Whether you are on our long list of regular customers or on your maiden turfing mission, it’s good to know the journey your new lawn has had from paddock to backyard.
At West Turf, our staff take pride in giving as much advice and information as possible to ensure all of our customers have a great turf experience, whether you are first-timers or our seasoned landscapers, delivery or pick up, professionally installed or DIY.
It can be helpful to know how things operate on the farm.
Here’s a few simple things we are often asked during the ordering process.
Will the turf variety I want be available?
Turf varieties can take 6-12 months to be ready between harvests.
At West Turf we are very good at managing turf supply, but it is possible to run out of specific varieties.
Call us on 1300 871 366 to confirm availability and avoid disappointment.
What are the factors that affect turf supply:
- Seasons – the weather determines growth patterns. Turf growth slows substantially over winter months.
- Turf variety growth rates – eg. wintergreen 6-8 months to harvest; Zoysia up to 12 months to harvest;
- Sales – unexpected increased demand. Turf farms can only supply what they can grow. Once stock is sold, it needs to grow again.
What if the turf variety I want is not available?
It is very frustrating and disappointing when the turf variety you prefer is not available. The best we can do in this instance is give an approximate lead time, put you on a standby list, and call when supply is ready for harvest. Customers on the standby list are under no obligation to order. The reality is though, if our supply is out, it is highly likely other farms are out as well. We stress: lead times are approximate, not guaranteed.
What makes turf “ready to harvest”?
The root structure and thatch of the turf must be developed sufficiently to produce strong, consistent, healthy slabs for us to harvest with minimum wastage.
High quality turf slabs harvest well, transport well, handle well for install, and establish well in your yard. We don’t compromise on our quality to fill orders quickly.
How is turf harvested?
At our farms on the Brisbane River near Fernvale , we operate Trebro slab harvesters that cut to order up to 700sqm of turf each hour per machine. We have two harvesters in operation most mornings. During peak season, our harvesters run for several hours a day.
Customer orders are closed by 2pm the day before harvest.
Our logistics crew review the orders for the next day and compile a harvest list for early the next morning.
Harvests start before dawn each day: morning temperatures = cooler fresh pallets of turf.
Each harvester is calibrated to cut the slabs consistently: 60cm x 120cm = 0.72sqm.
Just enough soil is harvested with each slab – too much and the slabs are too heavy to transport and install, too little and the slabs fall apart. Consistency is key!
Our farmers drive the harvesters down the paddock with straight-line exactness cutting the turf from the ground. The harvester automatically feeds the slabs up the conveyor belt to the stacking mechanism where they are precisely stacked onto our steel pallets.
When the pallet is complete, the harvester ejects it onto the paddock for the forklift to collect and place on the truck for delivery or take to the loading bay for pick up.
How many sqm are in a pallet of turf?
The amount of turf on a pallet varies depending on the order. Some customers have large orders while others have very small orders which we are very happy to fill.
The harvesters are limited to the number of slabs that can fit on a pallet in the stacking mechanism. This varies for different varieties. We call them “pallet limits”.
We can harvest up to these amounts on ONE pallet for these varieties:
Wintergreen: 75sqm
Aussiblue: 60sqm
Sir Walter: 50sqm
Soft Leaf Buffalo: 50sqm
Zoysia: 50sqm
The amount of turf on each pallet is determined by:
- the pallet limit the harvester can cut for each variety
- the weight the vehicle transporting it can safely tolerate – our truck can carry larger pallets than a customer’s ute or trailer for pick up
- the space on the vehicle
Turf on pallets for truck delivery
A large order would normally be delivered by our truck and is dependent upon what else is on the truck for the day – space and weight capacity are factors.
Turf on pallets for pick up
For small pick-up orders, we ask the customer about their pick-up vehicle and harvest to suit the vehicle’s size and weight capacity. The customer needs to be aware of their vehicle’s load capacity:
See our blog on https://www.westturf.com.au/get-the-most-out-of-farm-pick-ups/
West Turf pallet tip: our pallets are specially designed steel pallets for our harvesters. They don’t leave our farm. Our trucks have permanent pallet floors that make loading and unloading turf with our truck-mounted forklifts easy. Pick-up customers are loaded without the pallet. For our delivery customers, turf is unloaded without the pallet.
Can West Turf fill last minute / same day orders?
We harvest every sqm to order, so all cut turf has already been sold. There is never any “spare” turf sitting around waiting for sale.
All orders come through the West Turf office on 1300 871 366. We can easily check if the farm can harvest a last-minute same day order for pick up or delivery, so it’s worth a phone call if this is the only option for you.
What can affect a turf harvest?
Rain, rain, rain, rain!
At West Turf we use centre pivot irrigators to pump water directly from the Brisbane River onto our turf paddocks. We can control the amount of water we put on our farm down to the millilitre and put it exactly where we want it to go. It’s like having remote-control clouds.
Weather events and summer storms can dump lots of water very quickly. Too much rain will delay a harvest.
Our paddocks are designed to drain very well. In wet weather, we can engage our flood pumps and water extraction equipment to remove water from the paddock and boost the chances of drying out faster.
The reality is though, the turf farm needs to sufficiently dry out before we can start to harvest again because:
- Harvesters weigh about 8 tonne and would most certainly bog in a super saturated paddock.
- Super wet turf does not harvest – the soil is too heavy for the roots and thatch of the turf and slabs fall apart.
- Wet turf is heavier to transport
- Installers will not be able to handle super wet turf slabs that are too heavy and fall apart.
What happens if my order is rain affected?
If orders are affected by rain delays, customers are notified early and rescheduled to their next best delivery day, once we dry out. It is frustrating for everyone to have rain delays. Make no mistake – West Turf wants to be turfing on time for everyone!
Is there something more your need to know about your new lawn’s journey to your place? Give us a call on 1300 871 366.
