TOPIC: Everyone's Opinion On These Wild Root's Age

I have two wild roots I dug this past year and replanted here at home. I took some pics of them to refer back to in later years to see how they have grown. A buddy of mine and I are in disagreement on their age so, anyone's opinion would be appreciated. Hopefully you all will come up with what I did so I can prove him wrong.

Thanks
Hillhopper

There is on node behind this bud you can't see.

Hillhopper,
Without holding the root and seeing the bud scare on the backside I am sure I may be off slightly. However, after counting the age of Sang for years and knowing that there is probably some bud scars on the backside as well I would estimate Root \"A\" at 35 years old and Rood \"B\" at about 29 years old.
How close am I in our opinion?
Thanks,
Latt

Hillhopper,

No expert here at all but will give my estimate...

Root A - 22-25 years
Root B - 18-22 years

Just a guess really - could be way off.

Sometimes a rootneck will have areas where there are small bumps but not a obvious flat and I never really know how to call those places. Yours has some of that.

Hey while folks are commenting on the age of your roots - here is a nice one I found this year. Longest root neck I have found in several years.

How old do you think this one is ?

TNhunter

TN,
I am going with about 49 to 52 years old. I can see the bud scars fairly well. Like you said sometimes there are small ones that you can only see when you hold the root in your hand. I bet I am fairly close thou. If I am off I bet I am off on the low side. This neck looks like it has the potential to look older and it looks like there could be some hidden scars that are close together that are not as obvious. If that is the case this root is probably closer to 60 years old.
Thanks,
Latt

Latt,
I have B at thirty and A does look to be a little older but it's hard to tell where the neck starts turning on the end and where it comes out of the root the neck is almost smooth, it's easy to see the nodes in the middle but im undecided on A.

TNhunter
That is a old one for sure. I would say it's over 40. What did you come with on it?

Alot of times it is hard for me to see the difference between a wrinkle and a growth scar. When they have room to push out on alternating sides it's no problem but when they're in a squeeze it seems to push out one on top of the other and it's hard to tell.

Hey Guys,

I usually go conservative and err on the low side and was figuring that root of mine at 35-40 years.

You could be right about it being older. It has some areas on it where there are bulges and bumps but no obvious flat (stem scar) and I may not have counted all of those.

I found it this year at the bottom of a bluff right beside a deer trail that I had walked 2 years earlier while hunting seng. It was in a easy to see spot and I expect that 2 years ago when I hunted there the top was not up (or had been eaten by a deer or something before I got there in the fall).

Hey - here is a nice pic I found online showing a root neck and the years marked off for 25 years. This one for the most part has obvious flats and sure makes it easy to count. Down at years 2 and 3 the flats are not so obvious and places like that is where I an not always sure if it needs to count or not.

TNhunter

23 yrs on root A
22 yrs on root B

nice roots btw