http://www.nativetech.org/cornhusk/threesisters.html
there's a diagram and a photo, which to me makes it make even more sense. I'm better when I can see things.
Bean,
So impressed am I with this method of planting I've been awake since about 5am chewing it over. I'm going to defiantley use it on the bottom half of my plot, where I'm going to grow corn, amuranthus and sunflowers. I shall try applying this method to all of them, although I think with the sunflowers I will probably grow peas.
I cannot under plant with squash because the chickens would just pig out on them when the skins were soft. Unless I can think of an idea to protect them. As I said before I shall be under planting with clover and rye, for the chickens ducks and geese to range on.
The other bonus I see from this method is if I have rows of mounds, with concentrated piles of manure. When the crops are finished I need only turn in along the rows where the mounds have been. Retaining all the goodness in a concentrated area, ready for the next pile of pooh.
I'm also interested in the Ruth Stout method of the NO Dig Garden. I can see the sense in that too. Not least because it saves you all that back breaking work. Interesting article on
http://.homestead.org/Gardening/Ruth%20Stout%20-%20The%20No-Dig%20Duchess.htm blimey took a while to type that in!!
(I've found can't get the above site, but anyone interested would probably find info under Ruth Stout The No Dig Duchess)
The logic to me is that a forest say is self composting. The leaves fall, mulch the ground retaining moisture, they decompose the worms etc then take all the nutrients down into the soil. If you see a forest that has had work done on it, it take months and months for the soil to recover. Not least because all the worms (the gardeners friends) have all been chopped up by the rotorvators.
I can see by having the "piles", I can leave the ground around them undisturbed, and any damage I do do will be minimal.
I shall look forward to trying this method.
Jill..
