Vetch
Vetch: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
Common vetch, Vicia sativa, is an annual in the pea family. It is known as a cover crop and forage plant, with flexible growth that uses surrounding vegetation for support. Unlike a shrub or a permanent perennial clump, its slender stems belong to a seasonal cycle that ends with pods and seeds.The leaves contain several pairs of small leaflets arranged along an axis. Tendrils at the tips grip nearby stems. This structure gives the foliage a light appearance and allows the plant to climb without a rigid trunk. Depending on available support, it rises or spreads along the ground and tangles with neighbouring plants. Its apparent height therefore reflects the surrounding vegetation as well as the length of its own stems.Flowers, often pink to purplish violet, appear in the leaf axils, singly or in small groups. They have the characteristic pea-flower shape, with a large upper petal and lateral parts…
