* Please note: our inventory may not be up to date and some items may be unavailable.
Nitrogen Fixer
Vicia villosa. Hardy Annual. This nitrogen fixer is a lanky and sprawling, but versatile legume that is fairly tolerant of acid soils and light shade. It can be mowed down in spring to supply good mulch. Hardy to Zone 4: -34°C (-30°F). 500g covers approximately 145 m2 (1,560 ft²). Sow Hairy Vetch cover crop seeds from early March to mid-April, and again August to mid-September.
NOTE: Hairy Vetch seeds are toxic to chickens, so plant out of the way of foraging flocks or cut the vetch while it is just flowering.
(Open-pollinated seeds)
Sow vetch as early as the ground can be worked, and on into late spring. Sow again in late summer for a fall crop.
For nitrogen fixation, allow plants to reach the flowering stage. We recommend cutting the abundant vegetation and leaving it on the soil as a mulch against weeds, to retain moisture, and provide insect habitat. Otherwise, work the long vines and their roots into the soil with a garden fork.
* Please note: our inventory may not be up to date and some items may be unavailable.