Kionhekwa

Basics

• The name for a type of Polyculture originally 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"
• ESSENTIALLY:
• Maize is used to provide structure for the Climbing Beans (which has the added benefit of freeing up space on the ground for the other crops as the beans grow "up, not out") , and Squash is used for Ground Cover / as a Cover Crop
• The beans act as the Nitrogen Fixation for the system, as well as stabilize the Maize from High Wind
• Thus all parts of the farm support each other, and do better than if there were separate Maize, Beans, and Squash Fields

Internal Links

• Polyculture

External Links

• The Wikipedia Page on Kionhekwa
• An Article on the Website "Pinnguaq" Titled "Polyculture: Traditional Haudenosaunee Kionhekwa Garden"
• A University of Illinois Chicago Heritage Garden Page Titled "The Three Sisters Plot"
• A Video by the YouTube Channel "GRIN-U Education" Titled "Three Sisters: Companion Planting of North American Indigenous Peoples" ( ~11 Minutes Watch Time )
  • Mentions the book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants / Braiding Sweetgrass (Book) (Whichever is a better title for a page on it in the future) (Was an interesting non-fiction book on Ethnobotany among other things)
• 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 )
• A Video by the YouTube Channel "Next Level Gardening" Titled "Why I'm not growing a THREE SISTERS GARDEN "EVER" AGAIN!!!" ( ~2.5 Minute Watch )
  • Clickbaity title aside, it essentially can be boiled down to:
    • It is not optimized for Fresh Produce
    • They imagined Fresh Green Beans and Sweet Corn then some Pumpkin / Squash at the end for soups etc
    • It is moreso intended not for "Harvest as you Grow", but rather (waiting for) Crop Desiccation before harvest
    • So it does not meet the needs of their Home Garden / Community Garden / Market Garden type situation
• A Video by the YouTube Channel "GrowOrganic Peaceful Valley" Titled "Planting Corn, Squash and Beans Using The Three Sisters Method" ( '~4 Minute Watch )
• A Video by the YouTube Channel "PermaculturePA" Titled "Video How to Plant a Three Sisters Garden" ( ~9 Minute Watch )
• A Video by the YouTube Channel "David the Good" Titled "Preparing a Three Sisters Garden" ( ~10 Minute Watch )
• A Video by the YouTube Channel "David the Good" Titled "The Slightly Downhill Gardens, Three Sisters and a Living Fence Update!" ( ~11 Minute Watch )
• A Video by the YouTube Channel "David the Good" Titled "Three Sisters Garden Or Row Gardening? (Survival Gardener Minute #012)" ( ~3.5 Minute Watch )