I love this. Can you update how it worked out please? Were the quantities right or did you need to thin? Did you harvest It all together in the autumn?
He admits in this video (ua-cam.com/video/nJZNBanoBIc/v-deo.html&ab_channel=NiallGardens) that this garden was a failure for a couple of reasons. The biggest was that Ireland's climate wasn't the right one for these plants. Another mistake was the kind of corn used. Native Americans used flint corn, a type of corn used to make flour. These varieties are tall with strong stalks that can handle the pull of the climbing beans. You may also want to place your squash in a spot that will get some light during development. You can always just move the vines through the corn as it grows.
Hi 👋 loved your gardening videos .😍.. i started kitchen gardening very fitst time in Ireland now loved 😍 all about sowing, planting, growing ,gardening everything about gardening 😆 videos ..
Hello Niall, I've just binged watched all your videos..... I enjoyed them so much! Your new intro is fab! I am just starting out with growing veg this year so all your videos are just a joy to watch. I can't wait for the next one..... love the idea of the three sisters.
Hi Vivian! Thanks so much for the lovely message! And I'm super chuffed that you're binge watching the other videos too! 😃 Yeah I've wanted to try the three sisters growing method for a long time and I'll be interested to see if it's a success or not!
Good luck with the three sisters! I haven't had any success, so I'm skipping it this year - but I may analyze what the problem was and give it another go next year. Mostly, I think, apart from the slugs that decimated my beans and squash, my squash didn't get enough light - so I may just plant them at the edge of the bed in future, on the sunny side...
Interesting to hear that it wasn't that successful for you - I'm unsure what it's going to be like for me also... it might be a one-year test and never to be done again! 😂 I like the idea of planting the squashes at the edges...
@@niallgardens I'm sure I will eventually try it again, at least two sisters - tall bamboo canes are just soo much more expensive than just growing corn for the beans 😉
Well done video -- seems it works well no matter the format (circles, rows, raised beds, etc. Like what you said about planting more beans to give you more OPTIONS -- I always like options. You never know that will happen. Just trying this out -- had extra starts on corn and squash. so will give it a go. Thanks for the video. Things here in pacific northwest need OPTIONS - especially as we are at about 650' on side of a mountain, and lots of struggles.
Nice to see the three sisters made it to Ireland. To late to try it this year in North Dakota but you gave me the thought to give it a go next year. I was thinking of trying it with one of the bush varieties of squash to keep a little containment and get more shade on our sun parched soil (in addition to the straw mulch). Great prestation!
It sure has made it and I can't wait to see how well it works! Your idea of using a bush variety of squash is actually a good one - I think that could work really quite nicely.
I'm going to try this next year. I have a no dig, "randomised" allotment, which is full of 3rd generation volunteer sunflowers, dill, etc. Great video, thanks ❤
Glad I caught your video because your additional details on thinking about the type of beans to plant and the harvesting concerns and points really helps. This is the first time I am trying this method in a about 6 by 7 space so I really needed to know how to place it. It’s spring here also and I have mostly amended clay soil zone 8a in USA
@@niallgardens yes it was. My mom and I always enjoy the manner in which you deliver your content. Succinct yet calming and it allows one to really feel like Gardening is accessible
Well done Niall,love the new intro, well put together. Veg patch is looking great, hard work paid off. I have done the three sisters, and yes it did work out. This year,i have beans in one bed,next bed very close by have sweetcorn,i have a courgette maturing at home,but will be putting in right by them. Corn is a fave of mine growing, earwigs love it too, so a good shake before you bring them home ha ha. Enjoy the sunshine and thanks for sharing another great video.
Hi Lorraine! That's great (and reassuring) to hear someone who's tried it and had success with it. I always say it, but I love the sound of all the plants and varieties that you sow - it sounds brilliant! Thanks for the advice on the earwigs... I'm going to remember that!
@@niallgardens oh even if you forget the earwigs, you will rem quickly when you see them emerge ha ha. Niall i found a super helpful tool,called a Hoe/ aerator,its between a flat side of a pick axe and a two prongs on other side,a long handle,wow it does some great damage to weeds, had great fun with it over two days. Just a tip.The sisters that year were super,5 pumpkins and great corn i rem. Broad beans i couldn't keep up with.Niall half or near a lot if the time i have no idea what i am doing, but i live growing lots ,and live eating new produce,it's a great adventure.
