Skip to content

Order by 12/15 for the best chance of Christmas delivery

Family owned since 1979 | 100% Guarantee on All Products

Home SUDANGRASS Piper Sudangrass Piper Seed
PIPER SUDANGRASS-SUDANGRASS
PIPER SUDANGRASS-SUDANGRASS

PIPER SUDANGRASS

Cover crop | sudangrass
Sorghum bicolor ssp. Drummondii This fast-growing, very vigorous, warm-season grass produces an enormous amount of biomass, loosens hard soil, and suppresses weeds. A valuable forage crop, Piper Sudangrass can be grazed, cut for a fine hay or made into silage. When mown down to 6-8 inches, it can be cut several times in one season to produce multiple crops of hay. This variety has been used as a natural soil fumigant by tilling it into the soil immediately after cutting or frost-kill. The decomposing grass releases a compound that's said to be toxic to nematodes especially root-knot nematode. Please note: Piper Sudangrass contains a compound that can be toxic to animals and should be grazed only when it is taller than 18 inches and never after a frost. It is also not suitable to use as feed for horses. Seeding rate: 1-2 pounds per 1000 square feet; 30-50 pounds per acre.
  • Cold-Hardy Variety
  • Hybrid Variety

Select a product type below:

What is the difference? The difference?

SEED

Qty

Complete Your Purchase

FORTEX

FORTEX
From $5.95

PIPER SUDANGRASS

SEED / 1 pound Edit
Qty
Get the Most From This Product

Growing Tips & Guides

Get Started

Cereal Grains and Grass
Cereal grains and grasses grow very quickly and provide quick ground cover. They can provide a tremendous amount of biomass that not only smothers weeds and prevents soil erosion but also puts huge amounts of green matter, or green manure, back into the soil, which improves the soil's tilth. These cover crops are nature's great nutrient recyclers. The plant's extensive root system pulls nitrogen and other minerals from deep within the soil, and stores these elements within its roots and leaf structure. Upon turning under the crop, nitrogen and other elements are released or recycled back just underneath the soil surface so the next crop can utilize the nutrients that once was beyond reach and leaching away.
Growing grains as a cover crop provides other options such as forage for animals or food for people. We strive to offer varieties that give gardeners flexibility on how to best utilize the crop: for food, forage, or green manure.

One of the easiest and most economical ways to improve your soil is to plant green manures, commonly called cover crops. Most garden soils can be maintained at their highest level of productivity by sound soil management practices that involve a combination of soil tillage, crop rotation, and most importantly, the addition of organic matter through green manures.

Organic matter is the food component of soil. Soil-dwelling fungi and bacteria work to break down organic matter. When these soil microorganisms eat organic matter, nutrients are released back into the soil in a form that is usable by plants. This process is called nutrient cycling. Nutrient cycling affects both the physical and chemical properties of the soil. The addition of organic matter builds soil structure, which increases water absorption and nutrient-holding capacity, buffers the soil pH, and improves aeration. Cover crops choke out weeds by restricting sunlight to the soil, stabilize the soil surface, and through their deep-reaching roots, help to break up hardpan and bring nutrients to the surface for other plants to utilize. As part of a long-term rotation plan, cover crops can provide a stable habitat within your garden for beneficial insects and microorganisms.

Green manures can be grown in the same year as a vegetable crop, such as a cover crop of white clover planted around a cole crop. They can also be grown as a perennial in orchards and vineyards. In mild climates (zones 6 and above), cover crops can be fall planted and tilled in the following spring just before planting. In harsher climates, cover crops can be grown in rows between the crops or as a component of rotation in your garden. Green manure crops are a superior source of organic matter when they are cut and turned under. In addition to this benefit, legume green manures (peas, beans, clovers, favas and vetch) act as a host for the bacteria that fix and make nitrogen available for your vegetable or fruit crops.

Our Guarantee

Our Products Are Backed By a 100% Guarantee

At Territorial our products are backed by our full guarantee. Our seeds and products are guaranteed for an entire year from the date of purchase. We want you, our customers, to be 100% satisfied with the seed, plants, and supplies that you purchase from us. If anything you buy from Territorial proves to be unsatisfactory, we will either replace the item or refund the purchase price, whichever you prefer.

Nearly 50 Years of Hands-On Growing Expertise

Learn About Territorial Seed

For nearly 50 years, we've been providing gardeners of all skill levels quality seeds, transplants, supplies, and more.

Build Your Garden With These Products