Best way to sieve rubble out from soil

The weather is improving so I thought I'll make a start but wanted first to ask for your kind advise.

I have metal mesh sheets. I have a hole in the ground where the soil can fall. I have loads of brick rubble in my crumbly clay soil.

What's the best approach? Shall I just fix the mesh over the hole and pile the soil on it and then perhaps brush it? Wet or dry? Or would washing the soil off with a hosepipe work better?

I'd like to use the rubble as the base layer for my future gravel path so removing as much soil as possible would be great.

Thanks!

 

If you can use the mesh sheets on top of something portable like a wheelbarrow or bin, it would make it easier for you to relocate the sieved soil @Selleri, unless you want it to fill that hole. I wouldn't introduce water unless you fancy a mud bath . The rubble you want to use once the soil has been sieved out could then be hosed down in your preferred location, if necessary.

 

How big are the rubble pieces? I wouldn't bother sieving out anything less than about a quarter of a brick - it'll help with drainage. But then, I have natural pebbles in my soil of all sizes up to about the size of my fist so I suppose I'm used to them. If I dig up a big one whilst planting something I might chuck it under the hedge but everything else gets left.

 

I would be inclined to just pick them out as you see them. Trying to sieve the whole garden will be a mammoth task.

 

Thanks all!

The rubble bits are about the size of olives and the areas I want to sort out have around 80% of it. In some parts there is practically no soil but just a 10cm layer of rubble, which is easy enough to scoop out by hand.

However, as I plan to use it in the gravel path I'd like to minimise the amount of soil to make future weeds at least a tad unhappy

Leftovers will just be mixed in to improve the soil structure. Every little helps in clay soil.

 

I wouldn't spend a lot of time sieving those - and it does need to be dry or the soil sticks.

I have a lot of gravel like that mixed into beds/borders - it all helps with drainage. The whole 'back garden' was those red chuckies [as we call them here] so it was useful when I created a raised lawn.
A lot of them stayed in situ as I was also making paths, but they were covered with membrane and then had a more attractive gravel added on top

 

Agree with @fairygirl , but if you wish to sieve ,now or in future, make a wooden frame(about 70x15mm section) that sits nicely on the top edge of your wheel barrow. Cut a mesh panel and attach to the bottom of the frame with wood battens screwed through. Carefully avoiding protruding sharp cut ends. This enables you to : vary mesh size according to need, transport the sieved material without further loading of barrow , have a useful screen for compost and similar. Also serves as a drying aid for crops and pernicious weeds ; often useful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=7j3p0PHZ5GM

 

Something like this https://www.manomano.co.uk/p/vidaxl-garden-sieve-galvanised-steel-37256867?model_id=37187460. It should be possible to make something similar at home if you are at all handy. It would certainly make sieving out larger stones much more efficient.