A Quick Hello for Spring 2014

Right in the middle of my busiest time of the year, with a record number of orders compared to previous years.  Had to institute a small price increase on some Sifters in order to keep up with rising prices of raw materials! Please visit the site at http://www.thesoilsifter.com to see new products and some new features, if you haven’t been there in a few months. In the meantime, happy gardening, and please write to me or post here if you have any questions or suggestions!

Brad

The Soil Sifter

Now that I’m back in business after a 3-month hiatus, I realized that I haven’t posted anything here about the new models add to the Soil Sifter line, and the new features like the adjustable brackets and the 6″ legs!  So here goes:

Our newer Sifters include a Window Box Sifter and a handy Scoop.  The Economy Micro Mini/Bonsai Sifter is also fairly new, as is The Gorilla Screen, which fits on those handy garden dump carts.

All larger Sifters (the Original, the Compact, the Gorilla Cart and the Roughnecker) now come with adjustable metal brackets so they can be adjusted to fit on a variety of wheelbarrows and carts.

We are also offering a set of 6″ legs so that you can use your Sifter right on the garden rather than sifting into a cart or wheelbarrow and then emptying it. Only $5 when ordered with a Sifter.

We’re also open to suggestions, so if you can think of another use for our handy concept, please let me know personally! 

Brad

The Soil Sifter

I’m Back!

It’s February 14, and The SoilSifter is finally back in business! Please check out the site at http://www.thesoilsifter.com

Temporary Hiatus

Due to a personal medical issue, I will not be able to build and sell any Soil Sifters for the time being. Please check back in February or March!

Photo Essay – How to Use The Soil Sifter

A very rocky section of soil is the starting point.

Start shoveling the dirt and rocks out of the area to be improved.

Gently empty the shovelsfull of dirt and rocks into The Soil Sifter positioned on your wheelbarrow.

Begin working the soil gently through the screen, leaving the rocks and twigs.

Remove the larger rocks first, shaking off the dirt and leaves.

Drop the rocks into a container such as this empty flower pot, for future use after cleaning.

Once all rocks and large twigs are removed, what’s left can be tossed out or used for deep fill.

Empty the freshly sifted soil back into the garden area.

The final results, with flowers, mulch, and cleaned rocks arranged around them!

How I’m Using the Soil Sifter

I just created this site to talk about something I make and sell, called The Soil Sifter, which comes in several different models.  You can buy it by using the first link under Blogroll on the right.  But I don’t just make and sell Soil Sifters.  I’m also an enthusiastic user!  After all, I built my first one because I needed it to get the rocks and roots out of my home garden. I’m still working on that, since most of the garden areas around my house were filled with Colorado river rocks that the previous owners purchased and installed twenty years ago.  Every inch of the property had rocks up to a foot deep that had to be removed.  Today I’m still finding areas that need to be cleared before I can plant anything that doesn’t thrive in rocky soil.

This week I cleared an area about four feet by four feet, resulting in a wheelbarrow filled with sifted soil, six flower pots filled with rocks and another one full of rocks and twigs. I planted marigolds and begonias, then used an earlier version of my soil sifter (with 1/2″ screen instead of 1/4″ screen) to wash the dirt off the rocks, and then laid them down as a decorative border around the garden area. Couldn’t have done it without my Soil Sifter.  More photos to come!