Tips and tricks on finding a rock...and I wish I was kidding

[Brigid Barry]

This isn't quite gardening or homesteading, but maybe someone who plays in the dirt will have an idea.

Years ago, I had some river rocks engraved via Etsy for memorial stones for four dogs that we lost over the years. The new puppy likes to dig and didn't mind that it was my garden, and one of the rocks is (presumably) buried. My husband, Kid2, and I have all tried to find the damned rock to no avail. I thought I'd be clever and just order a new one, and that was an epic fail.

So...any thoughts on how I can find a rock that's presumably buried in mulch and dirt? There are plants in there so my first inclination to take everything out isn't an option. I was hoping someone more clever than I am (which is most of the people who hang out in here, lol) might have an idea.

Thanks!

 

[pdblake]

Maybe go stabbing around with a stick, perhaps a metal rod rest or some such?

 

[frimble3]

Maybe go stabbing around with a stick, perhaps a metal rod rest or some such?

Good plan, the dirt is worked and soft, and the rock is hard!
If the plot of land is too big, they might ask a plumbing/electical or city worker if they've got ground penetrating sonar/radar to identify pipes. Apparently they work by showing objects of different density i.e. rock vs. tilled ground. Probably depends on how big the rock is, though.

 

[Friendly Frog]

I presume the puppy likely displaced the rock while digging?

Otherwise I'd suggest to look at old photographs to find the exact location where they were originally placed. Worked wonders for locating our sewer connection when there was an issue.

If puppy did displace it and there hasn't passed much time or rain since, you can concentrate on just the loose soil to perhaps find the rock.

 

[Brigid Barry]

It's been a while unfortunately. And before we realized it was missing we were just tossing stuff back into the garden without paying attention. It was big enough that we would have noticed it, but it might have gotten buried somewhere else. No pictures of the garden, unfortunately, but it would have been somewhere near the edge, in theory.

I'll see what I can find for something stabby to poke the dirt and go from there.

 

[pdblake]

It's been a while unfortunately. And before we realized it was missing we were just tossing stuff back into the garden without paying attention. It was big enough that we would have noticed it, but it might have gotten buried somewhere else. No pictures of the garden, unfortunately, but it would have been somewhere near the edge, in theory.

I'll see what I can find for something stabby to poke the dirt and go from there.

I find a garden fork often locates rocks, especially when I'm not looking for them

 

[Maryn]

You want metal or carbon fiber for poking; wood's going to break. Alas, a straightened coat hanger is going to bend where it bent before you straightened it. (This is a proven thing from an issue we had last spring.)

My first thought was the posts that hold up various wind spinners and garden flags, red or blue driveway reflector lights, etc. Got something like that just sitting around?

If the stone is likely to not be terribly deep, a weeder with a long shank might find it. (Or pdblake's garden fork!) The link is to a shorter one, but I've got one at least 10 inches long.

If it's likely to be deeper, it's probably worth cruising the pipe section of a home improvement/hardware store for galvanized pipe in a short enough length. You may never need it for anything else, but it's strong. Flutter your eyelashes at a certain kind of employee and he may troubleshoot with you once he understands what your goal is.

 

[Brigid Barry]

We have lots of rebar kicking around for some reason, and I have fiberglass fence posts and driveway markers. I was going to start with a fence post and go from there!

 

[Lea123]

This comes from studying archaeology at university and then working with a finds liaison officer for a year.

You need a child and a spade. Let them loose in the garden.
In an hour or so, you'll not only have your beloved rock but also a hoard of ancient coins, a medieval sword and a rare pendent that gets you in all the newspapers and an honorary exhibit in the local museum.

It was a common joke that archaeologists could do their thing for decades and find nothing but the mundane but 5 year old Jimmy was messing around in his grandma's flowerbed one time and found the discovery of a lifetime.

I wish I had some more useful advice. Poking with a stick sounds like your best bet.

Unless said dog has a favourite place to bury stuff? Ours used to. Might be worth focusing on that spot if they do.

