Botanical illustration of Hairy Vetch
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Home / Cover-Crops / Hairy Vetch

🌱 Hairy Vetch

Vicia villosa
cover-crops winter annual legume Fabaceae (Legume)
☀️ Sun
Full sun to partial shade
💧 Water
Medium; drought-tolerant once established; excessive moisture can cause disease
🗺️ Zones
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 (excellent cold tolerance for winter cover)
🧪 Soil pH
6.0–7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
🪴 Soil Type
Adaptable to various soils including sandy and clay-loam; prefers well-drained conditions
🚿 Drainage
Well-drained; tolerates moderate drainage but not waterlogged soils
📏 Spacing
Broadcast at 20–40 lbs/acre alone; 15–25 lbs/acre in mix with rye
📐 Height
2–4 feet (climbing/vining growth habit)
⏱️ Maturity
Fall planted; overwinters; reaches peak biomass in mid-to-late spring (May-June)

🍴 Edible Parts

🍽️ Young shoots and tendrils (limited edible use — primarily a cover crop) 🍽️ Flowers (limited use)

🤝 Companions (10)

🤝 Buckwheat (summer mix)
Attracts beneficial insects and pollinators
🤝 Cereal Rye
Attracts beneficial insects and pollinators
🤝 Corn
Classic cover crop preceding corn - fixes 100+ lbs N per acre
🤝 Corn (following)
Attracts beneficial insects and pollinators
🤝 Oat (nurse crop)
Oats can serve as a spring nurse crop for fall-planted vetch in short-season areas.
🤝 Pepper (following)
Attracts beneficial insects and pollinators
🤝 Squash / Pumpkin (following)
Attracts beneficial insects and pollinators
🤝 Tomato
Nitrogen-fixing mulch; vetch residue suppresses weeds and feeds tomatoes
🤝 Tomato (following)
Attracts beneficial insects and pollinators
🤝 Wheat (following)
Wheat after vetch cover crop yields can match conventional N-fertilized wheat due to vetch's beneficial insect support.

⚠️ Keep Apart (4)

⚠️ Fields with vetch seed bank
Hairy vetch can become a persistent weed in subsequent crops if allowed to set seed; timely termination is critical.
⚠️ Other winter legumes (in same mix)
Multiple vetch/clover species in one mix can lead to uneven maturity and complicate termination timing.
⚠️ Small-seeded vegetables (post-termination)
Allelopathic vetch residue inhibits lettuce, carrot, and other small-seeded crop germination for 3–4 weeks.
⚠️ Wet / poorly drained fields
Vetch in saturated soils develops Sclerotinia (white mold) and root rots.

💊 Medicinal Uses

Medicinal Properties

  • Not typically used medicinally; primarily an agricultural crop
  • Related species (Vicia faba) has traditional uses — hairy vetch seeds may contain mild toxins if consumed in large quantities

📝 Growing Notes

The highest nitrogen-fixing winter annual cover crop — can fix 100–200+ lbs N/acre. Almost always planted with rye (cereal rye) for physical support. Must be terminated at full bloom (typically May) for reliable kill before summer crops. Can become weedy if allowed to set seed. Allelopathic to small-seeded crops.

🛒 Buy Seeds & Plants

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Johnny's Selected Seeds Botanical Interests True Leaf Market Burpee Territorial Seed Company

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