That is a good idea.

I was thinking the same thing about possibly planting yellow beans for visiblity, but I decided all beans planted within the corn will be dry beans next year.

Dean

That's an awesome idea. It's save money on trellises also..hmm...
So, do you plant both corn and beans at the same time? Corn first? Beans first?
Please enlighten me! :)

There is some difference between individual's preference. But I'll tell you what I do. I plant the corn first. Then, when it is almost a foot tall (between 8" and perhaps 14") I hill the corn (pull soil up around it covering most of the stalk) with a hoe. This is my main weeding. As soon as I hill the corn I plant my bean seed in the hill.

Also, there is some variation between corn varieties and bean varieties. Some are more vigorous and some are less vigorous. One might have to experiment a little to get things really fine tuned.

I grow non sweet corns which tend to be sturdier than sweet varieties. And, I've planted both moderate growing varieties of beans and extremely vigorous varieties on that corn. Both have worked. If I were going to plant beans on sweet corn I think I'd look at a bean with more restrained growth habits; perhaps a twining half runner.

George
Tahlequah, OK

Here is a link that might be useful: cornfield beans

Thanks for the tips. That will help clear up my trellises for other plants :)

Just keep in mind, that most of the time trellised beans produce more than those grown on corn.

George

The traditional 3 sisters garden (corn, beans and squash) had the corn planted and hilled first (as mentioned approx. 1 foot tall), then after hilling the beans and squash are planted. The corn allows the beans to grow up without an artificial trellis. The beans put nitrogen into the soil that the corn and squash need, and the squash's foliage keeps future weeds from getting significant.

Here is a link that might be useful: Three Sisters Garden

We get high winds here at least once every summer.

When high winds knock the corn down flat, what happens to the beans and squash? do they survive?

It makes it messy for the beans, if the corn gets knocked flat. They will have to start climbing (on something) all over again. That's one reason we settled on Mesquakie Indian corn. It is very resistant to lodging (blowing over).

Squash just simply rights itself and keeps growing : )

George