A garden is only as good as the ground that it's planted in. Discussion forum for the many ways to improve the soil where we plant our gardens.
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August 26, 2008 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 18
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Deer and Hairy Vetch
I am going to try Hairy Vetch as a cover crop this year, but I was searching around for a place to buy it I came across this site. http://www.wildlifeseeds.com/info/vetch-hairy.html It states Hairy Vetch is a great deer lure. I have enough issues with Deer in my garden without inviting more.
Has anyone used Hairy Vetch and seen an increase in Deer? Any other suggestions for cover crops. I tried Winter Rye a few years back and it was a major pain to till under. Thanks...
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August 27, 2008 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: PNW
Posts: 4,743
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Most if not all winter cover crops probably seem tasty to
deer. They love buckwheat, although this is usually winter-killed, so it is more of a "fall or spring" than winter cover crop. Some people use bands of it around their yards and fields for a trap crop for deer. One place suggested planting sorghum around the outside of the garden to keep deer out. I don't know how well that works. According to this vendor, fenugreek should be easier to till under than tall, stemmy cover crops like winter rye: http://www.groworganic.com/item_SCL8...greek_Raw.html Edit: (I don't know what Fenugreek's winter kill temperature is, meaning how cold it can get and still have it put on more growth in spring. Do you have root knot nematodes? In Florida, for example, usually rye or oats are recommended over vetches to avoid having the nematodes winter over on the vetch roots.)
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-- alias Last edited by dice; August 27, 2008 at 03:29 PM. Reason: addenda |
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