Is this hairy vetch?

[Cassandra]

I have some growing along my fence. If it is, how would I use it as weed control for garden vegetables?

Cassandra

 

[patandchickens]

Could be, but without seeing the flowers honestly I would not say yes or no.

I'd be real careful about using it as a living mulch if that's what you mean, because all of the annual vetches (and the perennial ones too, and you *really* don't want it to be a perennial vetch if you're going to put it in your veg garden!) will self-seed like demons, given half a chance. It would be real hard to keep it from self-seeding. It is also a rather vigorous, large, rambling kind of thing and I can't believe it would not compete with your garden veggies for nutrients and water, and probably cover over the short veggies.

So I dunno, personally I wouldn't. Maybe someone will come along and say they've been doing it for years and it's fine, and if so then you should pay attention to what they say, but as it is, that's my vote


Pat

 

[KayRI]

I think people use hairy vetch as a green winter mulch. they say to turn it under in the fall. I used it myself for the first time this year and it seemed to grow up thick enough in my veg garden to keep down all the other weeds. I turned it under about a month ago.

I don't have any experience with it as a weed supressant during the growing season.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

I second what Pat has to say.

We have been using hairy vetch for a *living* mulch for years but have never let it go to seed like that because it will reseed like crazy. We let it grow, overwinter then mow it down and plant our tomatoes into it.

Those don't look like the hairy vetch seed pods that I've seen but there are many varieties. If you didn't plant it then I wouldn't keep it. Just to be safe.

 

[Cassandra]

It has pretty purple flowers when it blooms. As I mentioned, it grows along the fence. It doesn't bother me there. It looks pretty and chokes out some ugly weeds that could be growing along the fence. So far, I haven't had any trouble with it getting out into the yard where we mow. But it keeps us from having to weed-eat the fence.

Thanks for the info, everyone.

Cassandra