Build a Cheap, DIY Soil Sifter for $20 or Less!
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- čas přidán 14. 03. 2018
- Sometimes you need finer soil for starting seeds, growing carrots, or growing microgreens. Instead of going to the garden center and spending a bunch of cash on fancy soil mixes that are "perfect" for starting seeds, why not make your own with a soil screen?
All you need is:
- 2x4" plywood
- 1/4" chicken wire
- 3/4" chicken wire staples
- 20D 4" nails
- Tin snips
You can then easily screen poorly-finished compost, garden soil, cheap potting soil, etc. to be finer and create your own custom mixes.
Try something like this for seed starting:
- 1/3 peat moss
- 1/3 perlite
- 1/3 well-screened, blended compost
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It cost me 4-2-24 about $35 …. Not too bad! Home Depot had 2x4’s precut… nice! Thank you for this video! I put it together yesterday with my granddaughters- it felt so good to do something so useful . ;-) Bless you all !! ❤
Nice video. FYI the "chicken wire" is called "hardware cloth" and I sifted rocks some dummy put in the garden. When the squares are 1" in size, it's called "cage wire". I used 1/2 X 3's to make it lighter and used 1/2" grid (1/4" is too small for my application). I used free wood from an old pallet and I put lawnmower wheels on one end and drawer handles on the other to move the rocks after the soil sifted through. I didn't put on the rails because I didn't need it, so mine is less than 1/2 the weight.
Instead of using nails, use screws so you can change the mesh if needed.
The longer 2x4's that he used to cover the net and first frame assembly, should have been cut longer (1 1/2 inch + 1 1/2 inch = 3 inches, each board) to overlap and be nailed onto the previously assembled joints. The two shorter 2x4's should also be cut 3 inches shorter to fit in between the longer 2x4's. It will be stronger and last longer.
Excellent video! Simple, straightforward and informative - with no distracting music or graphics.
Many thanks 🙏
This is quite possibly THE BEST how to video I've ever watched. No music, no long pauses, succinct and told me everything I need to know. Thank you:))
I had to mute the horrendous music when I watched it, so that must have been added after your viewing
@@daze023 You can barely hear it! Get over yourself!
I just planted some carrots yesterday and I was thinking Man i need a sifter bad. This is a very affordable choice. Thanks for the tips. I love your channel so much. 👍😀🌱🌼🌻😀
loved watching those staples just fall in the hole!
Put 1 or 2 1/8” rods in the middle divide in section so the screen does not sag after long use.
Good idea, especially if you’re going to use a shaker or vibrator help sift the soil. I use all thread and use a nut and washer on both sides of each bulkhead to secure them.
Excellent video and tutorial - this helped me to build a sifter in under 30 min, though prices are a fair bit higher now in the United States.
Thank you for making this! So quick and to the point!
Building one of these this weekend! Great simple video.
Well, the technical term is hardware cloth. Lol Chicken wire is thin and flexible 1" hexagonal wire. Thanks for the tutorial!
I have one 1/4 inch and one 1/8 inch... I sieve through the 1/4 screen onto the 1/8 screen.... this helps me get a consistent 1/4 size for bonsai and succulent mixes, and a fine 1/8 size for anything I need finer soil for. a 1/4 screen is probably enough for most people, but for some applications you dont only want to sieve out the big particles, but also the small particles.
I love it! for sure going to build it
Thank for this from Scotland - just built ours today!
Hey Eric! I started sifting my seed starting mix after seeing one of your episodes with Nature's Always Right. Much better results with my germination. Added benefit: I used the larger materials that didn't make the grade as mulch once the seedlings are transplanted! Thanks for your content.
dont know if anyone gives a shit but if you guys are bored like me atm you can stream pretty much all the new movies and series on InstaFlixxer. I've been binge watching with my gf these days :)
@Riley Korbin yea, have been using InstaFlixxer for months myself =)
Thanks for the video! I’m reusing soil and it’s got a lot of roots in. This will be perfect.
Dude! I was a carpenter for 23 yrs and got a chuckle from the hammer you used. I'm OCD about tools and how they are used, but good job old bean.
Looks great. Thank you for some good ideas and useful info!
Thanks. I was looking for something like this so I can sift pine litter.
Nicely done!
I made one in wheels that fit on top of my wheelbarrow. But it did cause my breathing to get worse.
Be careful ❤
Those are usually called fence staples and that should be 1/2" Hardware Cloth. I am going to use this sifter for big stones that were dug up making a drainage system in my yard. It seems to me that 1/4" would be very hard to shift the red clay dirt here in Tennessee. That humus in his hands is good for your garden.
