Vetch, purple

This annual pea family cover crop (Vicia benghalensis, sometimes referred to as Vicia atropurpurea) can be grown in fall and spring in most climates, and even during the winter in warmer climates. Vetch roots fix nitrogen in the soil and begin to draw it away as the plant flowers and seeds. Plants also generate substantial biomass, good for increasing soil organic matter and suppressing weeds. JSC19