 

[pdblake]

This comes from studying archaeology at university and then working with a finds liaison officer for a year.

You need a child and a spade. Let them loose in the garden.
In an hour or so, you'll not only have your beloved rock but also a hoard of ancient coins, a medieval sword and a rare pendent that gets you in all the newspapers and an honorary exhibit in the local museum.

It was a common joke that archaeologists could do their thing for decades and find nothing but the mundane but 5 year old Jimmy was messing around in his grandma's flowerbed one time and found the discovery of a lifetime.

I wish I had some more useful advice. Poking with a stick sounds like your best bet.

Unless said dog has a favourite place to bury stuff? Ours used to. Might be worth focusing on that spot if they do.

I watched an old episode of Time Team today where they found next to nothing, but the toddlers in the local nursery dug up Roman pottery in the garden with little plastic spades.

 

[CMBright]

It the rock(s) is/are fairly large and heavy, puppy is less likely to have run off with it. I'd concentrate near where the rock should be.
If the rock(s) in question is/are small enough for the puppy to pick up, it could potentially be anywhere in the fenced yard.
If it was burried recently enough, there might be evidence in the form of loose dirt to narrow down the search.
Best of luck. I'm afraid I agree with others that a strong enough poking "stick" and a methodical search is your best bet.

 

[dickson]

I’m reminded of the old-school method of searching for land mines. You take your bayonet or K-bar knife, and carefulllly slide it into the dirt at an oblique angle…

 

[Brigid Barry]

It's about palm size and seeing that he left the other three alone I'm not sold on the idea of him taking it and running.

I'm so disappointed that the replacement didn't work out. It would have been so much easier.

 

[Lea123]

I watched an old episode of Time Team today where they found next to nothing, but the toddlers in the local nursery dug up Roman pottery in the garden with little plastic spades.

I bet they were seething! All that money on a degree, a doctorate... and for what?!

 

[neandermagnon]

This comes from studying archaeology at university and then working with a finds liaison officer for a year.

You need a child and a spade. Let them loose in the garden.
In an hour or so, you'll not only have your beloved rock but also a hoard of ancient coins, a medieval sword and a rare pendent that gets you in all the newspapers and an honorary exhibit in the local museum.

It was a common joke that archaeologists could do their thing for decades and find nothing but the mundane but 5 year old Jimmy was messing around in his grandma's flowerbed one time and found the discovery of a lifetime.

I wish I had some more useful advice. Poking with a stick sounds like your best bet.

Unless said dog has a favourite place to bury stuff? Ours used to. Might be worth focusing on that spot if they do.

100% this ^^^

Matthew Berger, then 9 year old son of palaeoanthropologist Lee Berger, discovered Australopithecus sediba, one of the most significant finds in the whole of the human ancestor fossil record while exploring his dad's archaeological site. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australopithecus_sediba

From the article: "The first fossil find was a right clavicle, MH1 (UW88-1), in Malapa Cave, Cradle of Humankind, South Africa, discovered by 9-year-old Matthew Berger on 15 August 2008 while exploring the digsite headed by his father, South African palaeoanthropologist Lee Rogers Berger. Further excavation yielded a partial skeleton for MH1, additionally including a partial skull and jawbone fragments, as well as aspects of the arms, fingers, shoulders, ribcage, spine, pelvis, legs, and feet."

Sorry I don't have any further advice to add to all of what's already been said. Apart from maybe also looking in vegetation as some bushes can grow really quickly while looking like they've always been there and dogs can kick stuff into bushes while digging etc.

 

[Brigid Barry]

I've been doing the poking the dirt with a fiberglass rod method, and I got about a foot in all the way around (it's 8x8). Next step is the vast open space in the center of the garden. If it's packed so hard that I can't get the rod in, I know I can skip it, which has saved some time. I have found a few rocks, but not the right ones. I should let the dog go dig it up some more. Maybe he'd find it again.