PHONETOOL
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Cover crops

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Vicia villosa


You can grow a cover crop to help build the soil. Plant a grain or legume crop, sometimes called green manure, for the purpose of chopping it down and adding it to the soil.

One way is to plant hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), a nitrogen-fixing legume, in your garden bed in the fall. In the spring, cut it down and till the residue into the soil. This provides both nitrogen and an instant mulch that preserves moisture.

Video >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQEs-CZQ43o

I found the above article and video so I think I will try these around my tomato plants any thoughts?

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rainbowgardener
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be careful with vetch though - it can be invasive and aggressive.

PHONETOOL
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rainbowgardener wrote:be careful with vetch though - it can be invasive and aggressive.
Can you give me more details please?

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rainbowgardener
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It's a non-native invasive weed and the entire plant is toxic:

https://www.na.fs.fed.us/fhp/invasive_pl ... -vetch.pdf

If you grow it don't let it flower or go to seed.

PHONETOOL
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Thank you for that interesting information before it goes into my garden I'm going to do some more research. I see a lot of professionals are using it for a cover crops In their organic gardens and compost bins If it's toxic I'm not sure why they use it. I will post more information on what I find. If anybody has additional information on this subject Please post.

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rainbowgardener
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Plant toxins are fine for compost pile. They break down like the rest of the plant and the compost will not be toxic.

You just don't want pets or live stock to eat the plants.

My main concern was about it escaping cultivation. Where I lived before someone had planted crown vetch, related species. I had to pull it up from all over the place.

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Last fall I planted a combination of oats and field peas in half of a new garden to help the first planting season this coming spring. I planted a little late for my area (mid-late sept) so the plants didnt get that big but should be a good addition when I till in the spring.

I do want to add that most nitrogen fixing legumes need to be treated with an inoculant before planting. This inoculant adds rhyzobia bacteria that may not be present in the soil. Without this bacteria the plant will not produce nitrogen nodules and therefor not fix any nitrogen.

PHONETOOL
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I already purchased about 200 hairy vetch seeds so I will take rainbowgardener excellent advice and cut them down before they flower or go to seed I don't have livestock just cats. I have a nicely controlled area. The words toxic in my organic garden is scary though.

PHONETOOL
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A little confusing is this a different vetch ?

https://sustainableseedco.com/compost-co ... vetch.html

An amazing addition to any garden's bare land, this legume can loosen your soil and add nitrogen. This is a farmers staple feed for cattle, horses, or even rabbits. Has up to 25% protein when dried. Needs full sun, but tolerates many soil profiles.

SOB
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https://www.baileyseed.com/vetch.asp

From reading a little bit here it says that Common Vetch is less winter hardy and more for hay and Hairy vetch is more used for a cover crop.

PHONETOOL
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Thank you SOB for that information.



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