Vetch

Hairy vetch is about the strongest nitrogen builder you can grow over winter. Sow it in late summer or early fall so the seedlings can root in before the ground freezes. It grows slowly through the cold months, then takes off in spring and forms a thick, tangled mat that can supply most or all of the nitrogen a following crop of sweet corn or tomatoes needs. Most growers seed it with winter rye or oats so the vines have something to climb. Terminate it at full bloom for the most nitrogen, before seed sets, since hard seed can linger in the field. Our seed is certified organic.