Common Vetch

$13.10

Introducing Our Versatile Vetch Seed:

Discover the power of vetch, an annual pasture, forage, and grain legume that serves as a multipurpose addition to any garden. Whether used alone or in a mix, vetch thrives in vegetable gardens as a compost crop, enriching the soil and preparing it for future plantings.

Perfect for planting into beds that require preparation for early spring planting, especially when the soil may be difficult to work. Simply slice or shark the vetch off the top, leaving the bed resembling soft, beautiful, moist chocolate cake, enriched with nitrogen nodules ready to nourish your next crop.

Unlock the potential of your garden with our premium vetch seed. Get yours today and experience the difference in soil health and garden productivity!

Suitable For: Any garden anywhere in NZ.

 

Description

Weight: Approx. 500 grams – enough seed to plant 80-100 square metres

Description: Unavailable in NZ for many years, we are super excited to find it here again. Vetch is a wonderful, very cold hardy, easy-to-grow legume that can be used in many ways. It is part of both of our compost crop collections, but it is also very useful by itself as a leguminous groundcover under brassicas, for example.

You will have to cut it back during the season to ensure it doesn’t grow over them, but cutting it back just pulses the brassica growth. It is also a great crop to plant by itself before beds that are going into early Spring crops, such as garlic onions, that might be wet or difficult to work at that time.

All you have to do is cut the plants off at ground level with a garden shark and roll it back off the bed and replant the bed with no bed prep. The bed will be like chocolate cake full of nitrogen nodules to feed the next crop.

Planting Instructions:

  1. Timing: Plant vetch seeds in early Spring or early Autumn for optimal growth.
  2. Seed Preparation: Soak the vetch seeds in water for 24 hours before planting to promote germination.
  3. Seed Sowing: Scatter sow the soaked vetch seeds onto the prepared bed, then chop them in lightly with a rake to ensure good soil contact.
  4. Covering Seeds: Cover the seeded area with 70% shade cloth until the vetch seeds germinate and begin to grow.
  5. Transplanting Brassicas: If planning to transplant brassicas, wait until the vetch seeds are up and growing before transplanting them into the bed.
  6. Ground Cover Use: Consider using vetch as a ground cover for crops like corn by planting it first.
  7. Autumn Planting: Plant vetch in early Autumn to prepare beds for early Spring plantings, such as garlic. This allows the vetch to establish and enrich the soil for the next crop.

Follow these steps to successfully plant vetch and maximize its benefits in your garden, whether as a cover crop, ground cover, or soil enricher.