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  • From: "Lorraine Ballato" <ladygardener@msn.com>
  • To: "gardenwriters-on-gardening" <gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [gwl-g] FW: A Genetic Boost for Tomatoes
  • Date: Wed, 7 Jul 2004 06:56:45 -0700

A word of caution on using vetch...In the past I used it as a winter cover crop, intending to get all that good stuff into my vegetable garden.  However, I found it borders on invasive in the way it takes hold and continues to grow and spread, despite being turned under after decomposing.  It took me 2-3 seasons to rid my garden of it. 
 
 
Lorraine Ballato
 
----- Original Message -----
From: miranda@tagoresmith.com
Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 2004 12:06 PM
To: 'gardenwriters-on-gardening'
Subject: RE: [gwl-g] FW: A Genetic Boost for Tomatoes
 
Hi.

I believe that they are referring to a study of growing tomatoes in
tilled strips in a field planted to a winter rye/vetch cover the
preceding fall. It does work. You seed the cover in fall, at least 40
days before frost to let the vetch establish, and then mow it to about a
6-8 in. height in spring, before you till strips into the field. The
tilled strips are about 2 to 3 feet wide. Plant the tomatoes into the
strips and keep the cover crop mowed through the season. In fall, seed
the tilled areas back into rye/vetch and the following year, use the
field for a brassica.

You can also take advantage of the benefits conferred by vetch by simply
planting it in the fall--40 days before hard frost is expected--and
tilling it under in early spring.

Incidentally, to prevent any phytotoxic effects from the decomposing rye
or undecomposed material, it's important to till the strips or, if you
are using just vetch in a small garden area, the whole area, very early.
You want the material to decompose before you plant into it.

Miranda Smith

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