Vicia villosa
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| Hairy Vetch | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Vicia villosa |
Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) is a plant native to Europe and western Asia. It is a legume, grown as a forage crop.
Hairy Vetch is very similar to Tufted Vetch, the most noticeable difference being that Tufted Vetch has a smooth stem.
[edit] Cultivation
Organic gardners often plant hairy vetch (a nitrogen-fixing legume) as a companion plant to tomatoes, as an alternative to rotating crops in small growing areas. When it is time to plant tomatoes in the spring, cut the hairy vetch to the ground and plant the tomato seedlings in holes dug through the matted residue and stubble of the ground cover of hairy vetch. The vetch vegetation provides both nitrogen and an instant mulch that preserves moisture and keeps weeds from sprouting. Organic Gardening Magazine
[edit] See also
- Vicia spp. (vetch)
- List of companion plants
