Even the natives of Mexico sowed corn, beans and pumpkins in their fields at the same time. So this hybrid culture has been practiced for thousands of years, and with good reason. Find out below how corn and beans complement each other wonderfully as a mixed culture and how you can create a Milpa bed yourself.

Corn provides beans with a natural climbing aid

The origin of the Milpa bed

Even today, the term milpa is used in Mexico for fields where corn and beans are grown mixed with other native crops. The term originally comes from the indigenous language "Nahuatl" and means something like "what you sow in the field".

digression

Pesticides instead of Milpa

Unfortunately, this ecological cultivation variant was also largely suppressed in Mexico, since mixed cultivation is no longer necessary thanks to highly environmentally harmful pesticides. Anyone who still grows as before without using chemicals is considered obsolete. There are currently over 100 pesticides in circulation in Mexico that have long been banned in Europe. Many of them are produced by German companies.

The dream trio: corn, beans and squash

The mixed culture of beans, corn and pumpkin has several advantages:

  • The corn serves as a climbing aid for the runner beans, which saves the purchase and installation of climbing aids.
  • The beans provide nitrogen to the corn, squash, and other plants in the bed.
  • The long blooms of the beans provide food for bees and other insects.
  • The pumpkin provides shade at the roots and thus prevents the soil from drying out and weed growth.

The right type of bean for the Milpa bed

Only runner beans are used in the Milpa bed, because only these climb. However, you should make sure that you choose a low-growing variety so that the beans don't literally outgrow the corn. Varieties with a growth height of up to two meters are ideal.

Tips for creating the bean-corn mixed culture

  • The bed should be as sunny as possible so that the beans, corn and pumpkin get enough light. Sun, nutrients and water are the be-all and end-all for a bountiful harvest.
  • So that the corn can give the beans a good hold, it is advisable to prefer it at home and expose the corn plants in May and plant the bean seeds next to them.
  • One to five bean plants can be sown around one corn plant.
  • In addition to the natural nitrogen fertilization, it is advisable to supply the bed with some compost or horn shavings (€32.93).

tips

Experiment! Mix other plants under your milpa bed, e.g. climbing or groundcover, to create your very own version of the milpa bed.

Category:

Vegetable garden