Planning Ahead with MidSummer Grasses
Mario Miranda Sazo, Cultural Practices
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Growers who are planning to plant a new orchard site (or a replant site) next year can consider the use of cover crops before planting an orchard. Their benefits are numerous. When used they can: (1) improve organic matter, (2) break up compaction layers in the soil profile, (3) suppress weeds, and (4) control erosion. We recommend the use of sudangrass (review attached pdf document), but several other cover crops can be used. A more complete list of cover crop options can be found at the web site prepared by Thomas Borkman (http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/hort/faculty/bjorkman/covercrops/decisiont). This tool was originally designed for vegetable growers, but is still very useful for fruit growers as well. Sudangrass and sorghum-sudangrass are midsummer grasses suitable for short, 8-10 week plantings. Sorghum-sudangrass is often referred to generically as Sudex. These grasses are the most heat and drought- tolerant cover crops typically grown in the Northeast. Sudangrass growth is easier to manage because the stems are narrower, it can be sown earlier than sorghum-sudangrass, and suppresses weeds better. These crops provide abundant root biomass, which is useful for increasing soil organic matter. Mowing encourages root growth. They suppress root knot nematodes and inhibit weed germination if densely sown. A few management tips: (1) land preparation: prepare a clod-free seedbed. Avoid hard soil and wet spots. Do not plant just before a heavy rain, (2) seeding rate: 30 lbs/acre for biomass and nematode control, 50 lbs/acre for weed control, (3) seeding date: June through mid-August (sudangrass), July through mid August (sorghum-sudangrass). These cover crops require warm soil to germinate, (4) maintenance: mow when 20-30 inches tall, leaving a six inch stubble. Two cuts in average can be conducted per season with sudangrass. Leave residue on the soil surface for weed suppression. Timely mowing is important because tall, fibrous plants are difficult to mow or incorporate, and (5) control: big crowns decompose slowly, making it difficult to prepare a seedbed for small-seeded crops. Incorporate sudangrass if planting something else in the fall. Otherwise, mow for winter-killed mulch on the surface and till in early spring. Tall, unmowed sudangrass will winterkill, but is difficult to manage in the spring. Summary: By implementing the use of cover crops you will reduce erosion of topsoil from slopes and suppress weed growth. Proper site preparation will often involve significant disturbance of the soil in order to add amendments (lime, phosphorous), install drain tile, etc. If a cover crop is not established soon after soil work is finished for the year, rainfall and melting snow can result in a significant loss of topsoil from the site. Sowing a cover crop will also help to prevent the re-establishment of weeds that the grower has worked hard to eliminate from the site. Note: The sudangrass technical information was excerpted/modified from Cornell cover crop guide for sudangrass. Cornell University. 2pp. Ver. 1.100716 (Borkman, T. and J.W. Shail. 2010).
Planning Ahead with MidSummer Grasses (pdf; 89KB)
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Upcoming Events
Cornell Statewide Pink Meeting
April 21, 2026
Join us for a statewide pink zoom meeting covering key topics including crop load, frost risk, disease, and insect management, followed by Q&A; the session will be recorded and shared on both programs' YouTube channels.
2026 Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meetings
April 30, 2026 : Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meeting 1
Webster, NY
The Twilight Meetings are a series of monthly meetings, where we examine seasonal changes in tree fruit and berry crop phenology, discuss and demonstrate scouting and monitoring for insects and diseases, and provide integrated pest management solutions to maximize the health and productivity of berry and tree fruit plantings.
Please arrive at 6pm for pizza and soda. This year Twilight meetings will begin and end 30minutes earlier than last year!
May 28, 2026 : Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meeting 2
Oswego, NY
The Twilight Meetings are a series of monthly meetings, where we examine seasonal changes in tree fruit and berry crop phenology, discuss and demonstrate scouting and monitoring for insects and diseases, and provide integrated pest management solutions to maximize the health and productivity of berry and tree fruit plantings.
Please arrive at 6pm for pizza and soda. This year Twilight meetings will begin and end 30minutes earlier than last year!
June 25, 2026 : Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meeting 3
Medina, NY
The Twilight Meetings are a series of monthly meetings, where we examine seasonal changes in tree fruit and berry crop phenology, discuss and demonstrate scouting and monitoring for insects and diseases, and provide integrated pest management solutions to maximize the health and productivity of berry and tree fruit plantings.
Please arrive at 6pm for pizza and soda. This year Twilight meetings will begin and end 30minutes earlier than last year!
2026 Virtual Orchard Meetup Series
February 27, 2026 : Session 1 - The Impacts of Weather on Pome Fruit Quality and Storability: Lessons Learned
The Impacts of Weather on Pome Fruit Quality and Storability: Lessons from 2025 - The first meetup will be conducted live on Friday, February 27, 2026, at 10:30pm (PST)/1:30pm (EST). The webinar will last 90 minutes. The format will include brief presentations by two SPARC scientists, followed by a packer/grower panel of industry leaders across North America. The meetup will conclude with an open discussion in a very inclusive virtual format. Viewers are invited to share solutions, ask questions, and interact with scientists and panelists. The program is free of charge.
June 11, 2026 : Session 2
Details to follow.
June 18, 2026
Details to follow.
June 25, 2026 : Session 4
Details to follow.