Growing Crown Vetch

Review the erosion area to see if it is suitable for growing crown vetch. Crown vetch is very tolerant of many situations, but it must have sun, cannot tolerate salty soil (as near the ocean) and cannot grow in very alkaline soil. You do not have to do any kind of soil preparation as that would only enhance the erosion process. Make sure that your state does not prohibit the planting of crown vetch, as it is very invasive and will crowd out natural species of flora.

Plant crown vetch either by seed or by rhizomes dug up from existing plants. If you choose to use seed, it will need to be inoculated with bacteria or nicked so that the seed will germinate. Commercial growers add specific bacteria to the growing medium, but the residential grower can sow the seed in a bed or row of grass or hay mulch. Once you have a few plants started, they will quickly spread to fill in the entire area.

Clean up the crown vetch patch by cutting it back in the winter with a mower or rotary blade. The plant does die off over winter and comes back in the early spring. Mowing will keep it and other plants at a uniform height. The dead plant can be cut to just a few inches above ground level to enable cleanup, if wanted. Since it is a vine and grows to a height of 12 to 24 inches, it can form a thicket. However, there is no need to cut back the old vines as they just serve as better erosion control on steep banks or hard to reach areas.

Control the spread of crown vetch by physically removing the plant and rhizomes from the ground. This will only be a temporary fix as the seed can remain viable for up to 10 years in the soil, and it is almost impossible to get every bit of the rhizomes out of the soil. Effective control is usually done with a chemical herbicide, and even then in several stages over several years. Some areas have found that burning will help in the control process. A combination of physical removal, chemical herbicides, burning along with introducing native plants to the site is the most successful control.

Allow livestock with multiple stomachs to forage on it for fodder. It is well tolerated and similar to hay in its nutritional value to cattle. However, it is poisonous to horses. It can be cut and stored in a dry state for winter feedings, but it is not as easy to dry as hay.