On 25 Jul 2006 10:24:19 -0700, "Mike Lyle" wrote:
The various vetches do seed liberally, so you will be committed to
weeding. I'll be very surprised if she finds a suitable inoculum in any
ordinary garden store. Are you quite sure you want to grow it? They
aren't attractive in the ordinary way as garden plants. If you do want
it, why not grow a species which is already found in your area?

Well here are some stats:
Alfalfa 44/308 lbs/acre
Hairy Vetch 60/120 lbs/acre
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/vetch.html
http://www.extsoilcrop.colostate.edu...ogen/nit4.html

I have clay soil and a 300 sq-feet rectangular patch; I have split the
patch in half, dumping the mud i dig out (1 foot) from the first half
on the second. I'm going to plant vetch/beans/alfalfa in the two-feet
deep pit and use that as a seed-bed for legumes; The other half of my
patch with the piled-up mud, will be used to grow tubers. After about
a year, i'll bury the vetch under and use that bed to grow tubers and
dig out the unfinished other half. Perhaps after 2-3 years i'll have
decent loamy soil.

What i'm looking for now is quick growing stuff and legumes with
super-duper nitrogen fixation.

aren't attractive in the ordinary way as garden plants. If you do want
it, why not grow a species which is already found in your area?
Well part of the problem is availability - It's easier and less time
consuming to get it from the UK/Internet/Friends *LoL* than hunt
around here (involves travelling large distances on the off chance
that i may find something). Oh! The wonders of the Internet!! I'd kiss
Tim Berners Lee - except that he is a guy!

The first question to ask should be "Is it legal?" If India has
regulations as strict as those of some countries about the importation
of plants, your friend could get into trouble.
Yeah! She'll kill me! i'll stick to seeds.