Sieving soil...

There has got to be an easier way to sieve soil and ideas folks?

I'm talking of large quantities .I'm slowly making my way through a ton of leafmould,topsoil and homemade compost but it's taking an age

 

Hand sieving is hard work Loli . The next step up is the manual rotary sieve as link below. Then a full motorised sieve . But you are talking lots of money.
Think of it this way , you would pay a fortune for the workout your are getting in a posh gym

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Clarke-Rotary-Soil-Sieve-CRS400/dp/B00AWAPRGA

 

This is what I use..................




I just use a hand brush to brush it through. Easily cleaned after as well.

 

Jeez - am I going to get banned for advertising

 

They must be 20/25 years old. I can't remember the exact figures but if you spent £xx pounds you got one of these for free.

 

You could construct a swing like frame and suspend your sieve from that, It would take the weight and the strain from your back. I hung a home made sieve from the rafters of an old barn when I had access to very old horse muck. Took me days and days but was that stuff good (and still getting the benefits). Cheers, Tony.

 

That's a good idea John That would work well especially with @longk's brush method

The main things I'm trying to sieve out it gravel from the leaf mould as most of the leaves I collected were from a graveled area and the other odd chuncky bits you get in compost.
I'm trying to be fussy and have bags of Loli No.1/2/3 to put my hands straight on.
IMHO you can't beat sieved leaf mould for seed sowing as long as you're prepared to pot on quickly...

I'm starting to turn into a bit of an Anorak with my compost

 

I would leave the gravel in there! The gravel has been found to help water retension in composts. Cheers, Tony.