Hairy Vetch — Growing reference
| Scientific name | Vicia villosa subsp. villosa |
|---|---|
| Seed germination (days) | 5–10 |
| Soil temperature for germination (°C) | 4.4–21.1 |
| First harvest or flowering (days) | 120–180 |
| Measured from | Seed |
| Plant spacing (cm) | 5.1–10.2 |
| Mature height (cm) | 91.4–182.9 |
| Mature spread (cm) | 30.5–61 |
| USDA hardiness zones | 3–9 |
| Light | Full sun |
| Water | Low |
| Sowing method | Direct sow |
Growing directions
Sow at 30-40 lbs per acre when grown alone, or 15-20 lbs per acre when mixed with a cereal rye companion, drilling seed 1-1.5 inches deep. Hairy vetch overwinters and resumes rapid growth in spring, producing a dense mat of biomass that can fix 80-200 lbs of nitrogen per acre by termination. Roll-crimp or mow the stand at 50% bloom in spring to create a thick weed-suppressing mulch for no-till cash crop transplanting or direct seeding. Manage carefully and terminate before seed set to prevent the plant from becoming a persistent weed in subsequent crops.
Source and local conditions
Typical planning ranges from OpenPlantDB (CC0). Cultivar, climate, season and growing method can change these values. Confirm the seed label and local guidance before planting.
OpenPlantDB · hairy-vetch-villosa
Source & verification
OpenPlantDB · CC0