Garden Sieve
The wintry weather is just about over here in Carson City, and it’s time to start getting the garden ready and planted for Spring! One of the projects I’m working on is the expansion of my front yard garden. When I moved into my house, the front yard was full of bushes and rock, landscaping that was meant to be laid down and forgotten. Under all that heavy cover though was nearly 400 square feet of prime gardening area.
Garden Sieve
Last year I yanked out bushes and raked rock away from the center of the yard, and made a reasonably sized garden with 3 rows. It wasn’t pretty, but I was able to get a vegetable garden growing quickly. This year I’m finishing the job, and relocating the remainder of the rock. When completed I’ll have four 20′ rows for growing veggies.
To get this job done easier, I built a garden sieve to separate all the dirt and rock. I have been surprised at how much time and effort it has saved me, and I’m rapidly acquiring new area to build my garden beds. Here’s a summary of how it was put together.
Materials:
- Two 8′ long 1″x4″ boards
- A 5′x2′ roll of 1/2″ Hardware Cloth (metal mesh)
- Nails, U shaped nails, and wood screws
Each board was cut into two 36″ sections and one 24″ section. The frame was built with two 24″ sections and two 36″ sections nailed together. The hardware cloth was tacked to one side of the frame using the U shaped nails, and the excess was trimmed with wire cutters on one end. The remaining two 36″ boards were screwed to one side of the frame to elevate it. Using nails and screws I already had in the garage, the whole thing cost less than $15 to build, and has proved to be a very valuable garden tool.
I’m curious about why you elevated only one side of the sieve. And exactly how do you use it? When you are sieving
is the sieve at the angle pictured rather than flat and level with the ground?
I just toss or pour the mixed dirt/rock onto the front of the sieve as shown. The fine dirt falls out the back, and the rocks and other debris tumble to the front for easy scooping with the shovel. Of course, you could do anything you wanted with it depending on what your goals were. If the fine dirt was to leave the area, you might want the sieve to be on top of the wheel barrow so you didn’t have to shovel it up. In my case, the rock was being wheel barrowed away, and the fine dirt was staying.
I see. So you’re using your sieve like a basketball backboard and sorta banking your rocks into the net. You don’t really care where the soil goes, the rocks are your concern.
About those “u shaped nails”, is this a generic concept? Are you referring to those stubby brown, extra fat, tack like things used, unsuccessfully, to tame interior cords and wires?
Brilliant. I remember my dad using a sieve like that when I was a youngster. I’m making one for our garden now!!! Thanks.