A better way to sieve

bennybenben

Yamadori
Messages
54
Reaction score
0
Location
Elk Grove, CA
USDA Zone
9b
Hey i'm in the sacramento bonsai club, I joined about 3 months ago.
 

jkd2572

Masterpiece
Messages
2,065
Reaction score
73
Location
Plano, Texas
USDA Zone
7
I wash my aggregate before sifting. No dust. No brainer.
 

Poink88

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
8,968
Reaction score
119
Location
Austin, TX (Zone 8b)
USDA Zone
8b
Is there any way you can give a visual representation of this technique? I just can't really visualize it for some reason. A photo or a drawing?

Thank you.

Sorry missed this.

It is like this. Capacity will most likely be limited by the mesh. You can double it with heavier wire mesh under to support it if you wish.
 

Attachments

  • Sifter.jpg
    Sifter.jpg
    141.8 KB · Views: 130

markyscott

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,112
Reaction score
21,382
Location
Delaplane VA
USDA Zone
6B
The cycle of bonsai in Houston. Spring repotting is done and soil supplies are decimated. Summer repotting season is looming, so soil must be made before it gets to 150 degrees, eleventy million percent humidity, and the mosquito to air ratio gets close to one.

So I'm curious - did anyone ever try this? I couldn't imagine making soil without it and I'm starting to think about generation 2.



Toy Story pools with Woody in them are definitely the best.

Scott
 
Last edited:

markyscott

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,112
Reaction score
21,382
Location
Delaplane VA
USDA Zone
6B
Ingredients are 3 40lb bags of pumice. 2 50lb bags of scoria, 3 14 liter bags of akadama, 1 24 oz bag of Hoffman's horticultural charcoal, and 24 oz of granite.

Total cost was $45 for the pumice, $30 for the scoria, $60 for the Akadama, $12 for the charcoal, and $5 for the granite. So the total cost was $152 for around 75 gallons of soil or about $2.03 per gallon.

Scott
 

Eric Group

Masterpiece
Messages
4,554
Reaction score
4,854
Location
Columbia, SC
Looks like a great method for mass producing soil... But DAYUM man- how many trees do you have? 60 gallons?

I bought 1 bag of Akadama in October and still have half of it left- most of the way through repotting season! This is a good method for nurseries or people sitting on TONAGE in their back yards.. I have over 100 trees and cannot imagine how long it would take me to tear through 60 gallons of bonsai soil! Of course... Many of my trees are in the ground or in a "development" Mix of Pearlite and peat still. I guess if they were all in Bonsai pots, being repotted into this mix constantly, it would be nice to have something like this.

I just use the wheel barrow, a shovel to mix it and an over sized kitchen steel mesh sieve with a 1/16 screen... Haven't had any troubles yet. My goal is to use pre- sifted material that is already a pretty uniform size of about 1/8 to 1/4 inch, sift out any dust or left over tiny particles, and roll with it.
 

wireme

Masterpiece
Messages
3,671
Reaction score
8,238
Location
Kootenays, British Columbia
USDA Zone
3
Thanks for posting,looks like a good contraption. I've been using screens like yours over the wheelbarrow but without the rollers. They are falling apart, time for a rebuild and I may try your design out. Possibly a triple decker. I need a lot of soil if I have time to go collecting, I tend to get large rootballs and the first box can be a bit ridiculous, I bet I have a couple that took over 20 gallons each for one tree. Soil production, sourcing, sifting... My least favorite part of the hobby.
 

markyscott

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,112
Reaction score
21,382
Location
Delaplane VA
USDA Zone
6B
Thanks for posting,looks like a good contraption. I've been using screens like yours over the wheelbarrow but without the rollers. They are falling apart, time for a rebuild and I may try your design out. Possibly a triple decker. I need a lot of soil if I have time to go collecting, I tend to get large rootballs and the first box can be a bit ridiculous, I bet I have a couple that took over 20 gallons each for one tree. Soil production, sourcing, sifting... My least favorite part of the hobby.

It's those yamadori that get me too. I have a couple of bald cypress, a collected live oak, and several collected juniper that will each chew up many gallons of soil each repot. It's hard to keep up with making new soil and recycling the old. Need to be efficient.

I probably have about 50 gallons of 1/4-3/8 which should keep me through next spring depending on the big bald cypress. Its in about a 20 gallon pot, but I've been trying to reduce the depth of the rootball - I'll know how successful I was next February.

