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digging on lawns without leaving a mess? how ? help!

Z

zircle

New member
can some people out there give me some tips for digging on lawn areas without leaving a mess i have some areas where i can detect but i have to leave it how i found it, or i won't be allowed back.... any suggestions would b great ....i am a newbie...
 
I'm a very new newbie, but one thing you can do is first put down a cloth, and when you dig the plug, put it on the cloth, that way you don't have dirt all over the lawn. As for a technique for cutting a plug, do what they do in the videos.[video]http://youtube.com/watch?v=oTDKXethwnk&feature=related[/video]

or this one without the cloth:[video]http://youtube.com/watch?v=VqRyBlS8220[/video] I hope this helps...
 
[size=medium]I carry a piece of CANVAS about 2' x 2' with me. When I get a dig able signal , I lay out the canvas beside the hole and cut out a plug of dirt (A DIVOT) about 8" in dia. Flip the divot on to the canvas and check the hole again. I try to leave about a 1/4 of the circle cut of the divot attached so it will still have some roots in the ground. Sometimes the item might be in the divot. If it's still in the hole, dig deeper but PUT ANY DIRT ON THE CANVAS. Find the item, and fill the dirt back in to the hole and pack it down. Replace the divot and step on it a few times to pack everything down. Sometime, I carry a little grass seed in a pouch and sprinkle some over the hole to help fill in once it starts growing. Takes a little extra time to do all this but hunting places are getting few and far between so it's best to take the extra time. Hope this helps![/size]
 
thanx Treasurefiend that is the best demo i could have hoped for.. i am gonna go practice on my lawn now and try to fix the one's i did yesterday...i found a 1951 half penny messin round in my yard hope to find some more...once again thankyou very much.......... And to you too Trocar i will have to get some grass seeds
 
Buy a good pinpointer like the uniprobe its perfect for manicured lawns with this you can hunt with a screwdriver and pop the coins out. Dan
 
$269

Has a box you put in your pocket.

The probe is attached to a coiled wire.

Here's a sponser's link.

http://www.ronsdetectors.com/probes.htm

HH,
 
First off, our being allowed in parks, schools, and private homes depends on us being extra careful with our retrieval methods. I have seen three great hunting spots put off limits to detecting because of sloppy digging. For a new detectorist, plant a coin garden and mark it with golf tees or something not metal. Practice and practice some more with your pinpointing. If you master pinpointing, coins four inches or less can be probed with a screwdriver and nothing needs to be dug. If a coin is out of probing reach and must be dug, dig the smallest plug you can and leave a hinge on it if possible. A sturdy digger like a Lesche or Wilcox is must. Use a dropcloth and put all dug dirt on the cloth. If the target can't be found, don't enlarge the grass plug, but angle it out from the rootline and make the bottom wider. An electronic probe is handy, but not necessary. One of my pet peeves is guys taking shovels, even small ones into parks. Don't do that. Keep yourself as inconspicous as possible. I have had park workers stand over me and watch me retrieve a coin and how I did it amazed them. There are people out there who figure that they won't ever be back to a spot and their sloppy digging ruins it for me. I enjoy the hobby and having to find tons of loot means nothing to me. Keeping our hobby going means everything to me. Slow down and enjoy our great hobby! R.L. Johnson
 
Here is what I do on a manicured lawn, after PP , I have a dull probe, I stick in the ground at the PP. Going slowly and stopping when it stops , I take a large long flat blade screw driver and insert in the ground at an angle to go just under the probe. and then work the screw driver up in different spots until I see the probe rise. I know then I have the object under the probe and the screw driver under it and gently pry the screw driver up and the object along with it . I end up with a area about the size of a silver dollar and no big hole to cover up only refill the area and tamp it back down with my foot. I cant even see when done that any thing was disturbed in the process
 
The one thing I've learned using several of the techniques offered is they do take a bit of practice to get good at it. So try them in a location where it isn't a problem getting the hang of it.
HH
Bill
 
cheers to all for the info, i have been practicing in my backyard and must admit it,s not easy when the soil has a heavy sand content but i am getting better
 
dig a small THREE sided plug WITHOUT severing the grass roots!pull out the dirt by hand and keep in a small pile by side of the hole...find object with detector ,or probe,then COMPLETELY back fill small hole untill there is virtually NO soil left at the side of the hole,TAMP soil down in hole to compact it,the NEATLY FOLD plug back over the hole,AGAIN WITHOUT severing grass roots!..make sure plug is FLUSH with top surface of grass,thenscrape any excess dirt away with digger tool,and finally step on plug using medium pressure from your foot!.IF you do this correctly,it will be difficult to tell WHERE you have dug!..good luck!

(h.h!)
j.t.
 
If it's a very nice lawn I will wait until it rains. You'll have a better chance or reducing any brown spots if the soil is saturated. My sister used to live at a house built in the 20's She had the best lawn on the block. They fertilized and watered so much that they had to mow every 2 to 3 days. No kidding! You should have seen the look on her face when I said I was going to detect her yard! I was so scared that she would shoot me if I left any brown spots I went and bought some marking flags. Ever place I dug I marked the hole. Then when I was done I watered each hole. I found my first Chinese coin there!
 
Neat! I'd love finding a Chinese coin.
HH
BB
 
you said it all brother!..can't be too careful these days!.

(h.h!)
j.t.
 
sorry to say this,but you are correct!..you ARE a newbie!..never,ever completly sever the roots of a plug and set it aside!..the plug will surely die and turn brown!.if you do this in a park,then the maintenence guy will mow the lawn with a"gang" mower,and "flip" all the plugs out of the holes!..never do that!..ALWAYS cut a THREE sided hole,so you can FOLD the plug over WITHOUT severing the roots!..if you practice this,you will become proficient in no time,and ALL your plugs of grass will NOT die,and help save the hobby!....whew!..got that all out in one breath!..(scary business!)....(shakin" to hear that!)..hot damn!..

(h.h!)
j.t.
 
Thanks for all the advice on this thread! I went to a local soccer field Friday after work to detect. I tried the advice given here and my impact on the turf was much less than in my previous outing to the park. Several of my holes were undetectable once you walked away and looked back. Thanks again for all the help and advice.
 
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