Hi Niall! Nice work there! 👏🌱 I'm also planting the 3 sisters concept for the first time this year! The sweet cornplants are out already, but borlotto beans and... yes, butternut squashes are still in their pots. My plan is to bring the sisters together some time during this weekend. 😅
Just come over from instagram after you gave me a follow 😊 I planted up my 3 sister's bed today, f1 bodacious corn, purple teepee dwarf beans, 2 butternut squash, 1 tromboncino courgette and 1 pumpkin. Looking forward to seeing how yours progresses
Yay! Welcome! Those sound like great varieties - and cool that you're doing the three sisters thing also! Keep me posted with how it gets on and we can compare notes!
Thanks very much! Yeah this is my first year growing corn and I'm a little surprised at how slow it's been to start establishing... it's really only now that I can see it's doing something. Hmmmmm
Just transplanted the corn into our raised beds as the first part of our three sisters bed. Planted them with way more distance though cause I thought the squash would need a lot of space to take up in between them. Inspiring to find out that you can plant he corn quite close together and be a bit more scarce in how many squash you put in between there. First time trying the sisters out, so really helpful to see this video! I will check out if you already made more videos about the follow up.
@@alexbrown3511 yes it was great! I only found that the corn didn't grow very tall and therefore didnt provide that much climbing support for the haricots. But great to try anyway and will do it again this year but maybe in a more sunny place for the corn/maize.
We plant our corn in clumps of 4 plants together rather than single plants. The hope is that helps with pollination.But there are many ways to garden and lots to learn! Did yours pollinate enough for full ears?
This is my first garden of three sisters. How do I support the beans and squash to the corn. What varieties of corn, beans and squash should I use? Thank you very much!
Just about to plant my 2nd annual 3 Sisters garden. Last year worked beautifully. Only problem was I didn't harvest the corn early enough for fresh eating. However, the chickens enjoyed my mistake immensely.
Yay! At least the corn didn’t go to waste. I did exactly the same thing - I grew baby corn but waited to long and it was tough and horrible… and we don’t have chickens!!!
Love the intro! I hope it grows well. I've heard of the three sisters but I've never tried it. I actually have corn that I want sure what to do with, I might try this.
Hehehe! Glad you like the intro... I love putting work into them! Yeah the three sisters is a strong concept when it comes to growing and I can see its potential - will be interested to see if it's successful!
I did this last year and it was really successful so im trying again this year with minipop and big sweetcorn and lots of different beans and squash and i cheated a wee bit with a cucumber here n there and im already eating those so i think it works for those too ,,but brill video im working my way thru all yours as i type lol
Hi Bev! Great to get the feedback from someone who's done it! That's great that you've had success with it to the extent that you're doing it again 😃 I like the cheat idea of including a cucumber - that's a great one actually! Enjoy the rest of the videos! ❤️
This might have worked with the right kind of corn (either flint or popping for taller/stronger stalks) and positioning your squash at the edges of the bed where they could get sun.
Great video! I must try growing the yin yan beans sometime, perhaps next year. They look great. It’s my first year growing peas & beans, they’re doing well so far. 😀
Hi Niall I've just found your channel while looking at how to do three sisters planting in the UK and Ireland has very similar weather to us in England. It's a very informative video thank you, I'd love to know how it worked please? And whether you'd do it again? Thank you
That’s so good that you enjoyed it - thank you! I have to say that I didn’t have much success in the end… here’s the result video! ua-cam.com/video/nJZNBanoBIc/v-deo.html
Well, it didn't work hugely well for a number of reasons! 😂 I'm currently working on an end-of-year look back on 2022 video, so I'll make sure to include the 3 sisters beds!
@@niallgardens oooohh that would be great look forward to that! Thank you 🙂 I've just got my beds ready for next year and was wanting to try 3 Sisters in my circular bed. So any learnings would be great!
