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Growing Tomatoes

Hairy Vetch and Deer...

computergardener

15 years ago

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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Comments (2)

windclimber
15 years ago
I grow winter wheat as a cover and it decomposes fast and is'nt supposed to clog up the tines although I don't till.
I am considering a method thats called something like dry farming.
I read a thread from mule a while back concerning it.
Basically you just let your cover crop grow and plug out holes where your plant goes.

I would think any cover crop is going to be tasty to deer tho.
spiced_ham
15 years ago
Its not going to multiply them, or make them extend their range. Plus, they already know where your garden is so about the only problem is that they might eat most of it and kill it off. A bottom growing plant like winter rye might do better with the grazing pressure.

We have nearly tame deer here, in the yard every day like clock work, Fawns sleep under the tree etc. but simple loose fencing keeps them away from the vegetables. I put in a couple of tomato plants at the edge of the yard and they have slowly nibbled them to stumps over the season, but left exposed plants closer to the house alone. This is a switch from previous years so I'll probably keep doing it.
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The problem with winter cover crops around here is winter herds of deer. We used to plant winter wheat and rye, vetch etc. But the deer didn't go away when the cc was plowed over, but came back to dine on lettuce, spinach and newly emerged green bean plants. We have a fence but only 4 feet high. After years of no problem with deer, I just last week lost a whole row of lettuce and another bed of radicchio. Next year our garden will get a 7 foot high fence and we may try it again.
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