How much work involved in collecting turf from a bog?

gazzer

I was thinking of looking into hiring a plot of bogland so that I could cut some turf this summer and have a fair amount of it stocked up for the winter just in case it turns out as cold as our last one.

I am living in Cavan so I was wondering how I go about getting the turf from the bog to my house. Im a city boy so have never been to a bog in my life.

Am I right in saying you rent a piece of the bog and the turf is cut for you and then you have to stack it and dry it over a period of time and then take it away?

How close can you get your vehicle to the plot? I would only have a van to transport it (can get fertilizer bags from a friend) so would it be doable to be able to carry the bags from the bog to the van or do you have to park the van a good bit away?

How long does it take for the turf to dry? What happens if it rains mid drying etc etc

A couple of my Dublin friends said they would come down and help me but I imagine I would be making plenty of trips to the bog so for the most part there would be only 2 of us at a time

Sorry for all the questions (and probably stupid ones at that) but it is something I would like to at least try out once in my life so any help is greatly appreciated.

Ddad

Every piece of turf has to be turned, footed stacked, moved to a trailer or bagged. It's a good bit of work. We used to burn a small garage full over the winter. If it's a wet summer once you get a couple of dry weeks you'll get most of the drying done and once you foot it and stack it most of the moisture will run off. We used to wheelbarrow it off the bog and then use atractor and trailer to bring it back home. Most of it kept undercover and the rest in a reek with a tarp over the very top to"roof" it. It was over twenty years ago since I saved turf but I still remember the ammount of work involved. I still love the smell of burning turf though. FYI Only very good turf will give as much heat as seasoned hardwood. Best of luck

djmc

Most people use tractor and trailer but you could get away with a van if there was good road access and you could get a plot beside the road
In this weather about 3 weeks turn with garden rake 3 more weeks drying
and if weather gets rainy u will have to foot it ie. put it standing up so air can blow through it and dry it
probably 2 months depending on weather footing it and brining it home is the most work
Beware of midges in late evening better to just go home when they come out.

johngalway

djmc wrote: »

Beware of midges in late evening better to just go home when they come out.

Midges are easy, just go home.

It's the horseflies, the sneaky sod that lands on yer back and bites ya through the tshirt :mad: Easy to kill, but a sore little fecker.

seaniefitz

i cut turf from my own bog

this year contractors seem to be charging €40 per hopper to cut turf, most families would cut 5 to 7 hoppers. houses that would depend on turf as sole source of fuel might cut more

it is hard enough work however not bad if weather is good

a lot depends on your circumstances, i assume you will turn and foot yourself. if you are paying for rent and transport it is not a cheap source of fuel

if the quality of the bank is good and not too far to travel i would suggest you try it out once

vcsggl

It's a lot of work!

But it was all part of what I guess it was all part of normal country life - would now be called "subsistence farming". I remember well long days in the bog along the Monaghan road out of Clones. Lots of back-breaking hours catching the turf as it was cut, spreading it, turning it, clamping it and then in late summer, if you were lucky, it was dry enough to bring it home - still remember doing that with the horse and cart and then the tractor came! Nothing to beat a long day in the summer bog with plenty of tea, fresh currant soda bread and home made butter!

Go for it Gazzer !

Maybe you should buy a load of turf just in case it doesn't work out though!!

George

O.A.P

I can train you how its done free of charge this year if you like and if your happy enough with the work involved go for it next year.

moy83

O.A.P wrote: »

I can train you how its done free of charge this year if you like and if your happy enough with the work involved go for it next year.

I can give you the second phase of OAPs training course if you like aswell

roosterman71

What we do:

• Get a contractor in to cut it (done since last week )
• Leave it on the bog until the top is hard and dry
• Foot it
• Leave it to dry
• Bring it home

I never understood the thinking behind turning turf. Seems like extra work for very little benefit (I mean your turning drier parts of the sod onto the wet ground)
Usually, there is no time limit to how long you can leave the cut turf on the plot. So just forget about it for a few weeks and let it dry. Foot it and let the rest dry. Then bring it home. Turf is tough work

Muckit

roosterman71 wrote: »

Usually, there is no time limit to how long you can leave the cut turf on the plot

If weather is a scorcher and you've black stone turf there is ...:D

yourpics

Quick question, the turf contractors (some of them) have a steel bar on the weights at the front. Is this just for wrapping a chain around in case of getting bogged or is there any other reasons for it??

As seen on this NH

reilig

yourpics wrote: »

Quick question, the turf contractors (some of them) have a steel bar on the weights at the front. Is this just for wrapping a chain around in case of getting bogged or is there any other reasons for it??

As seen on this NH

A bar like that on the front is normally for plotting a straight line - its called a sight. On the NH, there is also another silver sight on the lower bonnet. So as you sit in the driver seat, you look across the bonnet through the first sight and the second sight and you line them with something on the horizon like a tree or a pole. This ensures that you go in a straight line. Sight poles like that are more common on tractors for ploughing.

MidlandsM

One thing NOT to do when rearing turf.........when its dry, bag it and leave it on the bog overnight...........it'll be STOLEN !

Kristopherus

Hey, User97. Take that mobile no. out of your post. Never, ever put your mobile no up on a public forum. There's plenty of scammers around, who'll be only too happy to scam you. Ask posters to PM (Private Message) you instead.

Marooned75

To much work as easy to buy it per load,do the maths on your time with rearing it and bringing it home not a lot in the difference