Cover Crop / Cool season

Hairy Vetch Cover Crop

Overwintering legume cover before heavy-feeding warm-season crops.

Grown for soil cover and biomass, not food harvest.

Seed spacing and maturity

Days to maturity
180
Germination temperature
45-75F
Seed depth
0.5 inches
Spacing
2 inches
Row spacing
6 inches
Start method
Direct sow

Frost-date timing

Direct sow
28 days before last frost
Fall planting
8 weeks before first frost

Growing profile

Sun
Full sun
Water
Moderate water during establishment.
Soil
Well-drained soil; inoculation may improve legume performance.
Watch
Plan spring termination carefully; vetch can tangle with small transplants.
  • cover-crop
  • legume
  • overwintering
  • green-manure

Browse context

Related varieties

Source: Wisconsin Extension cover crops and green manures