Vicia villosa

Velvet vetch

Common names: Winter vetch, Sand vetch, Velvet vetch

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Fabelfroh assumed (based on copyr… · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source

This description was machine-translated.

Description

Velvet vetch (Vicia villosa) is the hardiest of the vetches and an excellent nitrogen‑fixing cover crop for late sowing. Its root nodules enrich the soil with nitrogen, while the climbing stems form a dense, ground‑covering mat. When grown in mixture with winter rye, it can lean on the rye stalks and overwinter very securely.

Care instructions

Sow velvet vetch in August or September (week 32‑39), preferably together with winter rye as a supporting partner. It tolerates light, sandy soils well. In spring (May, week 18) cut or roll the crop to encourage flowering, then incorporate it into the soil, this makes the fixed nitrogen available to the following crop.

Soil & site

Soil pH

4.0pH 6–7.58.0

Soil type

sandy, loamy, well-drained, humus-rich, lean

LightFull sun

HardinessHardy

Water needLow

Feeding

Light feeder

Companion planting

Good neighbors

cabbage family (Brassicaceae)

particularly well established

Leguminous plants collect nitrogen in the soil, from which Brassicaceae benefit as heavy feeders.

For example White cabbageKohlrabiRadishKalebroccolicauliflower and 34 more species in the catalogue

Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)

carrot family (Apiaceae)

Peas and beans provide carrot and celery with nitrogen and grow as shallow-rooted plants without competition next to each other.

For example Carrotcelery rootDillParsleyCarrot fennelCoriander and 19 more species in the catalogue

Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)

gourd family (Cucurbitaceae)

Beans and peas enrich the soil with nitrogen, which cucurbits, as heavy feeders, can make good use of.

For example CucumberPumpkinCourgettepickling cucumberButternutHokkaido and 14 more species in the catalogue

Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)

Winter Rye

Rather not

amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae)

particularly well established

Allium species inhibit the nitrogen‑fixing rhizobia of legumes through their root exudates, which slows their growth.

For example GarlicOnionLeekChivesDaffodilRocambole and 12 more species in the catalogue

Source: basic crop‑rotation rule

Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.

Some of these explanations were machine-translated.

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