@@mmakotal4388 what exactly is "native" corn? Do you mean flint corn, also called Indian corn? Because it is definitely not just for that, as it works for dent corn too. And if you mean it should be use with corn that is dried for grain because that is what the natives would have done, both dent and flint varieties were eaten in the milk or sweet stage before true sweet corn was developed. The real issue is that the 3 sisters method just isn't as productive as more modern methods.
Wonderful video as always, our Niall 😁. I loved the new intro! Did you use a drone to get the birds eye view shots? I tried this too (three sisters planting) but the slugs tore apart all but the corn! I can’t wait to see how you get on with it and how it works for fresh rather than dry harvesting!
Cheers mate! Yeah the top-down shots are with a drone. Aw no, that’s awful about the slugs attacking your stuff - here’s hoping the same thing doesn’t happen with mine!
Great idea, can't wait to see how it goes! Do you plan to try to harvest the beans and sweetcorn fresh or dry? Loved the music choice during the video by the way!
Hi Catherine! When it comes to harvesting, I'm planning on a bit of both... I want to harvest the corn fresh since it's baby corn and I want to use it in stir fries (yum!). But both types of beans are ones that I'll let dry before harvesting. Glad you liked the music because I always take time to pick something nice!
Hi niall, do you have any ideas on if it might work if i swap the corn for tall sunflowers? I tried growing corn last year but i didn't like how that turned out.
Great video Niall! Hope it goes well for you. Always heard mixed things, some people love it, some hate it. You should definitely know better than to say something like "I can't wait to have a massive crop of these"!! Nice to see you back after the break 😁
Cheers JB! I've heard mixed things too so it'll be interesting to see whether it's a success or not (it had better be a success dammit! 😂). Glad to see you back also!
Hi Niall, I'm doing a similar thing in my raised bed except I'm growing climbing french beans (Cobra) with 2 squash plants starting at one end of the bed pointing (and hopefully trained) towards the opposite end and a cucumber and squash plant at the other end with a trellis for them to grow up out of the way. I'm excited to see how yours gets on during the season so please do a follow-up video whether it's a success or not? 🙏
Hi Wesley! Ah brilliant - I love hearing when someone is doing something similar. Yours sounds interesting. I'll definitely make a follow-up video and we can compare notes if you keep me posted with how yours gets on too!
@@niallgardens Glad to hear you'll post a follow-up video! 🙌 Yes, we can definitely compare notes and hopefully between us we can iron out any issues ready for next season 👍 Look forward to speaking again on your follow-up video
We plant Sunchokes aka Jerusalem Artichokes, which are a sunflower native to North America, in our Four Sisters. And I’ve read tobacco plants were included in some areas.
YAY! New intro! I love the work you put into the intros, but I just can't keep from thinking that behind the camera is a tortured partner going: "For Christ's sake, when will this be over".
It's a common misconception that the Beans fix nitrogen in the soil, but that is false. The beans lock up nitrogen in their roots and do not release it until the roots rot.
I love this. Can you update how it worked out please? Were the quantities right or did you need to thin? Did you harvest It all together in the autumn?
He admits in this video (ua-cam.com/video/nJZNBanoBIc/v-deo.html&ab_channel=NiallGardens) that this garden was a failure for a couple of reasons. The biggest was that Ireland's climate wasn't the right one for these plants. Another mistake was the kind of corn used. Native Americans used flint corn, a type of corn used to make flour. These varieties are tall with strong stalks that can handle the pull of the climbing beans. You may also want to place your squash in a spot that will get some light during development. You can always just move the vines through the corn as it grows.
Hi 👋 loved your gardening videos .😍.. i started kitchen gardening very fitst time in Ireland now loved 😍 all about sowing, planting, growing ,gardening everything about gardening 😆 videos ..
Hi! Delighted that you enjoyed the videos - that’s so nice of you to leave a lovely comment!
Hello Niall, I've just binged watched all your videos..... I enjoyed them so much! Your new intro is fab! I am just starting out with growing veg this year so all your videos are just a joy to watch. I can't wait for the next one..... love the idea of the three sisters.
