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Post by sd51555 on Jun 7, 2020 6:52:13 GMT -6
Art told me a while back I should look at trying hairy vetch. I've finally caught up and I am considering adding it to my new/newer plot spaces this year. Anyone try it in a plot? Any experiences to share? Best time to plant? Pics?
I'm hoping it'll catch and persist to a degree. I'm also hoping it doesn't overtake everything else as well.
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Post by Sandbur on Jun 7, 2020 7:54:53 GMT -6
Art told me a while back I should look at trying hairy vetch. I've finally caught up and I am considering adding it to my new/newer plot spaces this year. Anyone try it in a plot? Any experiences to share? Best time to plant? Pics? I'm hoping it'll catch and persist to a degree. I'm also hoping it doesn't overtake everything else as well. I have heard of people trying vetches. Which one, heck if I know.
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Coda1
Full Member
Posts: 242
Likes: 303
Location: Hunting north of Staples, MN
Zone: 3B
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Post by Coda1 on Jun 7, 2020 10:00:22 GMT -6
I've been planting Wolly Pod Vetch for a couple of years. Based on what I've read it should do better in the summer plot then regular Hairy Vetch. Deer didn't seem to eat it much in summer. I'm still planting it for a little more diversity and organic matter but at a lower seeding rate. In my fall plated plots got more use. Last fall I planted Hairy Vetch and I think the deer liked it better. The deer always keep my fall plantings pretty much mowed to a couple of inches high.
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Post by wiscwhip on Jun 7, 2020 10:01:48 GMT -6
I think it will do ok for you on your soils, other than it will most likely not overwinter unless you get a good amount of snow cover early. If you can get it to produce seeds, it will make hard seed that will sprout in the spring. We tried a few types years ago, hairy vetch, chickling vetch, and purple vetch, knowing the only one that might have a chance to overwinter was the hairy vetch. We always planted in May, as early as we could without worry of frost. None of it did particularly well in our sandbox, but the hairy vetch did better than the others by far, since it is more tolerant of both drought and low ph. Since you have never had it growing on your place, make sure you use inoculant.
Vetch is a good N producer and can make decent amounts in just 8 to 10 weeks. That said, so does red clover, and that will overwinter where you are.
DO NOT use crown vetch! Very invasive and reproduces via rhizomes and hard seed. This is usually what you see along the roadsides because the DOT's allow invasive shit in their roadside reclamation mixes.
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Post by smsmith on Jun 7, 2020 10:14:51 GMT -6
I don't think I have ever seen hairy vetch browsed by deer
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Post by Catscratch on Jun 7, 2020 11:27:11 GMT -6
I've grown Hairy Vetch. It did well for several years. Deer were in the plots but I can't tell you if they ate the vetch or not.
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Post by Bob on Jun 7, 2020 13:01:51 GMT -6
I've grown Hairy Vetch. It did well for several years. Deer were in the plots but I can't tell you if they ate the vetch or not. I think if you had a pile of rusty angle iron on your farm the deer would be in it.
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Post by Catscratch on Jun 7, 2020 13:13:12 GMT -6
I've grown Hairy Vetch. It did well for several years. Deer were in the plots but I can't tell you if they ate the vetch or not. I think if you had a pile of rusty angle iron on your farm the deer would be in it. Makes cleanup after working on equipment soooooo easy when you don't have to pick up scrap steel! Not more than an hour ago this youngin stepped out of the forest painting hot. Made a beeline straight to a weed that I hit a few days ago with gly and ate huge mouthful of it. Then hightailed it straight back to the forest. Had to walk past all my plots to get to the house and was worth risking being under the deck for it. I've seen this many times... deer seeking out plants that have been sprayed with gly. Hard to tell what a deer wants and why. I've found they'll eat anything at least once.
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Post by wiscwhip on Jun 7, 2020 13:28:20 GMT -6
All formulations of gly are effectively a "salt", with many of them being a salt of potassium. This might explain the apparent desire to browse the sprayed plants. A potassium deficiency might be the driver? How is the potassium level in your native soils before amendment?
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Post by Catscratch on Jun 7, 2020 13:39:42 GMT -6
Original Potassium levels seemed ok. I do get a lot of mineral use though... I always figured it had to do with the taste of the chemical or the taste of a stressed plant. I've always leaned towards the stressed plant idea due to the fact that I don't think they hit them the first day or two. It seems like they hit wilted plants.
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Post by sd51555 on Jul 13, 2021 11:17:15 GMT -6
bump...
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Post by badgerfowl on Jul 13, 2021 11:23:59 GMT -6
I'd be leery about taking advice from those JPS types.
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Post by sd51555 on Jul 13, 2021 11:25:30 GMT -6
While I wait, how about a vetch update? It’s setting pods now. I found some decent evidence of browse. All the flowers were taken off this one. It’s wrapping around the rye. And the rye is taking it.
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Post by smsmith on Jul 13, 2021 11:52:28 GMT -6
Hairy vetch and winter rye is about as close to the ideal soil building pair a guy could get. Of course, that's really, really old news.
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Post by sd51555 on Jul 15, 2021 8:44:01 GMT -6
Hairy vetch and winter rye is about as close to the ideal soil building pair a guy could get. Of course, that's really, really old news. This was not something I knew. After you posted this, I went out and looked around. The HV is growing great in my hoog, where other stuff is doing ok, but the HV is thriving. Because of your commment and my observation, I ordered an extra 5 lbs to blend into my rye/jap millet/collards blend I've got on standby for the crowned section of my south plot. That clay is gonna need to get broken up.
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