The creation of an effective test garden. All input welcome.

What are the makings of a good test garden. How should I create one that will help me with real world hunting applications. Up intil now, my test gardens have neen a few coins buried at different depths that I use to run a new detector over and make sure that all is well.
But how importamt is the test garden...really? And if it is THAT important, how can I build one that will help me the most. Should I use my silver coins??? Or would clad work equally well. What depth should i start at. What depth should I end at. What size coin should I use. Or bullet. I am afraid to bury what few CW buttons that I've got because I have had buttons come to pieces in my hand when the air touched them. So I'll use 52 cal solid base Sharps and Three ring Minie's as my test targets for the relic garden. My little ets garden that I have now has been known to instill great confidence right before going on a hunt. Thanks for any help. Kevin

You don't need to bury a button. Maybe find something of similar size and conductivity. Bury the type of stuff you want to find. Sure, after a few years clad coins will be easily found than silver. So what?

Bury silver coins. I would bury a silver quarter at 10".

It all depends on your ground conditions.

First thing to do and most important is "sterilization". Something like a small unseen rust flake can hamper or destroy your test result.

Right..if you do not have CLEAN ground forget it, unless you can go through w a f75 (or comparable) in all metal and sterilize it.

Depends on your wants and needs...many just bury coins and many bury what they are looking for and some even bury them with junk in the hole for real life in the field comparisons..
Important thing is to go over the area in all metal and clean it and above all make a map....mine has been there for 20 plus years and still use it to test units....remember recently buried coins need a couple of years in the ground to give you any type of accurate comparisons and even after 20 years wonder how it stacks up to targets buried a 100 or more...
Heck I even have a small gold ring buried so if your looking for a buried 57 chevy would have to bury one and wait a few years for accurate comparisons...just kidding of course but you get the idea....

Thanks guys. My two priorities in relation to my detcting hobby is to ONE build a good and effective test garden (using the ideas that y'all are giving me) and TWO research some new hunting locales. In a few minutes, a lady will arrive to sit with momma giving me several hours to detect. I guess that I'll have to go back to the old sites with my new T2SE and see if I missed anything. I'm setting my goals low today. Just one Minie ball will suffice. One piece of silver (coin), even one brass relic from the late 1800's would be great.

Shooooot....
That would be a great day even in my area.....
HH!

Kevin....... I mention my test-garden set-up and some technicals in the DVD.

NASA-Tom Wrote:
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> Kevin....... I mention my test-garden set-up and
> some technicals in the DVD.

Yes, it's a very good section the DVD.