Hi Vivian! Thanks so much for the lovely message! And I'm super chuffed that you're binge watching the other videos too! 😃 Yeah I've wanted to try the three sisters growing method for a long time and I'll be interested to see if it's a success or not!
Good luck with the three sisters! I haven't had any success, so I'm skipping it this year - but I may analyze what the problem was and give it another go next year. Mostly, I think, apart from the slugs that decimated my beans and squash, my squash didn't get enough light - so I may just plant them at the edge of the bed in future, on the sunny side...
Interesting to hear that it wasn't that successful for you - I'm unsure what it's going to be like for me also... it might be a one-year test and never to be done again! 😂 I like the idea of planting the squashes at the edges...
@@niallgardens I'm sure I will eventually try it again, at least two sisters - tall bamboo canes are just soo much more expensive than just growing corn for the beans 😉
Totally!
I'm trying the 3 sisters for my first time. nice strategy for you with the raised beds.
How interesting and Thank You for sharing Niall 🥰 I love learning new things 💕
Well done video -- seems it works well no matter the format (circles, rows, raised beds, etc.
Like what you said about planting more beans to give you more OPTIONS -- I always like options. You never know that will happen. Just trying this out -- had extra starts on corn and squash. so will give it a go.
Thanks for the video. Things here in pacific northwest need OPTIONS - especially as we are at about 650' on side of a mountain, and lots of struggles.
Nice to see the three sisters made it to Ireland. To late to try it this year in North Dakota but you gave me the thought to give it a go next year. I was thinking of trying it with one of the bush varieties of squash to keep a little containment and get more shade on our sun parched soil (in addition to the straw mulch). Great prestation!
It sure has made it and I can't wait to see how well it works! Your idea of using a bush variety of squash is actually a good one - I think that could work really quite nicely.
I'm going to try this next year. I have a no dig, "randomised" allotment, which is full of 3rd generation volunteer sunflowers, dill, etc.
Great video, thanks ❤
Glad I caught your video because your additional details on thinking about the type of beans to plant and the harvesting concerns and points really helps. This is the first time I am trying this method in a about 6 by 7 space so I really needed to know how to place it. It’s spring here also and I have mostly amended clay soil zone 8a in USA
Thanks for watching! Glad the video was useful!
@@niallgardens yes it was. My mom and I always enjoy the manner in which you deliver your content. Succinct yet calming and it allows one to really feel like Gardening is accessible
Well done Niall,love the new intro, well put together. Veg patch is looking great, hard work paid off. I have done the three sisters, and yes it did work out. This year,i have beans in one bed,next bed very close by have sweetcorn,i have a courgette maturing at home,but will be putting in right by them. Corn is a fave of mine growing, earwigs love it too, so a good shake before you bring them home ha ha. Enjoy the sunshine and thanks for sharing another great video.
Hi Lorraine! That's great (and reassuring) to hear someone who's tried it and had success with it. I always say it, but I love the sound of all the plants and varieties that you sow - it sounds brilliant! Thanks for the advice on the earwigs... I'm going to remember that!
@@niallgardens oh even if you forget the earwigs, you will rem quickly when you see them emerge ha ha. Niall i found a super helpful tool,called a Hoe/ aerator,its between a flat side of a pick axe and a two prongs on other side,a long handle,wow it does some great damage to weeds, had great fun with it over two days. Just a tip.The sisters that year were super,5 pumpkins and great corn i rem. Broad beans i couldn't keep up with.Niall half or near a lot if the time i have no idea what i am doing, but i live growing lots ,and live eating new produce,it's a great adventure.
Came over from Huws channel, subbed and looking forward to more videos! From Nova Scotia Canada.
Hi Niall! Nice work there! 👏🌱 I'm also planting the 3 sisters concept for the first time this year! The sweet cornplants are out already, but borlotto beans and... yes, butternut squashes are still in their pots. My plan is to bring the sisters together some time during this weekend. 😅
Hi Ulrika! Ah brilliant, you're trying it too! Hope yours is successful also - we can compare notes if you keep me posted with how yours gets on too!