Don't forget to measure your wheelbarrow or tub that you will be sifting into - then you will know how long to cut your lumber. Thank you again for posting videos like this - I think you only showed me how to make a screen, but solved the mystery of my stumpy carrots and seed sowing failutes - the Soil was not fine enough!
Very easy to understand, thank you
Could I use this to also sift compost? Thank you for the great video!
Great info!!! Thank you!!!
Well done, thank you.
Appreciate all the videos. I just made mine the other day with this quick run down. Thank you for sharing the knowledge.
Awesome to hear. Hope it serves you well!
Noah Hechimovich Check out this a new, simple, efficient,
and effort saving soil dirt sifting tool called, SWIFT SIFTER. If you like my product please like and leave a comment on my video. Thank you. czcams.com/video/Zd8N4_mG8Tk/video.html
simple easy cheap. thank you
Excellent! I am sure going to give this a try ! 😉
Lemme know how it goes!
Thank you!
The way I made mine for a box put down two legs each side so you can shake it back and forth get some exercise while doing it. You have a round container if you had a rectangle like a Rubbermaid tote you can have that screen with the legs going down sliding back and forth like you're panning gold LOL. Everything he said is exactly true save your money do a little work go old Style. Thank you for the video you're awesome
Thanks. Just finished making mine, appreciate the video and advice
Enjoy it!
J AB Check out this a new, simple, efficient,
and effort saving soil dirt sifting tool called, SWIFT SIFTER. If you like my product please like and leave a comment on my video. Thank you. czcams.com/video/Zd8N4_mG8Tk/video.html
Amazing thanks
Good job.
👍
What type, size, brand of bucket do you use? Listed anywhere? At the store? Can you make a recommendation on wheelbarrows? garden tools?
Thanks. It doesn't need to be well constructed, but it needs to last a while...? How do those two go together? I put down tiny rocks for a fire pit, now the pit has to go and so do the rocks. Area will be grass again and I don't want the rocks jacking up my mower; hence me looking at how to make a sifter
The guy at the store told me it was called 1/4 " hardware cloth. Hope this info helps. Enjoyed your video.
They're slightly different, but either could be used for this purpose!
@@epicgardening Thank you. This helped find it on homedepot.com
Check out this a new, simple, efficient,
and effort saving soil dirt sifting tool called, SWIFT SIFTER. If you like my product please like and leave a comment on my video. Thank you. czcams.com/video/Zd8N4_mG8Tk/video.html
They also called it hardware cloth where I am in the northeast.
what do you do with the larger clumps & rocks?
Great vid. Even I can do it 😄
When the updated captions come in, let me know what you think. I'd love to work with you on a regular basis. Being able to help you would brighten my day, week, month. :) My husband and I are city kids who now live in a rural area. I love plants and gardening (our 2 gardens are in the laundry room and a spare bedroom). I'm a freelance transcriptionist/captionist/SEO Specialist. I want more people to learn about gardening from you.
Hardware cloth (not chicken wire, which has hexagon holes about 3/4" in diameter--great for sifting out rocks), if you go to buy it. 1/2 " is better if you have soil that doesn't break up so easily. Making two, one 1/2" and one 1/4", will give you the best results for very fine soil when you need it.
I'm wanting one so I can reuse my soil
Gotta swing hard with that Fisher price hammer
What size were your wood cuts?
Is that wire sold as chicken? All I saw was a hexagon one but it was to big an opening.
I need something like this to sift broken seashells. I'll ask my hardware store for some scrap chicken wire and get to it.
Any sign of the Swift Sifter, Kevin?
Cool
Thanks!
2x4 is not plywood, it is usually pine, but is solid wood, not plys of wood pressed together. Also, that wire may be used by some people for chicken wire, but it is actually wire hardware cloth. Want the cheapest wood? Use an old pallet, usually free!!
its really difficult to find 1/4" chicken wire, at least at our Home depot in Canada, or anywhere. But thanks for the video
I'm finding that a 1/4" hole sifts my shredded paper through. I suppose that's ok as long as I'm not 'selling it, but I'd rather not have the shredded paper blowing around in my yard.. Suggestions?
Don't sift paper.
Thank you….
Pull it taught?
Good video man
Thanks dude
Maybe it's under $20 if you already have the tools like a wire cutter or maybe it's prices went up. Went to Home Depot to buy the materials and almost spent $50. That's including the cheapest materials I could find.
Agreed! I did pick up the wire cutter at Habor Freight for a lot cheaper. Total for me was $32. Hope it went well for you too!
