Question of the Week – Vetch

This week, the question was: What is this weed that is starting to show now up in vegetable fields?

This is common vetch (Vicia sativa). Vetch is a cool-season weed that begins germinating in the fall and begins blooming in the winter, peaking in the spring. Vetch is in the legume family, making it capable of fixing nitrogen in the soil. For this reason, vetches are sometimes used as a component of multi-species cover crops. Vetch can be particularly problematic in crops like strawberries as it comes up in the plant holes in the plastic, competing with the young strawberry transplants for water and nutrients. This competition can significantly slow down the development of the strawberries, reducing their yield in the spring. Read more about vetch here.

This week’s question is from Justin Ballew, Extension Fruit and Vegetable Research Associate.