Best Way To Dig Without Killing Grass?

[Pepperlizard]

I have seen a lot of talk about people saying that when you dig you should leave the ground just the way you found it when you are done. Well, I haven't had a problem with killing grass yet because I have only dug in areas with fields of dead grass, but is there a way to dig underneath living grass without killing it? I figure that just by taking off the top two or so inches of soil will allow the grass roots to replant once it has been put back where it was but I'm not entierly sure about that. Tips anyone?

 

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[mical66]

i am totally new at this and today was my first day of swinging and digging , but i had TNGuns there showing me and my son pointers .
here is what he showed us. take a solid handled knife , like a military knife or a large Buck knife , once you pinpoint the spot take the knife and insert it into the ground at a angle about 3 inches away from the center so when you make a complete circut and make a circle about 6 inches across it will be coned shape and pop it right out then re insert when you are done.

 

[cactusrat]

Cutting grass roots two are so inches down will still damage the roots. Only way to get them to live long enough until they repair themselves is to have them moist until they grow back.

Generally speaking, hot dry summers are the worst time to be cutting plugs/digging holes in the grass. If watered, by rain or hose, they have a better chance of living.

Best way to dig coins up is using a screw driver or probe to pop them to the surface. Screw driver/probe will do the least amount of damage to the grass roots. Yes. It’s harder to get deeper coins out of the ground than by digging a hole, but like everything else, practice will make is easier.

Practice cutting plugs in your own yard (you don’t have to actually dig up targets) and watch to see if they die or not. That will teach you a lot more than reading something on the internet.

If it’s hot and dry where you hunt and killing the grass is a problem (like in a park), my best advice is to hunt only in areas where the grass in already dead.

 

[U.K. Brian]

Worse thing you can do is cut a plug. Better to use a spade or blade to cut either two sides of a triangle or three sides of a rectangle and fold the soil back over the still attached side. Go down sufficiently and the roots will survive and the fact a whole plug hasn't been dug means the turf will stay in place.

If a very sensitive area put any soil dug on to a piece of plastic, rubber sheet or whatever that will roll up to be carried but will allow the soil to be tipped back without a mark on the surrounding area. Best of all is to dig when the weather is damp and rain is expected. Some even carry a small water bottle.

The trouble with any probe is they can damage things and you may be levering a delicate item or gold coin through sharp stones and there's no way you can recover the older items that tend to be deep.

 

[mical66]

Uk brian is right ,now that i am thinking about it i misquoted TNGuns, he showed us to do i circle cut but leave some of the grass and roots connected then flip it back .
but being new it seems we have made them all " plugs " instead.
he also mentioned some people used a small piece of plastic or canvas to place dirt on then drop back in the hole.

just wanted to make sure i do not say a vet t hunter told me something he did not.

 

[cactusrat]

Not all TreasureNet members have the same kind of grass. Some types of grass does not grow in “runners”, while others do.

In my yard and in many of the parks around here the grass grows in small clumps about two inches in diameter. When let to grow a couple of inches, it looks like a solid “carpet” of grass. Mowed low enough, spaces can be seen in between each plant/clump.

There is no way to cut a plug with a flap (U or a V in shape). The best chance of not killing the grass is to dig the whole clump up and catch as much of the dirt on a rag for easier replacement.

If the digging gods are smiling on you, a lot of times you can dig under the mast of roots to get to the treasure, without much damage to the grass clump. When the target is in the middle of the clump, a lot of damage is done to the roots and the clump will die or look sick until it recuperates.

Has anybody ever noticed that most targets are under that big sticker burr clump (also goes by the name of sand burrs, stickers and a few others not nice enough to post here). Sticker burrs make you earn your reward.

 

[old digger]

Why not cut a square plug, leaving one side uncut. When your done pour a little water on the plug from your water bottle?

 

[DaleGM]

cut your horse shoe plug deep not shallow and with care of a probe or screw driver pull your target out of the plug.....less ripping of the root system, and a good stomp down to prevent oxygen from coming in the sides

 

[Jeffro]

Absolute best way to do it is not to cut a plug at all, no flaps either. Any time you flip up anything, those roots are seperated and most likely will turn brown.

Cut a slit only. Like cutting a stick of butter. Wiggle your knife or digger side to side to widen it if you need to and grab your target. Then push the sides back together. Easy peasy. No plug, no flap, nothing to get sucked up by that 30 HP lawnmower they use to manicure the park lawn.

 

[Pepperlizard]

Absolute best way to do it is not to cut a plug at all, no flaps either. Any time you flip up anything, those roots are seperated and most likely will turn brown.

Cut a slit only. Like cutting a stick of butter. Wiggle your knife or digger side to side to widen it if you need to and grab your target. Then push the sides back together. Easy peasy. No plug, no flap, nothing to get sucked up by that 30 HP lawnmower they use to manicure the park lawn.

