Common Vetch
A vigorous cool-season annual legume for cover crops, forage mixtures and green manure. Common Vetch provides vining growth, seasonal biomass and biological nitrogen fixation when effectively inoculated and successfully nodulated.
Versatile Vining Legume for Cool-Season Cover
Common Vetch is a cool-season annual legume used in cover crop, forage and green-manure systems. Its sprawling, climbing growth makes it particularly useful when paired with upright cereal grains that can provide structural support.
When effectively inoculated and successfully nodulated, Common Vetch can biologically fix atmospheric nitrogen while producing useful seasonal biomass and nitrogen-rich plant residue.
It can be planted alone or incorporated into diversified mixtures with oats, triticale, barley, ryegrass, peas and other compatible cool-season species.
Why Common Vetch?
Common Vetch provides a useful balance of legume biomass, nitrogen-fixing potential and mix compatibility without the extremely aggressive growth habit associated with some other vetch types.
Its vines can climb companion cereals, making it especially useful in multi-species cover crop and annual forage mixtures.
What Common Vetch Brings to the Field
Biological Nitrogen Fixation
When effectively inoculated and nodulated, Common Vetch can fix atmospheric nitrogen and add nitrogen-rich legume residue to the cropping system.
Seasonal Biomass
Vigorous cool-season growth can contribute useful biomass where planting timing, moisture and fertility support good establishment.
Mix Compatibility
Common Vetch works well with cereals and other compatible species where multiple rooting and residue types are desired.
Forage Potential
Can contribute a productive legume component to appropriately managed annual forage mixtures, particularly with small grains.
Flowering Resource
When allowed to bloom, vetch flowers can provide seasonal floral resources for bees and other pollinating insects.
Green Manure
Common Vetch can be grown specifically for legume biomass before mowing, incorporation or another planned termination.
Where Common Vetch Fits
Cover Crops
Adds legume biomass and biological nitrogen-fixing potential to cool-season soil-building programs.
Green Manure
Useful where growers want a productive annual legume that can be terminated and returned to the cropping system.
Forage Mixtures
Can add legume diversity and forage value when planted with compatible annual grasses or cereal grains.
Orchards & Vineyards
Fits cool-season perennial-crop cover programs where legume growth, flowering and soil cover are desired.
Common Vetch Planting Information
Plant into a firm seedbed with adequate moisture and good seed-to-soil contact. Drilling generally produces more uniform seed placement and stand establishment than surface broadcasting.
Weaver Seed's working reference is approximately 45 lb/acre drilled and 60 lb/acre broadcast. Final rate should be adjusted for seed size, germination, planting method, field conditions, desired stand density and whether Common Vetch is planted alone or in a mixture.
Common Vetch develops trailing vines and tendrils rather than maintaining a rigid upright canopy. In mixtures, taller cereal grains can provide support while adding complementary fibrous rooting and additional surface residue.
Common, Lana and Hairy Vetch Are Different
These products should not be treated as interchangeable. Maturity, winter performance and growth characteristics differ between vetch species and cultivars.
Versatile annual vetch for forage, green manure and cover crop mixtures with moderate climbing growth and strong compatibility with cereal grains.
An early-maturing woollypod cultivar with vigorous growth and a long history of use in California agriculture.
Generally selected where greater winter hardiness and vigorous spring growth are priorities.
Build a Balanced Cool-Season Mix
Upright cereal grains are especially useful companions because they provide structure for Common Vetch vines while contributing fibrous roots and additional biomass.
Oats
One of the traditional companions for Common Vetch, contributing cereal biomass and structural support.
Triticale
Adds vigorous upright growth, fibrous rooting and substantial cool-season residue.
Barley
Provides fast cereal growth and additional structural support in diversified mixtures.
Forage Peas
Adds another productive annual legume for greater diversity in forage and green-manure plantings.
Manage Common Vetch for the Intended Goal
Use Compatible Inoculation
Biological nitrogen fixation depends on compatible rhizobia and successful root nodulation. Use an appropriate pea/vetch inoculant when effective compatible bacteria are not already established or when seed is not pre-inoculated.
Plan Termination Before Planting
Vetch becomes increasingly viney as it matures. Where volunteer plants are undesirable, terminate before mature seed production. Termination timing should reflect the biomass goal and following crop schedule.
Looking for Common Vetch Seed?
Contact Weaver Seed for current availability, wholesale pricing, custom mixtures and assistance determining the appropriate Common Vetch seeding rate for your operation.
Contact Weaver Seed