Ten years ago, we made over my mother-in-law's front garden by laying plastic cloth and covering it in 3 inches of stone chips - with some evergreen plants poking trough. The usual kind of thing for some one who no longer wishes to garden. Now, it looks fine but I've been removing some of the older and overgrown cypress. The stone chips now harbour plant debris, accumulated over the decade. How do I spruce this up - just rake over or lit the chips into a sieve and hose? Or what?
Geoff
I reckon you have to sieve and wash. In the past, I've shovelled gravel into my plasterer's bath full of water and sieved it all out again. It works, but it's tedious, heavy, filthy, wet work.
I've always wanted to make a sifting machine both for this task, and for sifting compost. Someone on here linked in a pic of his -- a cylindrical affair -- a couple of months ago, but I've lost the link.
So: Google for "homemade compost sieve" --- loads of ideas (many of them, by the look of it, from sophisticated Americans, but no doubt there are some down my end of the scale (pallets and 4" nails are my usual base materials)).
I haven't made one yet because I don't have the space to store one ... yet.
John
Leaf blower works a treat - held at exactly the right distance away from the surface. On blow, not suck IYSWIM.
In message , Another John writes
I adapted my cement mixer using a tube of weldmesh wired to the
*paddles*.Load up soil and stones with it slightly tilted back then tilt forward a bit and run the stones into a wheelbarrow.
regards
I've got a good leaf blower - so I will try that before wet hygiene. Thanks for all the suggestions.
add more gravel - or remove and re-lay.
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