Ridge Demonstration Garden:
Three Sisters Bed
The Chieftains demonstration garden always has a planting dedicated to the Three Sisters Garden. What are the three sisters and why sisters and not brothers?
The three sisters is a traditional method of polyculture growing three mainstays of the Cherokee diet in a commensal relationship. The three crops are corn, beans and squash. Corn would provide a support for the beans to climb up on. Squash would provide ground cover and provide shade to conserve water. Beans are nitrogen fixing and would provide more nutrients to the soil. Though it was used by the Cherokee it was used by other native American tribes. The earliest description of the method was of its use by the Iriquois whose territory occupied most of New York state. Cherokee oral history does not mention contact or conflict with the Iriquois but the Cherokee language is considered a derivative of the Iriquois language so it is likely there was contact at some point. Cherokee history does refer to conflict with the Delaware tribe who covered what is now Delaware, New Jersey and some of southern New York State so it is not surprising that farming techniques would be disseminated. The origin of the technique is not known.
The term Three Sisters was first described being in use by the Iriquois but also used by the Cherokee people. In Cherokee society farming was done by the women and women owned the home. Inheritance and clan membership followed the maternal lineage as well so it is not unusual that using the term sisters was used to describe the three cooperating crops.
The Cherokee method of plantings consisted of making a mound of earth approximately four inches high with a central depression. Four corn seeds would be planted in the center well 6 inches apart and 1-3 inches deep. Once the corn reached 4-6 inches bean seeds would be planted halfway down the hill at least 3 inches from the corn lant and 1 inch deep. After the beans have emerged two squash seeds would be planted 24 inches from the center of the mound. Separate mounds should be 3-4 feet apart.
This year the corn will be planted in May by the Floyd County Extension Master Gardeners as a way to expand education through the Demonstration Garden. The importance of the planting goes back to a letter by a General Wool stating the Cherokee have “but one summer more to plant corn” referring to their upcoming eviction from their lands. The upcoming corn planting is a repudiation of General Wool’s letter.
