Biological Name:
Vicia villosa (Smooth-Vetch)
Natural Habitat:
Smooth-Vetch: This plant is native to North America and can be found in a variety of habitats, including fields, roadsides, and waste areas.
Description:
Smooth-Vetch also known as Vicia is a plant that is native to grassland and prairie regions of North America. It is an annual herb that can grow up to three feet tall and it has small oval-shaped leaves and small white or purple flowers that bloom in the summer. The plant is often used as a forage crop for livestock and it is known for its ability to fix nitrogen in the soil.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is vetch used for?
A: Often, common vetch is used as a green manure which, when incorporated into the soil, provides valuable carbon, and nitrogen for rotation crops such as wheat and barley.
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Q: Is vetch poisonous to humans?
A: The vetches grown as forage are generally toxic to non-ruminants (such as humans), at least if eaten in quantity. Cattle and horses have been poisoned by V. villosa and V. benghalensis, two species that contain canavanine in their seeds.
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Q: What are the benefits of vetch?
A: Benefits. Hairy vetch fixes large amounts of nitrogen (N) that help meet N needs of the following crop, protects soil from erosion, helps improve soil tilth, and provides weed control during its vigorous growth in the spring and when left as a dead mulch at the soil surface.
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Q: Can vetch be eaten?
A: Vetch was once a commonly cultivated plant that fell out of favor over time… more on that in a minute. Most of the plant is edible and some species actually taste decent. Common vetch is one of the better ones. The young shoots are edible raw, but better cooked.
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Q: Is common vetch toxic?
A: Vetch seeds are poisonous; they contain cyanogenic glycosides and a diglucoside that can cause a neurologic disease. Although hairy vetch (V. villosa) and purple vetch (V. benghalensis) seed are the most toxic (being very closely related), other vetches have toxic seeds too, including common vetch (V.
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Q: Does vetch come back every year?
A: Tilling the vetch under, letting it decompose and then planting your crop will go one step further by adding organic matter to the soil. Hairy vetch, as a winter annual, will sprout in the fall, overwinter, regrow in spring, go to seed and die.
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Q: Is vetch poisonous to dogs?
A: The toxin in hairy vetch responsible for the symptoms is not known. The toxin appears to cause an immune-mediated disease as prior exposure or sensitization is necesary for the disease to develop. Animals grazing the green vetch develop a severe granulomatous disease affecting many organs.
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Q: Is vetch a good ground cover?
A: Crown Vetch (Coronilla varia) – An extremely fast and aggressive plant, Crown vetch produces a quick ground cover for erosion control with white to pink flowers. This legume should be planted for erosion control in certain hard-to-reach areas such as steep, dry, rocky slopes and low fertility soils.
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Q: When can you plant vetch?
A: Irrigation will help germination, particularly if broadcast seeded. Plant vetch 30 to 45 days before killing frost for winter annual management; in early spring for summer growth; or in July if you want to kill or incorporate it in fall or for a winter-killed mulch.
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Q: Is vetch an invasive plant?
A: Range: Crown vetch is native to Europe, Asia and Africa. Since its introduction to the U.S., it has spread throughout the country. It is currently reported as invasive in many states, especially through the center of the country and along the eastern seaboard.
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Q: Does vetch attract bees?
A: Cow vetch is a vibrant plant covered in bright purple, violet and lavender flowers. It can also attract beneficials, pollinators and butterflies.
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Q: Is vetch easy to grow?
A: Hairy vetch is quick to grow in spring, producing vast biomass that smothers weeds and feeds soils. Hairy vetch can become weedy if left to produce seed. Careful management can prevent this problem. Simply mow or cut plants in late spring or early summer before flowers mature.
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Q: Is vetch good for the soil?
A: Benefits. Hairy vetch fixes large amounts of nitrogen (N) that help meet N needs of the following crop, protects soil from erosion, helps improve soil tilth, and provides weed control during its vigorous growth in the spring and when left as a dead mulch at the soil surface.
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Q: Why do farmers grow vetch?
A: Vetch is a well known legume also known as common vetch or tares. It scrambling, smothering growth habit and frost tolerance make it a very useful winter cover crop or green manure. Used as an over-winter green cover and soil improver, it can also be grazed by livestock.
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Q: How long does vetch take to grow?
A: Germination: 10 – 14 days. Ideal temperature for germination is about 68 degrees F. If the soil temperature is too cold, the seed will not germinate. Plant vetch 30 to 45 days before killing frost for winter annual management.
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Q: Is hairy vetch invasive?
A: Hairy vetch has escaped from cultivation and is considered invasive in some areas. It can crowd out native plant species. Toxicity: The entire plant is toxic. Common signs of intoxication in include dermatitis, conjunctivitis, diarrhea, loss of hair, and in some cases death.
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Q: Is vetch toxic to animals?
A: Animals grazing the green vetch develop a severe granulomatous disease affecting many organs. The seeds of hairy vetch when eaten in quantity by cattle and horses cause nervous signs and death. The seeds of Vicia sativa have been reported to contain cyanide.
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Q: Is vetch good for the garden?
A: Few legumes contribute as much nitrogen or biomass to the garden. Vetch produces an abundance of vining stems and fine foliage that help protect soils from wind and rain, while improving structure and adding nutrients. Plant vetch as a cover crop or green manure and reap the rewards of healthy, thriving soil.
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Q: Is vetch hard to get rid of?
A: The plant is tolerant of many site conditions and grows in sun to part shade and in dry sandy soils to moist clay loams. Vetch has purple flowers and produces green bean-like seed pods. The weed has a tap root that breaks easily, making it difficult to remove when weeding by hand.
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Q: Is vetch good for wildlife?
A: Bees and other small butterfly species such as the brown argus and the skippers also love this flower and the burnet moths lay their eggs on the leaves. In all, fantastic wildlife value in one small plant.
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