TOPIC: Question for all diggers

I think it all depends on where you do your huntin when it comes to roots per pound. iv dug my but off in old deeply shaded woods and didn't walk out with much at all and iv hit some places where the timber was cut years ago and even the young roots were huge.

Hillhopper

TNhunter wrote:

It would vary greatly around here depending on the site you are digging or the part of the county you were digging.

It's not unusual to find 20+ year old roots that weigh 1/8 oz in some areas, and in others 6-8 year old roots that weigh over 1 oz.

If they get up there in that 3/4 to 1 oz range, I sure don't mind bringing them home regardless of age

I found a bunch like that on the bluff out back last year.

If drying out at 1/3 it would take around:

48 - 1 oz roots to make a pound of dry.

96 - 1/2 oz roots to make a pound of dry.

192 - 1/4 oz roots to make a pound of dry.

288 - 1/8 oz roots to make a pound of dry.

If there is 300 roots per pound, man that is a bunch of small roots.

TNhunter

Hey Tn....It figures 384 1/8 oz roots to the pound.....I went through several dry pounds I have and came up with roughly 15 roots to the oz or 240 to the pound....I know this will vary in different regions.

SengNveins

SengNveins,

You are right.

I got the first 3 right, but messed up on the last one.

384, 1/8 oz roots would weigh 48 oz or 3 lbs.

Should dry out to about 1 lb.

But not sure if there is any difference in the drying ratio for larger vs smaller roots.

Could be I guess.

I do remember from the 70's and early 80's that (before there was a digging season established here) that seng dug early summer would dry out about 1/4, where seng dug later in the fall around 1/3.

TNhunter

TN.....I have been keeping up with my green weight this year and have dug 48lb and 10oz green....All but a little is dry and it looks like is going to be 14lbs dry.......I have noticed on big girthy roots they do dry out to right at 1/4....I have just always figure 1/3 and it is fairly close in the end....best I can remember, if I can remember that far back, when we have a real wet season it loses a little more wieght.

SengNveins

about 200-225 of the northern root . we always say 45-50 average roots to make a fresh lb up here, and I swear it's a 3.5:1 fresh :dry ratio at least thats what i get wghenever i dry. sometimes it's 3.25 or even 3.6 but it isn't 3:1 and a quarter p can really make a difference at $500-800 a lb.