Hairy Vetch Organic

Quantity

Hairy Vetch is an annual sprawling cover crop used for soil improvement, including nitrogen fixation and erosion control. This is the most winter hardy of the vetches. Traditionally, it is sown into beds/fields as a cover crop with rye in the fall (September), where it serves to protect the soil over the winter. Come spring it is either added to compost piles by gardeners or tilled into fields, adding nitrogen and organic matter to the soil. Hairy Vetch can also be planted in the spring or summer. In gardens, plant it into bare soil areas as an effective cover crop for weed control. Grow it under tomatoes—studies have shown that it increases yield and disease resistance of tomato plants. If allowed to go to seed, Hairy Vetch will re-seed itself providing continual soil protection (it will not become too “weedy”). In order for vetch to do nitrogen fixation, seeds should be inoculated with “Pea/Lentil/Vetch” Rhizobium inoculant (see Growing Instructions).