How to Sift Pebbles From Soil

Build a Sifting Screen

• 1

  Cut the 2x4's to fit your wheelbarrow. The screen should sit flush on all sides of the wheelbarrow, and the screen should not exceed the width of the wheelbarrow. Measure your 2x4's and cut them to fit with a circular saw, hacksaw or reciprocating saw.

• 2

  Make the frame. Arrange the 2x4's in a box shape. Drill in two screws on each corner until the box is complete. The box should be sturdy and not rickety. If it doesn't hold together well, add another screw on each corner until it is sturdy.

• 3

  Attach the screen on top of the wood. This will actually be the bottom of the screen. Stretch the material to fit and make sure that there is no overlap. You may need to tighten the screen as you work to make sure it is taut. Use a staple gun to drive in staples every 3 inches on each side until it is completely attached.

Sifting the Soil

• 4

  Place the screen on the wheelbarrow. Center it so that it sits flush and will not tip over as you work.

• 5

  Shovel soil onto the screen. Shovel at least 3 scoops before proceeding to save time. While you can work one shovel-full at a time this is time consuming. Depending on the size of your screen and your wheelbarrow, 3 scoops will work.

• 6

  Begin sifting the soil. Some of the soil will fall through the screen when it's placed on top, but you will need to move the screen back and forth by hand to shake the remaining soil down into the wheelbarrow.

• 7

  Discard the pebbles and organic material. The pebbles and other large pieces of organic material will be left on the top of the screen. Pour these into a bucket or a trashcan. You can save the pebbles if you would like to place around the base of plantings or around the house for erosion and drainage control.

• 8

  Dump the soil back into the spot you just worked. You now have topsoil in your wheelbarrow. This will need to be dumped back into the area where you were just digging. Once your wheelbarrow is empty, move on to the next spot and repeat steps 1-4.