Build a compost sifter

An hour · Some tools · 6 steps

A screen that sits on your wheelbarrow and turns lumpy compost into fine, seed-ready soil.

A compost sifter resting on a wheelbarrow
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Fig. A compost sifter resting on a wheelbarrow.

  1. Frame of 2×4s, sized to sit on the wheelbarrow
  2. Half-inch hardware cloth stapled underneath
  3. Wood strips cover the sharp wire edges
  4. Lumpy compost: rub it through the screen
  5. Fine compost falls into the wheelbarrow
  6. Sticks and stones stay on top, to go back on the pile

What you'll need

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You'll also need

  • Four 2×4s, cut to make a frame that sits on your wheelbarrow
  • Thin wood strips (lath) to cover the wire edges
  • A saw, a drill, and 3-inch screws
  • Tin snips or wire cutters

Steps

  1. Measure across the top of your wheelbarrow, and cut the 2×4s to make a frame that rests on its rim.
  2. Screw the frame together at the corners.
  3. Wearing gloves, cut the hardware cloth to fit the bottom of the frame with tin snips.
  4. Staple it tight across the bottom, every few inches all the way around.
  5. Screw the wood strips over the edges of the wire, so no sharp ends stick out.
  6. Set it on the wheelbarrow, shovel on compost, and rub it through with a gloved hand or a small board. Toss what doesn't go through back on the pile.

Tips

  • Half-inch mesh gives fine compost for seed beds and potting. Quarter-inch is finer still, but slower.
  • Sift compost when it's fairly dry. Wet compost clogs the screen.

Use it in Planting Year