Lumber has increased by probably 300% since this video. That 2x4 is now $6-7 instead of $2
I can't believe the people who will quickly point out the faults. Come on people he is a gardener not a carpenter. Cut him some slack.
Is used also, to separate landscape rock and soil/sturdy enough?
Prob not, would need heavier duty mesh
@@epicgardening is it basically the same concept/design with heavier duty mesh?
@@Bmindful1161 , depending on size of rock? 1/4-1/2 inch would be okay, but 3/4 and above would be too heavy. You would need to reinforce it first with heavier nails or screws. I first got rid of the bigger rocks with a dirt rake, not a leaf rake. Then I screened for further small rocks, but my soil is clay and heavy as heck so I only could do a little at a time.
@@garrycole9187 thank you
Bmindful1161 Check out this a new, simple, efficient,
and effort saving soil dirt sifting tool called, SWIFT SIFTER. If you like my product please like and leave a comment on my video. Thank you. czcams.com/video/Zd8N4_mG8Tk/video.html
Looks good! You have very cheap hammer.
Your video was really helpful. I did have a hard time figuring out which 2x4 to use. They had 3 different ones. I got kinda overwhelmed and left the store. I did tho take pictures of prices with the names.
Anything will do for a 2x4, cheapest is fine
@@epicgardening used old barn wood
Epic Gardening will this work? www.homedepot.com/p/2-in-x-4-in-x-10-ft-Standard-and-Better-Kiln-Dried-Heat-Treated-Spruce-Pine-Fir-Lumber-161659/100080482
That's not technically chicken wire, it's hardware cloth.
What is the exact measurements for the plywood
Apologies KEVIN! Finished a conversation with a family member ERIC before entering my comment.
This is hardware cloth not chicken wire. Chick wire has large round holes.
When you start screaming out garden soil that you buy at the store you will be shocked at how poor that soil is
I’ve found pallet material in mine
probably cost more like 40 bucks but thanks for the tutorial.
Gee, I don't know. When I was a teenage gardener, I built a soil screen for zero dollars. Just used materials we had laying around on the farm. Good thing I could, too. My dad would have flipped his wig if I had spent a dime on playing in the dirt. He didn't think much of my gardening hobby. Didn't mind eating the veggies, though.:)
Hey, if you can do it at home, go for it!
Jason Bean Check out this a new, simple, efficient,
and effort saving soil dirt sifting tool called, SWIFT SIFTER. If you like my product please like and leave a comment on my video. Thank you. czcams.com/video/Zd8N4_mG8Tk/video.html
Sounds like Ryan Reynolds
Have you seen the price of a 2x4. Lol. 20dollars for a single piece of 2x4 in Canda.
40 bucks in USA for this
Holy shit could you have found a smaller hammer to pound in 4" nails?
Great video thank you. By the way, get yourself a man’s hammer LOL
LOL working w/ what I've got
Kevin Corcoran Check out this a new, simple, efficient,
and effort saving soil dirt sifting tool called, SWIFT SIFTER. If you like my product please like and leave a comment on my video. Thank you. czcams.com/video/Zd8N4_mG8Tk/video.html
@@epicgardening Was that an IKEA hammer?
I think he’s using hardware cloth
Its 40 dollars now with these lumber prices lol
You don't need 2X4, you can get away with 2X2. This brings the cost down WAY down. You can even upgrade to screws and still come in for less than 12 bucks. HD rapes people for 2X4.
Mike Smith Check out this a new, simple, efficient,
and effort saving soil dirt sifting tool called, SWIFT SIFTER. If you like my product please like and leave a comment on my video. Thank you. czcams.com/video/Zd8N4_mG8Tk/video.html
Your hammer looks so tiny for some reason
Let's just say it wasn't the best suited hammer for the job 😂
Maybe it’s because your hands are so big the hammer looks small🤥
Price of lumber now this is a $100 sifter RIP
How did you get 2 million subscribers when you don’t even know what hardware cloth is?
Before you post a video please learn the difference between chicken wire and hardware cloth. There is no chicken that needs to be contained by a 1/4” mesh. They are only that small as an embryo and not a flight risk. I’ve use 1/4” mesh hardware cloth. It’s too small for most soils although it makes a nice media if you have the time. Suggest using 3/8” beekeepers #3 mesh or two layers of 1/2” hardware cloth, one slight out of phase with the other to make ~3/8” mesh. One half inch will make very good soil as well and it’s much faster to use.
Ummm, that's more than$20
It was made 6 years ago. How much would you say it costs?
$20 seems cheap to a fashion sneaker wearing wannabe. This is clickbait.
The screen is $12 The wood is 8