Just come over from instagram after you gave me a follow 😊 I planted up my 3 sister's bed today, f1 bodacious corn, purple teepee dwarf beans, 2 butternut squash, 1 tromboncino courgette and 1 pumpkin. Looking forward to seeing how yours progresses
Yay! Welcome! Those sound like great varieties - and cool that you're doing the three sisters thing also! Keep me posted with how it gets on and we can compare notes!
Great one Niall, last year I tried just the corn and Sqaush but the corn never really took off. 😊
Thanks very much! Yeah this is my first year growing corn and I'm a little surprised at how slow it's been to start establishing... it's really only now that I can see it's doing something. Hmmmmm
Just transplanted the corn into our raised beds as the first part of our three sisters bed. Planted them with way more distance though cause I thought the squash would need a lot of space to take up in between them. Inspiring to find out that you can plant he corn quite close together and be a bit more scarce in how many squash you put in between there. First time trying the sisters out, so really helpful to see this video! I will check out if you already made more videos about the follow up.
Did it work?
@@alexbrown3511 yes it was great! I only found that the corn didn't grow very tall and therefore didnt provide that much climbing support for the haricots. But great to try anyway and will do it again this year but maybe in a more sunny place for the corn/maize.
@@lauramariamusic good to hear! I might do it without beans, just squash and corn. I can't imagine the corn would provide much support
Yin yang beans look amazing, I'm going to grow these one year. 😁
You should! I'm totally smitten with them!
We plant our corn in clumps of 4 plants together rather than single plants. The hope is that helps with pollination.But there are many ways to garden and lots to learn! Did yours pollinate enough for full ears?
This is my first garden of three sisters. How do I support the beans and squash to the corn. What varieties of corn, beans and squash should I use? Thank you very much!
Just about to plant my 2nd annual 3 Sisters garden. Last year worked beautifully. Only problem was I didn't harvest the corn early enough for fresh eating. However, the chickens enjoyed my mistake immensely.
Yay! At least the corn didn’t go to waste. I did exactly the same thing - I grew baby corn but waited to long and it was tough and horrible… and we don’t have chickens!!!
Love the intro! I hope it grows well. I've heard of the three sisters but I've never tried it. I actually have corn that I want sure what to do with, I might try this.
Hehehe! Glad you like the intro... I love putting work into them! Yeah the three sisters is a strong concept when it comes to growing and I can see its potential - will be interested to see if it's successful!
I did this last year and it was really successful so im trying again this year with minipop and big sweetcorn and lots of different beans and squash and i cheated a wee bit with a cucumber here n there and im already eating those so i think it works for those too ,,but brill video im working my way thru all yours as i type lol
Hi Bev! Great to get the feedback from someone who's done it! That's great that you've had success with it to the extent that you're doing it again 😃
I like the cheat idea of including a cucumber - that's a great one actually!
Enjoy the rest of the videos! ❤️
This might have worked with the right kind of corn (either flint or popping for taller/stronger stalks) and positioning your squash at the edges of the bed where they could get sun.
I was also thinking that when the beans clomb the corn, that the plants transperation help each other
Great video! I must try growing the yin yan beans sometime, perhaps next year. They look great. It’s my first year growing peas & beans, they’re doing well so far. 😀
Totally! Go for it!
The garden beds are looking great :) Could you please share the matter you used to fill the beds?
Sure! I actually made a whole video on it: ua-cam.com/video/muAN9BXkcHE/v-deo.html
@@niallgardens Oh great. Thanks so much!
Hi Niall I've just found your channel while looking at how to do three sisters planting in the UK and Ireland has very similar weather to us in England. It's a very informative video thank you, I'd love to know how it worked please? And whether you'd do it again? Thank you
That’s so good that you enjoyed it - thank you! I have to say that I didn’t have much success in the end… here’s the result video! ua-cam.com/video/nJZNBanoBIc/v-deo.html
@@niallgardens thank you I'll watch it when I've got my daughter from school
Great! Let me know what you think when you see it!
Looks great! I'd love to know how your three sisters worked out? I couldn't see an update in any of your other videos.
Well, it didn't work hugely well for a number of reasons! 😂 I'm currently working on an end-of-year look back on 2022 video, so I'll make sure to include the 3 sisters beds!
