An idea that actually sort of worked

Well, I needed a topsoil screen in the worst way... I am almost there with the trench and had visions of finishing it up this weekend when I ran into an idea. I am, probably, an eighth of a yard of stone short of completing this trench the exact way I wanted to in the beginning. I was going to just throw a bunch of dirt on top of the trench (that is surrounded by landscape fabric) but I got to thinking that there is probably at least an eighth of a yard of stone in the dirt that I dug out to begin this whole process. What I needed was a topsoil screener and, of course, I don't have one. So as I am making my way to the Home Depot I had an idea: drill a bunch of holes with a spade bit into a piece of plywood, place it over the wheelbarrow, and sift the soil through it. OK, I thought, that's cheap and we'll see how good of an idea it is.

Well, I made a u-turn and found a piece of plywood that was the exact width and length I needed to make this work. I then drilled 1/2" holes in it (in a semi-regular pattern) and tried to use it. Well, the soil was a bit wet and the holes were getting clogged too easily. I then opted for 3/4" holes and that worked a whole lot better. Not perfect mind you, but definitely better. I think that if the soil were dryer I would have had more success.

We are in for numerous sunny days in a row here so I think that I may just have the right conditions to make this work. I washed off the stone that I did end up getting out of the soil and placed it on top of the landscape-fabric covered trench and was encouraged that I would, indeed, have enough. Like Hannibal Smith I also love it when a plan comes together, but I will celebrate even harder when this trench is behind me and it works as designed.