Possible cache under a tree. Help.

[Sony the Fox]

For a while now, I have been musing over what to do with this one. Several months back I got a faint signal in the corner of an old garden near my house that has not been used since the 1970s. The only problem is that a persimmon tree grows almost directly over the location of the signal. Upon digging down to the roots, the signal seems to be coming from under them. I don't want to hurt or kill the tree, what do I do? (My metal detector (bounty hunter) reads it under the coins setting.)

I've read that people used to bury their money in the garden, and I know that there have been several houses and buildings on my property over the past 70 years or so.
Thanks for any help.

 

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[heybubbajay]

I would see if you could dig it out with a thin hand trowel or probe...

 

[releventchair]

I don,t want specifics of location and such but unless ground is like iron or a persimmons roots are unusually sensitive an approach from the side and clearing under roots may work. Those fine hairs on roots are easiest to damage. The maple and oaks I,ve only on a couple occasions burrowed through never showed on the trees. Kill all roots on one side it will reflect in the foliage usually. Perhaps a thin probe could be tried to locate target before choosing a path. Going under from side of a root I prefer rather than cutting any bigger than pencil diameter. During a drought years ago I used a running garden hose held against soil to run it by displacing soil into the earth about three feet into center of root mass on multiple trees and they did fine despite the moved soil. Too much air ,like in exposed roots will harm them so try to replace what you remove in a similar compactness it was originally. If your really worried check for tree fertilizer spikes or lose fertilizer for next wet season preferably spring. Roughly 10-10-10 . Any form can be added through bar pushed hole two or three foot deep at drip-line.

 

[Sony the Fox]

Thanks for the info!

 

[Sony the Fox]

Possibly, I may try tomorrow if the weather permits.

 

[Limitool]

Relevenchair is right about the hose idea. I too did this once. You can actually get the hose to go very deep with good water pressure. Now I did this in S.W. Michigan where the soil was not hard packed at all. Be prepared to get a little mud on yourself at first though but I must have run 3 ft. of hose down into the ground. I now live here in TN. and this wouldn't work at all... EVER. But, best of luck to ya!!!!

 

[aquanut]

Would a pressure washer work?

 

[allenkeeton]

that's what i'm thinking is a pressure washer or even a garden hose. just set the mud aside. that should keep the roots intact.

 

[Dixiegal]

We had that problem with a tree and we used a cordless drill with a one inch drill bit to move the dirt. Hopefully you can reach in between the roots and get the coin/coins out and then pack the dirt back in.

 

[mustangpalmer1911]

following this one!

 

[DocBeav]

Curious too! Looking forward to hearing/seeing what you find!

 

[old digger]

I would just dig carefully around the roots, and the less time the roots are expose the better. After filling in the hole, water the area and keep it moist for three or six days.

 

[maipenrai]

Just dig it up! We are all waiting!

 

[chkn]

Inquiring minds want to know!

 

[HenryWaltonJonesJr]

Don't know of you've tried water yet, but if you can get power out there I'd go this route. Shop Vac and a probe.

There is a guy that invented a post hole digger using just that the "Bull Digger". Chip away dirt and suck it up as you go. If you think you might've sucked up treasure just dump the dirt and detect it. Should be able to make a clean dry cave under the tree without a bunch of mud or hurting the roots.

 

[HenryWaltonJonesJr]

You don't need the bull digger, just a regular screw driver to chip away and the vac.

 

[73dguard]

My humble opinion: unless a trusted source told you that your signal is a gold coin, you are spending WAY TOO MUCH time and effort on this one. Leave the tree alone if you want it intact. If loose change is what you want, keep your eyes on the ground as you walk. I have found more cash this way than with a metal detector (paper money, too)

 

[HenryWaltonJonesJr]

While it's true it's probably just some can slaw or lost garden tool it's what is unseen and solving a mystery and possibly recovering history that drives the treasure hunter, not just "gold". Only so much is on the surface, the rest we have to work for.

 

[finderskeepers]

As an arborist, RelevantChair's advice and approach seems spot on. FWIW, my Bounty Hunter used to torment me from time to time by giving a signal based on what I believed to be a high concentration of minerals in certain roots (mainly Eastern White Pines).

 

[Frankn]

You really got to think about this one. The question is do you like persimmons? Look at it another way. Faint signal under tree roots, probably not a cache. I have walked away from several faint signals that proved to be under tree roots. Now if it was a big signal, that's another story. Frank...-