Kionhekwa

Basics

• The name for a type of Polyculture practiced by the Native People of North and Central America
• The word "Kionhekwa" is the name the Iroquois people used to refer to the process
• In most literature it is also referred to as "The Three Sisters"
• ESSENTAILLY:
• Maize is used to provide structure for the Climbing Beans , and Squash was used for Ground Cover / as a Cover Crop
• The beans acted as the Nitrogen Fixation for the system
• Thus all parts of the farm support each other, and do better than if there were separate Maize, Beans, and Squash Fields

Planting Schedule

• Warm Weather Crops
• Maize First

Methodology

Mound Method

• 2-5 Each of the Beans and Maize
• 2-4 Squash
• Each is put into a mound of raised soil/mulch arranged in a grid in the larger grow area
• Spacing of supposedly ~1 Meter =/- 25 Centimerers
  • This needs checking

Internal Links

• Polyculture

External Links

• The Wikipedia Page on Kionhekwa
• An Article on the Website "Pinnguaq" Titled "Polyculture: Traditional Haudenosaunee Kionhekwa Garden"
• A Video by the YouTube Channel "GRIN-U Education" Titled "Three Sisters: Companion Planting of North American Indigenous Peoples" ( ~11 Minute Watch )
  • This also mentions the plot method (basically scaled up mega mound the size of a small garden), and the field method (basically Crop Rotation Corn Follows Beans because it is nitrogen hungry basically)
• A Video by the YouTube Channel " UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County " "3 Sisters Garden"
• A Video by the YouTube Channel "Next Level Gardening" Titled "Planting a 3 Sisters Garden / How to Grow Corn, How to Grow Squash, How to Grow Beans... Together!" ( ~10 Minute Watch )