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Talk to me about sweetcorn triads

takhanatakhana Posts: 82
in Fruit & veg
First time growing sweetcorn this year. From what I understand, it has to be clumped and it's recommended to plant two other plants around it - something like a squash over the ground and a climbing plant like a bean growing up the stalk too. Other than that, I am pretty clueless! 

I have courgettes, squash and cucumbers (and could sow pumpkins, though I expect those are too big?) that could be used for ground cover. I'm not planning on doing beans this year - to be honest, neither of us like them and I've yet to get a good crop - would sweet peas fit the bill? Failing that, what other plants could I plant with them? 

I have 3 sweetcorns that have germinated well, looking strong in the greenhouse now. Are they frost hardy if I harden them off? When's best to get them in the ground? And as I've got three, should I plant in a triangle rather than a row? 
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  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    Sweet corn,no, not hardy. You are thinking of THREE SISTERS. Climbing beans, climbing up the corn, squash, pumpkin as they grow, don't know if you have grown them before will get to ,10 feet,no problems. As they grow,bend them round into a circle, canes to keep them in the shape. Corn is wind pollinated,so you plant them in a block. I didn't have very good germination of corn, this year so I bought a pack in a nursery as well. Don't plant beans if you don't like them.. you don't have to do 3 sisters. I will start hardening off mid may, then planting out very end of may
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Sweet corn is wind pollinated, and the larger the block, the better the pollination in general.  I would go for 5 x 5 as a minimum.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    In my experience it's better to grow sweetcorn in one block on its own.  They need a lot of water.

    Beans need a great deal of water and richness in their soil so are better off in their own prepared trench.  Traditionally you dig one in autumn and spend winter willing it with raw kitchen waste from fruit and veg and then fill with soil before sowing or planting the beans.  They are usually climbing beans and need a support, hence the sweetcorn but the one time I tried it the beans swamped the ears of corn and I had a poor crop from both.

    The squash or pumpkin likes to spread itself about and the idea is that it will cover the soil and suppress weeds but in an average UK or Belgian summer I find they need to be up in the sun so now grow mine up trellis or obelisks.  It saves space too and I can grow more varieties.  Again, they need a rich soil and plenty of water and will get mildew if they are poorly ventilated or thirsty.  I also find it's best to stop them after 3 good fruits have formed so you get better ripening and flavour rather than trying to get 5 or 6 off one plant. 


    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    He or she said they don't like beans!! Yes I did say corn is wind pollinated,and that I had to buy some, went much against the grain, please don't tell anyone!
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    edited April 2021
    Must admit, I'm not that keen on green beans, loathe runner beans and don't see the point of growing beans to dry when they're so cheap to buy.  They also require far too much watering here.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    The ones you get in the shops here in the UK, are tasteless,and stringy. I haven't bought any for years, I save some, don't dry them just stick them in a paper bag
  • tui34tui34 Posts: 3,493
    I will grow a few sweetcorn this year - Stowell's Green.  Next to my potimarron plants. I don't germinate them in pots but plant directly into the ground - probably in a couple of weeks.
    No beans.  They just get sticky beasties in them. But I like the runners best.  Spaghetti cut!!
    A good hoeing is worth two waterings.

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I tried sweetcorn here our first year.  Far too dry so needed loads of watering and even then half bare cobs with shrivelled nibs.   Shame as we love corn on the cob, fresh from the garden and into the pot.   Haven't found it frozen on the cob yet and that would be the next best thing.

    The chooks love tinned sweetcorn.

    I use dried beans in soups, stews, bakes and so on. 
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • hatty123hatty123 Posts: 125
    I'm trying the three sisters planting for the first time this year. Got 15 sweetcorn growing, currently in greenhouse in daytime and house at night. Then have 2 courgettes for ground cover and french beans for climbers. Three plants that I've never grown before so let's see how it goes and ready to count any failure as a "learning experience" 😂
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    Three sisters was for DRY beans, winter squash and maize, not sweetcorn fresh beans and summer squash. The combination makes a patch that is so tangled and matted you cannot get in to harvest, that wasn't a problem for the Indians as they went in once with a single destructive harvest at the end of the season.
    Another issue is that sweetcorn grown in Britain is not the same as Maize in the US to start with it's half the height and much much weaker and will not support much in the way of climbing beans.
    You'll need at least 9 sweetcorn plants to get any decent pollination 3x3 Sweetcorn can take light frost while it has 5 leaves or less (6 or more it can't as the growing point is above the soil) (we transplant over an acre of the stuff before the last frost here) it's no where near as sensitive as the squash or beans are.
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