Slash and Burn

• The Cherokees considered corn, or maize, to be a very important crop, which they grew in large fields. To clear forested areas for these fields, the Cherokees used a method of controlled burning called "slash and burn." The slash and burn technique had the added benefit of enriching the soil where it was employed. Cherokees also sometimes used the technique to clear underbrush in forests to make plant gathering easier.
  
  

Placement of Gardens

• In addition to maize, the Cherokee Indians relied on beans, squash, sunflowers and pumpkins, which were grown in smaller garden plots. The placement of these gardens was very important -- the Cherokees prevented the crops from dying out over the long, hot summers by placing their gardens close to rivers and streams so that they stayed well-irrigated.
  
  

Crop Rotation

• When farmlands are used over and over again for many seasons, the nutrients become depleted, and the crops do not grow as well. The Cherokees had observed this over time, and used a system of crop rotation to prevent this. When a field began to produce less, the Cherokees would clear another area for planting, and allow the field to rest and its natural growth to return, which replenished the nutrients in the soil.
  
  

Crop Placement

• The Cherokee people knew and took advantage of their crops' natural symbiotic relationships. For instance, they would sometimes plant beans near corn so that the beans -- which require a tall surface to climb on in order to grow -- could run up the corn stalks. An additional benefit to this is that beans naturally add nitrogen back into the soil, which corn depletes.
  
  

Digging Sticks

• To sow maize, Cherokee peoples used digging sticks, which were hardened in fire and sharpened, to puncture the surface of the soil. They would drop several kernels of corn into the hole and cover it over with a large mound of soil.