Home





Gardening Tips
Growing Herbs
Flowers Gardens
Organic Gardening
Herb Recipes/Crafts

Home & Hearth
DIY Projects
Cleaning Tips
Household Pests

Old Fashioned Recipes
Family Recipes
Kitchen Tips
Hospitality

Tea Time
Tea Traditions
Good Manners
Menus & Recipes

Holidays
Holiday Crafts
Recipes & Tips
Family Traditions

Family Loss
Loss and Grief
Poetry & Tributes

Family Reading
Book Reviews
Poetry & Reading
Writing Tips

Craft Projects
Craft Projects
Keepsake Crafts
Kid's Projects

Kid's Fun
Kid's Crafts
Family Activities
Scrapbooking
Games & Fun

Family History
Family History
Collecting Tips
Geneology

Motherhood
Pampering Ideas
Encouragement
Parenting Tips

Family Resources
Kid's Resources
Family Support

The Parlor
Join us on our message boards for conversation, introductions, support, encouragement and chit chat. Stop by and introduce yourself Here!


Recipes

Tea

Crafts

Garden

Forums

The Three Sisters

The Three Sisters

From The Perfect Pumpkin by Gail Damerow

An Iroquois legend tells how, when the Great Spirit walked across the earth, corn sprouted from her footsteps, beans appeared by her left hand, and pumpkins grew by her right hand. The Pilgrims learned from the Natvie Americans to grow together what the Natives came to call the three sisters: corn, beans, and squash.

Today the process is called multicropping or polyculture. Interestingly, the sisters not only cooperate with one another to provide a more favorable growing environment for all three, but eaten in combination they provide a balanced diet for humans.

If you sow seeds of all three crops in the same hole together, the faster-growing beans and pumpkins will choke out the slower-growing corn. So give the corn a head start by planting it first; when stalks are about 18 inches (45 cm) high, plant pole beans and pumpkins. Sow the beans at the base of the corn to give them a place to climb, but space the pumpkins as you normally would, to keep them from overrunning the corn and beans. (Warning: Do not plant pumpkins with corn where southern corn rootworm is a problem; the adult version is a cucumber beetle that blemishes pumpkin shells and spreads disease.)

The three sisters work together as companion plants in many ways. Growing wide-spreading pumpkin vines among vertically oriented corn and beans saves space. Cornstalks give beans a place to grow, and shade pumpkins during hot summer days (but die back in time to let in sunlight for the fruits to mature). Pumpkin vines shade the soil to deter weeds, minimize soil erosion, and reduce evaporation of moisture from the earth. Although corn and pumpkins are both heavy feeders, corn feeds near the surface while pumpkins glean nutrients from deeper down in the soil; beans, meanwhile, enrich the soil for future crops. And the three sisters together create an environment that discourages pests: Pumpkin vines repel corn ear borer, and the prickly leaves discourage raccoons from getting into the corn.

Pumpkin Companions

Good: Reason:
Borage, lemon balm Attract bees for good pollination
Clover Keeps down weeds and enriches the soil when strip-cropped between pumpkin rows
Corn, sunflowers Tall plants provide vines and natural windbreak; sprawly vines among tall crops save space and act as a living mulch (but do not plant pumpkins with corn where southern corn rootworms thrive)
Petunias, nasturtiums Repel squash bugs
Radishes Deter cucumber beetles when planted in a circle around each hill, one week before pumpkin seeds or at the same time as presprouted seed
Zucchini Lure squash bugs away from pumpkins
Poor: Reason:
Cucumbers Attract cucumber beetles, which spread diseases from vine to vine
Potatoes Inhibit vine and fruit growth; potatoes become more susceptible to blight
Raspberries Increase pumpkins' susceptibility to blight

From The Perfect Pumpkin by Gail Damerow. Line drawing by Susan Berry Langsten

Order Information: GardenGuides stock The Perfect Pumpkin. You'll find order information HERE

More on Pumpkin:

More Pumpkin Recipes

Roasting Pumpkins

Herbs and Pumpkins

Pumpkin Sweets

Pumpkin Sprouts

Pumpkin Dessert Recipes

Pumpkin Fudge and More

Pumpkin Traditions

Harvest Tips and Recipes

Custom Search


Visit Alicia for Easter Recipes



Sheila
"I am a Christian Woman, a stay home homemaker and a Mom.

My interests: I love to knit, crochet, sew, embrodiery, and quilt. I play the piano, read music, I write Chrisitan poems and writings. I collect teddy bears, angels, hearts and butterflies."

Member since: 08-27-2005

Read more from this member or chat with all our friendly members in The Parlor!



Tips for Selecting the Best Summer Fruit
Summertime brings with it a bounty of fresh fruits, but consumers often have no idea how to choose the best fruit. This can lead to the frustration of lackluster fruit, which can make all the difference in the quality of your dining experience. Keep these handy tips in mind when choosing summer fruit and you'll always get the pick of the crop.

Read more...



Preserve and Display your Wedding Memories
Create a lovely shadowbox frame to preserve the memory of that most beautiful day, your wedding! Perhaps your son or daughter are the ones tying the knot? This makes a wonderful gift that they will cherish forever.

Read more...



Caring for Wicker Furniture
Regardless of the material from which your wicker furniture is constructed, keeping it clean can be a challenge because of the textured surface.

Here are some great tips on caring for your wicker furniture so that it will last you for years.

Read more...





Home | Forums | Newsletter | Resources | Media Kit | Submissions | Privacy Statement | Contact Us
© Copyright 1999-2008 MOAB Group LLC, Seeds of Knowledge, Old Fashioned Living

KITCHEN & HOME
Easy Recipes
Holiday Recipes
Wedding Ideas
PARENTS & FAMILY
Unique Baby Names
Baby Names
Popular Baby Names
Kids Crafts
Sleep Problem
SHOPPING
Wall Letters
Family Decals
Craft Supplies
Kids Costumes