It is generally accepted that turf can be laid throughout the year. Unless the ground is frozen. But it is also a rule of thumb that turf should be laid as soon as it is delivered. In the summer this is even more important as turf left on the pallet will build heat and suffer accordingly.
The Winning Plan
We have looked at several ways to mitigate the effects of “sod-heating”. So we have run several experiments in recent years but the adoption of night harvesting has been a game-changer for teams and customers.
In 2024 we switched to night harvesting for a period of nearly ten weeks starting at 10pm in the evening and going on until the early hours.
It means significant change for our harvesting teams and it does take some getting used to. Those of you used to working the night shift will know the disruption it can bring. On our farms teams try to sleep during the heat of the day, work during the cool of the night, adopt completely different mealtime routines and accept much reduced time with family and friends.
As ever it is the team which has made it happen.
The benefits
There are additional benefits.
Night harvesting is more efficient as the team can work from a finalised harvest sheet with no changes or updates. No-one else is awake to make any changes.
But, breakdowns are particularly challenging for exactly the same reason. Breakdowns aren’t funny at the best of times but in the dark of the night and in wet weather everything is worse..
But the results speak for themselves. During the period of night harvest, our turf is typically delivered within 6 hours of harvest, ensuring the freshest product for our customers.
Its not an easy change to make but it pays dividends for our customers.
Jack Moody Group @ The Edward Street Hospital 
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