3 Sisters Gardening in a RAISED BED? Great idea? Or not....

Three Sisters raised bed gardening involves planting corn, beans, and squash together in a raised bed.

The corn plants were not sturdy and tended to fall over easily, particularly during storms or windy conditions. Moreover, the plants suffered from the heat, competed for resources, and potentially didn't get enough sunlight due to high-density planting.

The corn plants did not fare well in the extreme heat, which was somewhat surprising as corn is generally not known to be sensitive to heat.

To manage the heat stress, mulch was added, and the garden was watered twice a day, including misting to lower the temperature. The sides of the metal beds were also sprayed to aid evaporation and cooling.

No, many of the bean plants died due to heat stress, and the squash plants, particularly the zucchini, were slow to take off and haven't produced as well as expected.

If doing it again, I would probably skip the corn or plant it separately because it needs more space and stability than a 4 by 8 raised bed can offer and doesn't mix well with the beans and squash.

Pros include better access for weeding and harvesting due to the raised bed's height and better pest control through close monitoring. However, a con is the intense competition between plants due to closer spacing, which can lead to weaker growth, especially when experiencing extreme weather.

No, based on my experience, I found the method impractical in raised beds and potentially problematic in traditional garden settings due to maintenance difficulties and competition among the plants.