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Sign up freeVicia villosa
flowerTop winter cover crop in NA. Extremely cold-tolerant. Sow late summer or early autumn. Fixes large quantities of nitrogen by spring.
🐛 Prone to: Aphids.
Attract Hoverflies, Lacewings, Ladybirds, Parasitic wasps to keep them in check — plant African MarigoldGreat, AngelicaGood and AniseGreat nearby.
🌼 Beneficial companion — draws Ladybirds, Parasitic wasps that help control Aphids, Whitefly, Caterpillars, Flea beetles, Colorado potato beetle, Stink bugs, Leaf miners on neighbouring plants.
Trifolium alexandrinum
flowerA fellow Fabaceae — similar growing habits to Hairy Vetch
Direct-sow Hairy Vetch outdoors about 8 weeks after your last frost, keeping seeds in cooler soil (around 10–18 °C). Seeds usually come up in around 14 days. Grow in full sun, spaced about 10 cm apart. Expect the first blooms in roughly 240 days.
Water: Low · Height: 100 cm · Soil: Well-draining, adaptable — winter-hardy