Hairy vetch and Strawberries

Posts: 166

Location: Yucatan Puebla Ontario BC

posted 12 years ago

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The vetch smothers the weeds in the strawberry patch but the strawberry can survive this. The weed free strawberries flourish for a while after the vetch is cut. the vetch is feed for ruminants. In colder climates the berries may produce first and the vetch would be cut after. In my case I need to expariment more with the cutting date. strawberry season seems to start in nov. or dec. for me so I think I'll leave the vetch over it until august most annual weed seeds will have sprouted and died by then. I will try cutting a patch in september and one in july as well.

Diversified Food forest maker . Fill every niche and you'll have less weeds (the weeds are the crop too). Fruit, greens, wild harvest, and nuts as staple. Food processing and preservation are key to self self-sufficiency. Never eat a plant without posetive identification and/or consulting an expert.

Nancy Reading

steward and tree herder

Posts: 13591

Location: Isle of Skye, Scotland. Nearly 70 inches rain a year

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posted 2 hours ago

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This is an interesting idea. I've just planted out my strawberries....

(source)

I'm assuming hairy vetch is vicia villosa I don't have that, but I do have Vicia cracca (tufted vetch) which apparently is very similar. It does seem quite vigorous, but the OP seemed to think the strawberries don't mind. I guess some Nitrogen fixing and mulch wouldn't hurt. Has anyone else experimented with this combination, or have other suggestions?

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