How We Decide Which Roots Come Out of the Ground
Not every old tree gets a second life. Choosing which roots to keep is part farming, part judgment, and part instinct.
Some roots tell you immediately what they are. Others are just wood.
Summary
- We dig roots from trees that are already being cleared, not from healthy productive trees.
- Size, shape, and condition decide which roots are worth turning.
- Marvin and the turner both weigh in.
Key takeaways
- Selection happens twice: at the field and at the lathe.
- Not every root becomes a piece, and that is intentional.
- Scarcity is partly a result of how selective we are.
There is a temptation, when you discover a valuable material, to take as much of it as possible. We try to resist it.
Which trees come out
We do not tear out healthy trees to harvest their roots. The trees we dig are being cleared for a reason: they are declining, or they stand where we are building, or the finca needs a new generation of plants. The roots follow from that decision. They do not drive it.
What we look for
Once a tree is out, Marvin and I look at the root ball together. We are asking a few simple questions.
- Is it large enough to make a substantial piece?
- Is it sound, with no rot at the core?
- Does it have a shape worth keeping, a silhouette with some tension in it?
- Is the surface streaked and varied rather than plain?
A root that fails the first two questions is not worth the effort. A root that passes them all is rare.
A second opinion at the lathe
The decision is not final until the turner has seen it. Some roots look promising from the outside and turn out to be hollow or cracked. Others look unremarkable and reveal remarkable grain once the bark comes off. The turner has the last word, because he is the one who will live with the wood for the next few weeks.
The ones we pass on
We leave behind more roots than we take. A root that is too small, too soft, or too damaged goes back to the field. This is part of why the pieces are scarce. It is not only that old trees are rare. It is that only a fraction of their roots meet the standard.
What the process protects
Selection protects the quality of what we offer, and it protects the idea behind it. We would rather have fewer pieces that earn their place than many that do not. You can read more about how the roots dry and wait in The Drying Shelves: Why Every Piece Has to Wait.
Common questions
Do you cut down healthy trees for their roots?
No. We work with trees that are already being cleared to renew the finca or to prepare ground for building.
What happens to roots you do not use?
Roots that do not meet our standard are left behind. Not every root becomes a piece.
Keep reading
Every piece is one of one.
Browse the specimen archive and acquire the piece that speaks to you. Each is catalogued once and sold once.