@@niallgardens oooohh that would be great look forward to that! Thank you 🙂 I've just got my beds ready for next year and was wanting to try 3 Sisters in my circular bed. So any learnings would be great!
@@niallgardens its made for native corn not sweet corn
@@mmakotal4388 what exactly is "native" corn? Do you mean flint corn, also called Indian corn? Because it is definitely not just for that, as it works for dent corn too. And if you mean it should be use with corn that is dried for grain because that is what the natives would have done, both dent and flint varieties were eaten in the milk or sweet stage before true sweet corn was developed. The real issue is that the 3 sisters method just isn't as productive as more modern methods.
Hello Niall, what about fertiizer? When I planted corn, I applied lots Nitrogen already. My concern is that pumkin will have only leave not fruit.
Wonderful video as always, our Niall 😁. I loved the new intro! Did you use a drone to get the birds eye view shots? I tried this too (three sisters planting) but the slugs tore apart all but the corn! I can’t wait to see how you get on with it and how it works for fresh rather than dry harvesting!
Cheers mate! Yeah the top-down shots are with a drone. Aw no, that’s awful about the slugs attacking your stuff - here’s hoping the same thing doesn’t happen with mine!
Hi, how deep are your raised beds?
Great idea, can't wait to see how it goes! Do you plan to try to harvest the beans and sweetcorn fresh or dry? Loved the music choice during the video by the way!
Hi Catherine! When it comes to harvesting, I'm planning on a bit of both... I want to harvest the corn fresh since it's baby corn and I want to use it in stir fries (yum!). But both types of beans are ones that I'll let dry before harvesting. Glad you liked the music because I always take time to pick something nice!
Would like to see the end results.
How did it turn out?
Hi there thank you fir your video by any chance do you have a follow up video best wishes
Hi niall, do you have any ideas on if it might work if i swap the corn for tall sunflowers? I tried growing corn last year but i didn't like how that turned out.
Great video Niall! Hope it goes well for you. Always heard mixed things, some people love it, some hate it. You should definitely know better than to say something like "I can't wait to have a massive crop of these"!!
Nice to see you back after the break 😁
Cheers JB! I've heard mixed things too so it'll be interesting to see whether it's a success or not (it had better be a success dammit! 😂). Glad to see you back also!
Hi Niall, I'm doing a similar thing in my raised bed except I'm growing climbing french beans (Cobra) with 2 squash plants starting at one end of the bed pointing (and hopefully trained) towards the opposite end and a cucumber and squash plant at the other end with a trellis for them to grow up out of the way. I'm excited to see how yours gets on during the season so please do a follow-up video whether it's a success or not? 🙏
Hi Wesley! Ah brilliant - I love hearing when someone is doing something similar. Yours sounds interesting. I'll definitely make a follow-up video and we can compare notes if you keep me posted with how yours gets on too!
@@niallgardens Glad to hear you'll post a follow-up video! 🙌 Yes, we can definitely compare notes and hopefully between us we can iron out any issues ready for next season 👍 Look forward to speaking again on your follow-up video
I have been looking for a video that gives my native ancestors credit for their work in perfecting this technique over the years. thank you.
Great video! How wide is your bed?
They're 4ft by 8ft
How did this work out….👩🌾
Are their other plants that goes well together like the 3 sisters? Or can you replace one of the sisters with anther crop?
We plant Sunchokes aka Jerusalem Artichokes, which are a sunflower native to North America, in our Four Sisters. And I’ve read tobacco plants were included in some areas.
It’s plant corn then 2 weeks plant beans then 1 to 2 weeks squash
Is your bed 4x6?
YAY! New intro! I love the work you put into the intros, but I just can't keep from thinking that behind the camera is a tortured partner going: "For Christ's sake, when will this be over".
Glad you like the new intro! And... I can confirm that it's all filmed by me alone, so the only person who gets frustrated is myself! 😂
Could I use okra instead of corn?
I'll be honest, I'm not 100% sure
It's a common misconception that the Beans fix nitrogen in the soil, but that is false. The beans lock up nitrogen in their roots and do not release it until the roots rot.
Where's your new T shirt ?
It'll have to make an appearance soon I think!