I read that planting corn, beans & squash together is good for the plants and the soil and that the corn forms a trellis for the beans, and the squash creates a carpet around the feet of the corn and beans which suppresses weeds. HOWEVER, further research indicated that if the corn isn't sturdy field corn (I planted sweet corn: the corn is supposed to go in first and reach mid-calf (human) height before the other seeds are planted) it won't be strong enough to support the beans. So I made a bean trellis beside the corn rows, and planted squash on the corners of the plot, and some cucumbers, too, which might be able to share some trellis space. So we will see. Here's how it looks in mid-June, following a few weeks of too much rain and two little sunshine ... oh, we Oregonians complain about summers' slow start, but the truth is the summer really never starts here until July. My botanist and master-gardener friend Laura says what is more important to a gardener is how long the season lasts into the fall.
Update!
ReplyDeleteI planted too thickly. It was difficult to weed and the watering soaker hoses in the area helped the grasses grow along with the squash and beans and corn. So I ended up with the beans and corn stunted. The squash mostly were delicata and pumpkins, and they did best, sending out runners beyond the thicket of grasses, bindweed, corn & the meager beans. Next year I will try again but with more spacing, better targeted watering, and (hopefully) more attention to weeding!