Scott
 

markyscott

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,112
Reaction score
21,382
Location
Delaplane VA
USDA Zone
6B
Looks like a great method for mass producing soil... But DAYUM man- how many trees do you have? 60 gallons?

I bought 1 bag of Akadama in October and still have half of it left- most of the way through repotting season! This is a good method for nurseries or people sitting on TONAGE in their back yards.. I have over 100 trees and cannot imagine how long it would take me to tear through 60 gallons of bonsai soil! Of course... Many of my trees are in the ground or in a "development" Mix of Pearlite and peat still. I guess if they were all in Bonsai pots, being repotted into this mix constantly, it would be nice to have something like this.

I just use the wheel barrow, a shovel to mix it and an over sized kitchen steel mesh sieve with a 1/16 screen... Haven't had any troubles yet. My goal is to use pre- sifted material that is already a pretty uniform size of about 1/8 to 1/4 inch, sift out any dust or left over tiny particles, and roll with it.

I have an unfortunate predilection for big trees. And I grow all my trees in this mix give-or-take (excepting the trees in the ground), including the trees in development. It's pretty cost effective when you buy in bulk - even compared to peat and perlite - especially when you recycle your soil.

Scott
 
Last edited:

Eric Group

Masterpiece
Messages
4,554
Reaction score
4,854
Location
Columbia, SC
I have an unfortunate predilection for big trees. And I grow all my trees in this mix give-or-take (excepting the trees in the ground), including the trees in development. It's pretty cost effective when you buy in bulk - even compared to peat and perlite - especially when you recycle your soil.

Scott
That makes sense... I really only have a few larger trees. Most of mine are medium to smaller sizes. Shohin not really Mame... I think it makes things easier, takes up less space, less soil, less time for development, and there is more stock available for purchase at a reasonable price. Might change if I collect a few more.
 

JoeR

Masterpiece
Messages
3,948
Reaction score
3,451
Location
Sandhills of North Carolina
USDA Zone
8a
Ingredients are 3 40lb bags of pumice. 2 50lb bags of scoria, 3 14 liter bags of akadama, 1 24 oz bag of Hoffman's horticultural charcoal, and 24 oz of granite.

Total cost was $45 for the pumice, $30 for the scoria, $60 for the Akadama, $12 for the charcoal, and $5 for the granite. So the total cost was $152 for around 75 gallons of soil or about $2.03 per gallon.

Scott
That's ridiculous man! I guess that's what you get when you don't buy in bulk.

You know what I paid for my soil? I bought lava and pumice (separate ) and had to pay roughly $7.2 per gallon of soil. Had no choice though, I was in dire need of it.
 

wireme

Masterpiece
Messages
3,671
Reaction score
8,238
Location
Kootenays, British Columbia
USDA Zone
3
I have an unfortunate predilection for big trees. And I grow all my trees in this mix give-or-take (excepting the trees in the ground), including the trees in development. It's pretty cost effective when you buy in bulk - even compared to peat and perlite - especially when you recycle your soil.

Scott
It's those yamadori that get me too. I have a couple of bald cypress, a collected live oak, and several collected juniper that will each chew up many gallons of soil each repot. It's hard to keep up with making new soil and recycling the old. Need to be efficient.

I probably have about 50 gallons of 1/4-3/8 which should keep me through next spring depending on the big bald cypress. Its in about a 20 gallon pot, but I've been trying to reduce the depth of the rootball - I'll know how successful I was next February.

Scott

Yeah, the first potting of large yamadori can use up masses of soil, it amazes me how much soil a large box can eat up sometimes, even with extra space taken by baffles and bricks and rock and stuff.
I have 2 fair sized trees to repot this spring and that should give back a good amount to be re-used. I'm hoping as more trees get reduced I'll have a surplus someday. Still needs re-sifting though.
 

markyscott

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,112
Reaction score
21,382
Location
Delaplane VA
USDA Zone
6B
image.jpg One bald cypress in a 20 gallon pot. Doesn't take too many to go through 60 gallons. It needs to be reported next year - hopefully in a shallower pot.

Scott
 
Messages
246
Reaction score
363
Location
Britanny, France
USDA Zone
9
Already posted, but still very handy.
index.php
 
Top Bottom