Good tips so far, but in my opinion this one sounds like it will do the least damage, anyone else every done something like this and have any input to add about it?

 

[russ]

russ

Absolute best way to do it is not to cut a plug at all, no flaps either. Any time you flip up anything, those roots are seperated and most likely will turn brown.

Cut a slit only. Like cutting a stick of butter. Wiggle your knife or digger side to side to widen it if you need to and grab your target. Then push the sides back together. Easy peasy. No plug, no flap, nothing to get sucked up by that 30 HP lawnmower they use to manicure the park lawn.

I think all types of extraction can be used just, you,ve got to assess the situ. and go for whats best at the time, be prepared with a good spade and knife, probe etc.Unfortunately, here in the UK if I knelt down in a park to cut a slit to get a coin, and pulled out a bowie type knife, (one that would make Rambo think twice about taking me on)then I dont think it would be long before swat teams would be patrolling most public places over here.I think youre only allowed to carry a 3 or 4 inch blade by law.(spoilsports}

 

[TerryC]

Absolute BEST way to pull a coin out of manicured grass lawns is with no plug at all! The pic below shows the tools to use. I put them out for a quick pick for you. Use the copper probe to locate the coin then the screwdriver to "lever" the coin out. Or use the pliers to do the screwdriver job... then "pull" the coin out! You may wish to grind one of the jaws down some then "rubber dip" both. Not really needed for clad, though, just the real keeper silvers. Tnx. TTC

 

[SaludaTeacha]

Something else that you can do is keep track of the weather. If I know it's been dry for a while and there is no rain in the forecast, I won't go digging where I could kill grass. The best times are shortly after it rains or the day before. This way mother nature does the watering for you. Also, avoid digging those areas in the extreme heat and sun of the day.

Unfortunately this doesn't work with everyone's schedules, but if you have more options on the days you hunt then it helps.

 

[LewieMD]

Absolute BEST way to pull a coin out of manicured grass lawns is with no plug at all! The pic below shows the tools to use. I put them out for a quick pick for you. Use the copper probe to locate the coin then the screwdriver to "lever" the coin out. Or use the pliers to do the screwdriver job... then "pull" the coin out! You may wish to grind one of the jaws down some then "rubber dip" both. Not really needed for clad, though, just the real keeper silvers. Tnx. TTC

View attachment 659188

Hi TerryC: like thqt probe. How did you make it?

Lew

 

[Moonrover]

Hi TerryC: like thqt probe. How did you make it?

Lew

His wife is probably wondering where her lamp finial went.

Terry ... good idea with the pliers. I have a nearly worthless pair with mostly smooth jaws. Might take them down all the way with a file and rubber coat like you mentioned. There is a pair of tongs in my wife's utensil drawer that might disappear soon too.

M

 

[smcdmc]

i am totally new at this and today was my first day of swinging and digging , but i had TNGuns there showing me and my son pointers .
here is what he showed us. take a solid handled knife , like a military knife or a large Buck knife , once you pinpoint the spot take the knife and insert it into the ground at a angle about 3 inches away from the center so when you make a complete circut and make a circle about 6 inches across it will be coned shape and pop it right out then re insert when you are done.

Don't cut at an angle so that it is cone shaped. Yes, it will pop out easy. Not just this time but the next time a lawn mower goes over it as well. Cut straight down so that the sides will hold tight better when you tamp it back down.

 

[Sovereignelite]

Except you never know 100% whether it's clad or something more valuable. I like the rubber dipped pliers idea, but how easy is it to get a hold of an object? Seems a little impractical I sometimes have a hard time locating some objects even with a pinpointer!

Absolute BEST way to pull a coin out of manicured grass lawns is with no plug at all! The pic below shows the tools to use. I put them out for a quick pick for you. Use the copper probe to locate the coin then the screwdriver to "lever" the coin out. Or use the pliers to do the screwdriver job... then "pull" the coin out! You may wish to grind one of the jaws down some then "rubber dip" both. Not really needed for clad, though, just the real keeper silvers. Tnx. TTC

View attachment 659188

 

[Frankn]

To minimize damage, always cut your plugs 6" in dia and at least 3" deep. 3" goes delow most types of grass roots and since grass is 'chained' together, 6" is minimum survival width. When you replace it, just place it about level with the surface, don't smash the blades. Frank...

 

[team sidewinder]

That is pretty cool looking copper probe. Do you mind if I ask where you got/made that ?
Thanks

Absolute BEST way to pull a coin out of manicured grass lawns is with no plug at all! The pic below shows the tools to use. I put them out for a quick pick for you. Use the copper probe to locate the coin then the screwdriver to "lever" the coin out. Or use the pliers to do the screwdriver job... then "pull" the coin out! You may wish to grind one of the jaws down some then "rubber dip" both. Not really needed for clad, though, just the real keeper silvers. Tnx. TTC

View attachment 659188