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Cover crops

4446 Views 7 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  stephanie, 
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Vicia villosa

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You can grow a cover crop to help build the soil. Plant a grain or legume crop, sometimes called green manure, for the purpose of chopping it down and adding it to the soil.

One way is to plant hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), a nitrogen-fixing legume, in your garden bed in the fall. In the spring, cut it down and till the residue into the soil. This provides both nitrogen and an instant mulch that preserves moisture.

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I found the above article and video so I think I will try these around my tomato plants any thoughts?
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I'm having second thoughts about hairy vetch in my garden some professionals recommend it but
there is some information about toxicity >> http://www.na.fs.fed.us/fhp/invasive_plants/weeds/hairy-vetch.pdf

Does anybody have any more information on this?
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I already purchased about 200 hairy vetch seeds so I will cut them down before they flower or go to seed I don't have livestock just cats. I have a nicely controlled area. The words toxic in my organic garden is scary though.

From what I understand once they break down in a compost pile they are not toxic.
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I'm hearing so many different things about the Vetch I may just take your advice Stephanie and use something else.
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