Jadam organic Farming & Gardening : The Way to Ultra-Low-Cost Agriculture, Make All-Natural Fertilizer, Pesticide and Microorganism Inputs Yourself

Hairy vetch
is a leguminous
crop which ixes nitrogen in air
and provides 20 kg (44 lb) of ni-
trogen per 0.1 ha (¼ ac) with a
total biomass of about 17 tons
(37,500 lb). One of its wonderful
qualities is that it inhibits weeds.
Its sowing season is between early
September and early October (in
southern Korea). It needs to be
sown by early October at the latest.
Use 3-5 kg (7-11 lb) of seeds per
0.1 ha (¼ ac). Sow more if the cli-
mate is bad or if you sow them too
late. In orchards, cut them down
after they have formed seeds; then,
Hairy vetch growing on an orchard. Being legumi-
nous, they provide all the nitrogen needed by the
fruit trees. 
Milk vetches are planted in rice paddies. Being legu-
minous, they can provide the entire nitrogen needed
for growing rice.
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Soil Management
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109
you do not need to sow seeds again every year. ey wither and die in summer.
If a crop is planted before their withering, put them back into the soil by using
a rotary two weeks prior to planting so that they have time to decompose. If
crops are planted at a later period, then hairy vetch can be left to die and mulch
the ield. ey grow well in sandy soil or loam with good drainage and are weak
to excessive moisture. With a low
carbon-nitrogen (C/N) ratio of
around 10, it breaks down fast.
Milk vetch
is a leguminous
crop like the hairy vetch. It ixes ni-
trogen from the air and provides 15
kg (33 lb) of nitrogen per 0.1 ha (¼
ac). Its total biomass is about 17
tons (37,500 lb). In Asia it has
been used as a green manure
plant for thousands of years. It
had been composted after having
been mixed with soil. Sowing sea-
son is before September 20-25 in
the southern area and before
mid-September in the central area.
For good germination, milk vetch
should be sown when there is suffi-
cient moisture in the soil. Milk
vetch is vulnerable to cold and it
can freeze to death if the tempera-
ture stays at below -5°C (23
℉
) for a
long time. You can turn the vetch
into the soil after May 25 after
Rye is planted in this orchard. “Experts” say that be-
cause rye has low nitrogen content, when it decom-
poses it will cause nitrogen suck-in by
microorganisms and thereby damage the growth of
fruit trees. However, in the fields, such concern is
dismissed. The orchard produces more every year.
The owner of this farm has done tree-rye symbiosis
cultivation for over 20 years. (Mr. Jaegwan Yu,
Hadong)
Weight of rye on 1 square meter (11 sq. ft.) was 18
kilograms (40 lb). 
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110
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JADAM Organic Farming 
they seed so that you will not need to re-sow.
Rye
is a gramineous crop. It is very tolerant to cold and can survive tem-
peratures below -25°C (-13
℉
) in the central and northern areas. It provides 15
kg (33 lb) of nitrogen per 0.1 ha (¼ ac) with a total biomass of 20 tons
(44,092 lb). It has strong nutrient absorption so is an excellent source of green
manure. It is also helpful in eliminating salt from the soil. It has a vigorous
root growth which greatly improves the physical characteristics of the soil and
helps with soil compaction. Sowing season is between late September and early
October for high lands and between mid-October to late October for other re-
gions and Jeju Island. e crop will sprout in just four days even in soil tem-
peratures of 4~5°C (39.2-41
℉
). Sow about 15 kg (33 lb) per 0.1 ha (¼ acre).
Mixing hairy vetch and rye in a three to one ratio is an excellent method as
that supplements the low nitrogen of the rye. Return them into soil immedi-
ately before the heading stage.