Hairy Vetch Seed

Hairy vetch is a legume used primarily for soil improvement along roadsides and for bank stabilization. Well-nodulated hairy vetch can enrich the soil with 60 to 120 lb/acre of nitrogen through nitrogen fixation. Later seeded vetch grown as a cover crop for green manure, will supply a smaller amount of N.

Vetches are also grown for pasture. They withstand trampling, provide grazing during May and June and have a feeding value slightly lower than that of clover and alfalfa. The protein content of vetch hay ranges from 12 to 20%, depending on the stage of development of the crop when cut.

Vetch is often grown with a small grain for forage; rye is generally used for this purpose in the Upper Midwest. The grain supports the weak stems of the vetch and reduces lodging. However, when grown together, vetch and rye make a hay that is fair in quality but tangles badly.