Cover crop- hairy vetch, need some pointers

Dave from MN · Jun 16, 2009

I have this sandy peice, needs lime, virtually no organic matter, yada yada yada. Well, as soon as this summers rye crop is harvested I want to get at the soil building business on that peice. Lime will be delivered, and spread as soon as straw is baled, have enough beef cow manure to spread 15 tons/ acre, was gonna disc chisel, then disc to break up the soil hardness and incorperate the manure and lime, I want to plant a cover crop, green manure etc, and was thinking about hairy vetch, some one said it creates massive root systems quickly and really put nitrogen in the soil. Is this something that I could plant in early august and still see some help to the soil? Would I be better off planting soybeans, oats, or maybe even rye again over the hairy vetch? Ears are open so please share your knowledge. OH, next years crop will be corn, and I plan on spreading (in spring)4 tons/ acre poultry breeder manure, then disking in cover crop and chicken manure, plant, spray. Feild has been mis managed for 60 years and I want to see what I can accomplish.

old · Jun 16, 2009

DO NOT DO vetch it will take over an area and is hard to get rid of once it has. I have been fighting the stuff for years now and believe me it is not worth it. Clover is very good as is winter wheat in the fall
Hobby farm

Mark · Jun 16, 2009

Buckwheat seems to get the nod nowadays....and I"m going to sow some on a piece of poor ground I have.

That being said.....I never had any trouble getting rid of hairy vetch and have used it in the past....it blooms the prettiest purple flowers you ever saw. Vetch seeds look like black BB"s and if left till it goes to seed...it"ll repopulate itself. For a poor piece of ground, I see no problem in that.....as I"d turn it under and sow something else right behind it...like winter wheat. Come spring, I"d do the vetch or buckwheat trick again. It won"t help much after one year on worn out ground....it"ll take about 3 to see any improvement...but by and by, it helps. Keep pouring the manure to it...any and all you can get...cram that vegetable matter in any way you can. Be patient while nature does the rest. Lime it heavy too. It took a while to make the ground sick and it"ll be a while before gets well.

JMS/.MN · Jun 16, 2009

I think yellow clover was recommended years ago as a soil builder- grows several feet tall, and plow it under.

El Toro · Jun 16, 2009

Soybeans would be a good choice, but it may be a little too late in your area. They will build up your soil. Buckwheat would be another good choice
if its available in your area. I use barley for a cover crop on the garden. It usually doesn't get too tall and plows under easily. Hal

Anonymous-0 · Jun 16, 2009

A feller in the farm paper said to plant buckwheat, test soil, then in fall plant rye, lime if necessary, then in winter plant red clover, said something about natural weed control, too. 'Sides, Buckwheat is sposed to be real popular in Mn, now, accordin to the latest polls.

Traditional Farmer · Jun 16, 2009

If you're combining the Rye why not disk the straw back into the soil.Hairy vetch is good but it needs another crop to climb on.I've planted Buckwheat way overrated as a soil builder in my opinion

Old Ford Mechanic · Jun 16, 2009

Dave we used to build our gound with a combination of Rye and Vetch here in the south.However we took a turning plow with a good set of coulters and turned it all under.We then let it all rot before planting.However that was before we ever heard of no-till farming.You may be getting all you need with all that manure you are going to apply.But you better get that spray rig in tip top shape.Kill those weeds and apply more nitrogen over the top next year.

Anonymous-0 · Jun 16, 2009

An "old timer" told me that corn never does good following Rye. Any truth to that?

Dave from MN · Jun 17, 2009

I planted corn into to a rye feild this year, disced in the volunteer regrowth rye, a day prior to planting and sprayed with round up. It is my 2nd best feild of corn, even with no fertilizer or rain.

greenbeanman in Kansas · Jun 17, 2009

I have a lot of it growing wild on my property. Doesn't really bother my operation and with tillage is fairly easy to control here.

Once had a guy tell me he cut hay in a field that had vetch growing on it. Said he got into a windrow while baling that was so filled with the vetch that he had to stop the tractor. Said the baler pulled the vetch/hay windrow into it. Said he made 10 bales before moving again. After being around the stuff I'd tend to believe that.

old · Jun 17, 2009

Yep once it gets into a hay field it is next to impossible to get rid of. And in my case plowing it under is not an option so I have to try to cut it before it goes to seed every year to control it but this year that is not going to happen because of all the rain we have been getting. Most years I would have already cut and baled hay but not this year. Got just under 4 inch of rain in the last 48 or so hours so every thing is very wet

greenbeanman in Kansas · Jun 17, 2009

I just read a Science Daily report that tells tomato plants mulched with hairy vetch produce tastier tomatoes.

Think I just found a new use for the vetch on my farm making it a income producer. Sell excess to the town folk after I have all I need for mulching my tomatoes.

Report at the link below.
Use hairy vetch for tastier tomatoes.

Cover crop- hairy vetch, need some pointers

Dave from MN

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old

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Mark

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JMS/.MN

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El Toro

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Anonymous-0

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Traditional Farmer

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Old Ford Mechanic

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Anonymous-0

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Dave from MN

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greenbeanman in Kansas

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old

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greenbeanman in Kansas

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