Cool Season Annual Cover Crops (Fall) : Hairy Vetch

Hairy vetch is a hardy, viny, annual or biennial legume, attaining a height of 24 inches when planted alone and higher when planted with a tall companion crop that provides structural support for climbing. Thin, branched stems can reach more than 8 feet long. Compound leaves are made up of 8 to 24 paired, narrow leaflets. Leaves terminate with a tendril used for climbing. Despite its name, stems and leaves can be hairy or smooth. Hairy vetch has a taproot that extends 1 to 3 feet deep. Fall-planted hairy vetch flowers in April and ripens seed in May-June. Groups of 10 to 40 small, long, blue flowers hang from one side of a long flower stem. Spherical seeds (approximately 28,000/lb) are smaller than common vetch seeds. They develop in small pods and usually are grayish or black. Hairy vetch is hardseeded.

This is an example of the timeline you would see based on your growing conditions.

Cool Season Annual Cover Crops (Fall): Cool Season Blends

Hairy Vetch

Cool Season Annual Cover Crops are planted in fall to protect the soil over the winter and produce an abundance of organic matter in spring.

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Basics

Ease of Growing: Easy
Grown as: Annual
Days to Maturity: 90-180 (Fall/Winter)
Growing Habit: -
Hardiness: Hardy

This is a fairly hardy mix, designed to keep growing right through mild winters.
Crops: Fall
Growing Season: Short, Long
Cultivar Type: -
Growing Conditions: Cold, Cool

These cover crops generally require cooler temperatures and adequate water.
Outdoor Growing Temp: 40°F - 85°F
Min Outdoor Soil Temp: 30°F

Most cool weather cover crop should be started when temperatures are still in the 60's to allow the plants to establish before winter, which also prevents Winterkill.
Start Indoors: No
Start Outdoors: Yes
Light: Sun: min. 6 hours daily (Cold, Cool)

Cover crops need full sun when growing in winter, as days are shorter and the sun is lower in the sky. If grown in summer many will tolerate light shade (though they grow best in full sun).
Water: Low

Most of these crops are not particularly drought tolerant and will need regular watering in dry climates (especially when germinating and getting established). However they are mostly grown during the winter when the soil is fairly moist, so don't usually require much irrigation.
Feeder: Light

You do not need to fertilize cover crop in established gardens, as there will be plenty of nutrients in the garden to meet their needs. Since you will be incorporating them back in to the soil, growing them doesn't remove any nutrients from the soil.

The leguminous cover crops also fix nitrogen and eventually add it to the soil.
Suitability: Tolerates light frost
Small Gardens?: No
Containers?: No
Attracts beneficial insects?: Yes
Color
Fruit Size: - "
Plant Height: 48.0 - 72.0"
Plant Diameter: - "
Hardiness Zone: -
Disease Resistance: -
Taste Profile: Although some cover crops are edible, they are generally grown for turning under the soil.
Rotation Group: Soil Builders and Cleaners: Legumes + Corn + Potatoes

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Cool Season Annual Cover Crops (Fall) : Hairy Vetch

Hairy Vetch

Basics