When the last frost clears and temperatures start climbing, most fields are thinking about cash crops. But the producers getting ahead aren't just planting corn and soybeans — they're putting warm season cover crops to work in every available window. Whether you're chasing nitrogen, fighting compaction, building organic matter, or looking for high-quality summer forage, the right warm season blend can do more in one growing window than most single-species plantings do in an entire season.
At Sustain Seed + Soil, we've built four warm season PeakBlends designed to meet producers wherever they are — from first-time cover croppers to experienced grazers managing complex rotations. Here's a deep dive into what each one does and who it's built for.
Piedmont PeakBlend — The Best Starting Point for Summer Grazing
If you're new to cover crop grazing or just want a lighter, more manageable warm season forage option, the Piedmont PeakBlend is where to start.
Five species work together in this blend: BMR Sorghum-Sudangrass, cowpeas, Taproot Radish, Japanese Millet, and Sunn Hemp. Each one pulls its weight.
BMR Sorghum-Sudangrass is the anchor — it's bred for higher digestibility than standard sorghum-sudangrass, which matters when you're putting livestock on it. Cowpeas bring drought tolerance and nitrogen fixation while also attracting beneficial insects that support the broader farm ecosystem. Japanese Millet is another drought-resistant option that performs in lower fertility soils and produces solid forage quality with a fibrous root system that builds soil aggregates over time.
Sunn Hemp is where the Piedmont gets interesting for grazers. When managed at 32 to 40 inches, Sunn Hemp delivers 18 to 20% crude protein and a total digestible nutrient value of 75 — those are impressive numbers for a summer annual. It fixes additional nitrogen, grows on poor soils across a pH range of 5 to 7.5, and resists root knot nematodes.
Taproot Radish rounds out the blend by punching through compaction, improving water infiltration, and scavenging nitrogen, sulfur, and calcium from deep in the soil profile — benefits that carry forward to the next cash crop long after the growing season ends.
Plant after the last threat of spring frost. Drill at 45 lb/A (½" deep) or broadcast at 54 lb/A.
Homestead PeakBlend — The Summer Workhorse After Wheat or Corn Silage
When wheat comes off or corn silage wraps up, there's a window that too many producers leave empty. The Homestead PeakBlend was built specifically for that moment.
Sorghum-Sudangrass, Sunn Hemp, and Taproot Radish combine into a grass, legume, and broadleaf trio that covers virtually every warm season cover crop objective in a single seeding. Nitrogen production, nutrient scavenging, compaction relief, biomass building, erosion control — the Homestead delivers across the board.
The management story is what makes this blend especially appealing. Sunn Hemp and Sorghum-Sudangrass are taken out by the first frost. Taproot Radish winterkills after a few nights in the mid-teens. In most years and most regions, this entire mixture is gone by spring with no additional intervention required. For producers who want maximum summer performance without complicated spring management, the Homestead is a hard blend to beat.
Plant in late spring after the last frost, up to 8 weeks before the average first frost. Drill at 15 lb/A (1" deep) or precision seed at 12 lb/A.
Cumberland PeakBlend — Maximum Diversity for the Experienced Grazer
The Cumberland PeakBlend is not a beginner blend. It's built for producers who understand intensive grazing rotations, want to maximize species diversity, and are ready to manage a complex warm season mix for peak performance.
Eleven species make up the Cumberland: BMR Sorghum-Sudangrass, Sunn Hemp, Japanese Millet, Taproot Radish, Cowpeas, Pearl Millet, Sunflowers, Turnips, Non-GMO Soybeans, Non-GMO BMR Corn, and Egyptian Wheat. Think of it as the Piedmont blend with the volume turned all the way up.
The BMR genetics in both the Sorghum-Sudangrass and the Corn deliver highly digestible, high-biomass forage with excellent grazing characteristics. Sunn Hemp and Cowpeas establish quickly and begin fixing nitrogen rapidly. Non-GMO Soybeans add another nitrogen-fixing layer along with extensive root mass in the top 6 inches of soil — generating significant biomass without the risk of going to seed in most regions.
Sunflowers might seem like an unusual addition, but they earn their place. Their deep root systems pull sulfur and zinc up from the subsoil and make those nutrients available to the entire plant community — a biological nutrient cycling benefit that goes well beyond what most producers expect from a cover crop species.
Pearl Millet and Japanese Millet add heat and drought-tolerant forage diversity with high palatability. Turnips improve water infiltration and scavenge nitrogen, sulfur, and calcium while producing foliage that livestock find highly attractive late in the season.
The Cumberland is designed to perform under drought and heat stress while building the plant diversity that drives long-term soil health. Drill at 50 lb/A (1" deep) or broadcast at 60 lb/A. Plant after last frost. Graph-Ex for Cover Crops is recommended to maximize nitrogen production.
Brazos PeakBlend — Maximum Nitrogen After Small Grains
The Brazos PeakBlend has a specific job: get in after wheat harvest or corn silage and produce as much nitrogen and soil-building biomass as possible in a short warm season window.
Three species. One clear mission.
Sunn Hemp is one of the most prolific nitrogen-fixing cover crops available — period. In a warm season window it can fix substantial atmospheric nitrogen that becomes available to the following cash crop. Sorghum-Sudangrass contributes exceptional biomass production, feeding soil biology and building organic matter rapidly. Buckwheat rounds out the blend as an efficient phosphorus scavenger and a valuable pollinator resource during bloom — a benefit that's easy to overlook but meaningful for beneficial insect populations on your farm.
The termination story is simple. Sorghum-Sudangrass and Sunn Hemp frost kill. Buckwheat winterkills as well. Most producers will have little to no spring management required from this blend.
If nitrogen production and soil building after small grain harvest are your primary warm season cover crop objectives, the Brazos is a focused, efficient, and low-management option worth serious consideration.
Which Warm Season Blend Is Right for You?
Here's a quick way to think about it:
Planting after wheat or corn silage and want maximum nitrogen with easy management? Brazos.
New to grazing or want a lighter warm season forage option? Piedmont.
Planting after wheat or corn silage and want to hit every cover crop objective at once? Homestead.
Experienced grazer ready to maximize species diversity and soil health through an intensive rotation? Cumberland.
All four blends are available now and ship nationwide, with primary distribution east of the Mississippi. Questions about which blend fits your rotation? Contact us — we're happy to help you find the right fit.
