Popular Products
Shop by Region
Pasture seed mixes
Request a custom seed mix
Contact us
Beautiful Blooms with Hancock Seed
Popular Products
Seed Quality
Hancock Seed is dedicated to delivering the best seeds possible to our customers. Hancock Seed grows and harvests many of our products, and we acquire the majority of the rest from other family farmers.
All these seeds are processed, packaged and shipped from Hancock Farm. This helps us ensure that our high standards are met. Unlike much of the competition, we refuse to sell you a seed that was not gathered during the last harvest. You will always receive fresh product from Hancock.
Every seed we grow comes with 40 years of experience behind it...you can rest assured that all of our products are cultivated in a method that assures its potential for growth.
Your cart ( 0 )
Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa) is a short term legume commonly used for cover crops in home gardens, weed suppression, erosion control, ground cover, and green manure. When planted alone as a Winter cover crop in annual vegetable rotations, it can provide as much as 110 lbs. of nitrogen per acre to a following Spring crop.
Product Information
- Application or Use: Cover Crop, Ground Cover, Erosion Control, Green Manure, Hay Production
- Germination Time: 10 - 14 days, under optimal conditions
- Growing Locations: Warm Season, Transition Zone, Cool Season
- Height: 24 inches
- Sunlight Requirements: 6 - 8 hours, full sun for best results
- Advantages: Natural weed suppression; provides high nitrogen.
- When to Plant: Recommended planting time is spring, summer and fall when night time temperatures are consistently 65+ degrees.
Product Details
- Hardy, viney, annual or biennial legume
- Commonly used for cover crops in organic farming
- Great for natural weed suppression
- Excellent for erosion control
- Can provide as much as 110 lbs. of nitrogen per acre to a spring crop
Product Information
Hairy Vetch is a hardy, viney, annual or biennial legume, attaining a height of 24 in. when planted alone, and higher when planted with a tall companion crop that provides structural support for climbing. Hairy Vetch can thrive in acidic soils where Clover and Alfalfa do not grow well.
Hairy Vetch flowers appear in clusters and are purple/rose colored. Hairy Vetch is winterhardy and much more drought tolerant than other vetches. It is widely adapted throughout the United States but develops best under cooler temperatures and on fertile loam soils. Hairy vetch is moderately sensitive to soil acidity and is also productive on sandy or clay soils where crimson clovers will not thrive.
For grazing, wait until the plants are at least 6 inches high as to not destroy the buds needed for regrowth. For hay production, vetch is generally cut in the early bloom stage.
*Product packaging may appear different than what is pictured.
Plant between Fall and Spring at a rate of 40 to 50 lbs. per acre (1.25 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft.). Plant at a depth of 1/4 in. Ensure that seed soil pH is between 6 and 7. Hairy Vetch is often planted with cereal rye, oats or other fall/winter grains for improved winter survival and annual weed control. For mixtures, reduce the planting rate by 25% and the grain seeding rate by 50% from recommended pure stand rates.
Instructions
When choosing to start a new lawn, remove old vegetation by using a de-thatcher, power rake or tiller to kill the existing vegetation. Rake or drag the area to remove debris and dead grass for a clean area. Ensure the soil is leveled and loosened to allow the seed to have good soil contact once spread on a clean seed bed.
If you have an area with heavy weed coverage, we recommend starting fresh by killing and removing the existing vegetation. If you choose to use chemicals, herbicides or fertilizers, you must check with the product's manufacturer prior to planting new seed to ensure the proper waiting period.
When overseeding an existing area, mow your lawn at the lowest setting and bag the clippingsx. Rake or drag any areas that have dead thatch or debris.