(The) Three Sisters

The Three Sisters are corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers. The first sister is Corn. Corn requires a great deal of nutrients and when planted alone, Corn depletes the soil. Corn is a commercial crop (see definition). The second sister is Beans. Beans are a climbing plant that uses the stalk of the Corn to climb and grow. Beans also provide nitrogen to the soil that is necessary to fertilize the soil for Corn. The third sister is Squash. Squash has big wide-spreading leaves that cool the soil and prevent weeds from growing and animals and insects from eating at the plants. Squash in this case is a natural pesticide and natural herbicide. The last sister is often not referenced in this work but plays a key role in the reciprocity of this planting system, Sunflower. Sunflowers replenish the soil with nutrients, creating a natural fertilizer for the soil. This is a process that was used by Indigenous farmers and is associated with companion planting (see definition).