Companion Planting: Three sisters and five sisters planting in Sub-Sahara Africa
Companion planting is the practice of growing different plants together
so they can benefit from each other. Certain combinations of plants make each
of them more productive. Why? Because some plants have a mutually beneficial
relationship with complementary characteristics such as nutrient requirements,
natural support, weed suppression, pest-repelling abilities amongst others.
A typical example of companion planting is the famous Three Sisters crop -where maize, beans
and pumpkin or squash are planted together. This has been done in Sub-Sahara
Africa for millennia. Today it is still the usual traditional practice within
rural communities’ farmland in the tropics. These plants do complement each
other and each of them does benefit from the union as they grow symbiotically to
deter weeds and pests, enrich the soil fertility and support each other.
- The
tall corn provides support to the climbing beans, you can use any variety of
corn – soft, pop, white, yellow, etc...
- The
fast-growing beans convert atmospheric nitrogen to soil nitrogen which
fertilizes all the plants especially corn which requires a large quantity of
nutrients. The beans also help to stabilize the maize during heavy wind.
- The
squash or pumpkin grows low and wide around the corn and beans. It shades the soil
to prevent moisture loss. Its big leaves also suppress weeds and control pests
and insects. Bingo!
- What a wonderfully beneficial relationship. Please like comment and subscribe while we share information on how to plant the three sisters
Note: In sub-Sahara Africa they are two planting seasons starting in
March and September. So make sure you plant at the right time
- 1 Choose a sunny location with at least 6 hours of full
sunlight every day
- 2 Clear the farm around January and allow the
grass/shrub to dry and decompose for about 6-8 weeks before tillage.
- 3 Make sure you start tilling at the beginning of the
planting season.
- 4 Fold the dried and decayed grass/shrubs in the middle
of the furrow.
- 5 Prepare the soil with much organic matter, composted
animal/farm manure and wood ash.
- 6 Hoe the soil on both sides of the furrow to cover up
the decayed grass/shrub within the bed.
- 7 Make
a bed about 0.5m wide, 20cm high and 4m long.
Inter-bed distance should be about 50cm.
- 8 Cut the pumpkin or squash open, remove the seeds and
spread to dry under shade for 2 days. Get your maize seeds ready for planting.
- 9 Then plant your maize – 3 seeds per spot, 1m apart.
Then plants 2 seeds of pumpkin between the maize.
- 10. About 10 days later, you plant your beans, 2 seeds close to the corn.
- 11 Sit, relax and watch the 3 sisters do the magic. Nature has it all.
 |
| Amaranth |
·
The
fourth sister (Amaranth – Greens) is included because it attracts pollinators,
lures birds away from eating the maize and is also very nutritional. More
pollinators imply more fruits and more yield.
 |
| Growing cocoyam |
·
Then the fifth sister which is cocoyam (ibo coco) is a staple food in sub-Sahara Africa and grows for about 5 months before harvesting tubers for food. So it will be the last crop to harvest before we prepare the soil again for the next planting season. It helps to control pests and suppresses weed.
- Make a bed about 1m wide, 30cm high (flat top and 4-6m long. Inter-bed distance should be at least 50cm.
- Cover your cocoyam on a dark wet area to sprout into seedlings
- Plant your cocoyam seedlings 20cm deep and 1m apart on both sides of the beds.
- Plant your maize – 3 seeds between the planted cocoyam.
- Then plant 2 pumpkin seeds in a spot about 20cm close to the cocoyam
- Sparingly broadcast your amaranth seeds on the beds and level the bed by racking so some seeds are lightly covered.
- After 10 -14 days you plant your beans 2 seeds just 10cm close to the maize
- The seeds used for this type of sisters cropping should be organic seeds
- Direct the beans vines towards the nearest cornstalk as they grow. This allows it to climb upwards, rather than creep along the ground.
- Hoe as many beds as you can and weed regularly
1 Harvested in succession
1. Amaranth can be harvested 7 weeks after planting. Use
a sharp knife to cut the soft stem, leaving 2-3 nodes underneath for new shoots.
You can harvest weekly for the next 2 months before it starts flowering.
2. Pumpkin/squash soft stems and leaves can be harvested from
the 8th week after planting. They spread out fast once the first meristematic
tip is cut off. Harvesting too can continue for the next 3 months before
fruiting. Don’t harvest too much if you are interested more in the pumpkin/squash
fruits.
3. The beans start flowering just 10 weeks after
planting. Harvesting commences from the 14 weeks when the beans are matured for
harvesting. This may continue for another 2 months.
4. The maize is ready in about 16 weeks. After harvesting
the maize, leave the stalk to dry up for another 2 weeks so you can continue
harvesting the beans. After this, the production of the beans begins to reduce, then
you cut the stalk to mulch the cocoyam and add some soil on the bed so the
cocoyam can produce bigger tubers.
5. At the end of 22 weeks, you start harvesting the
cocoyam and pumpkin fruits.
Thinking time
Climate change has led to an increase in temperature which has resulted
to drought that is negatively affecting crops production, especially in
sub-Saharan Africa.
Question: What could you easily add as the 6th sister crop to remedy this situation? Explain your reasons… 2min to think and write your ideas below in the comment.
Watch the video on companion planting of our three or five sister groups here
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