Cover Crops

Description
While hairy vetch is a top producer of nitrogen and ground cover, fall-planted vetch is slow to establish and will not produce much top cover unless planted early, for example, after wheat or oats. For this reason, vetch is usually mixed with faster-establishing cover crops such as radish and ryegrass. Rapid spring growth produces a heavy mulch layer and is one of the best for suppressing weeds and preventing erosion. If allowed to reach 50 percent bloom, vetch can produce up to 250 lbs. of N, about half of which is available to the following crop. Inoculate for best results. About 10 percent of vetch seed is “hard seeded” and will not germinate the first year, posing potential weed problems.

Management
Hairy vetch is best ahead of corn. Inoculate with a vetch inoculant for best N production. Once vetch reaches 50 percent bloom, it can be killed by mowing or rolling with a stalk chopper. Spraying and incorporation also work well. Vetch will provide a heavy ground cover, but as a succulent, it decomposes rapidly and will lose its effectiveness as cover in 4 to 6 weeks. Winter-kill is possible if  temperatures are below 5°F with no snow cover.

Establishment
Drill 15-20 lbs./A or broadcast at 25-30 lbs./A and cover with a harrow. (In mixes 10-15 lbs./A.) Seed 30-45 days before a killing frost as vetch is slow to establish. Plant ½ to 1 inch deep. Roots continue to grow through the winter. Vetch has a high phosphorous and potassium requirement but needs very little N for establishment. Vetch doesn’t do well as a spring planted crop.