I used to be an archaeologist in another life and this sounds much like one of the tools that we used on digs.

Here's a screen (ugh, phone photo) that I put in a frame (with handles on either side) that we used to sift out rocks and other junk when we were amending the soil in one garden. Note the handles on it for shaking. On some of the more complicated models, people attach legs to the frame to make the sifting easier.



The foamboard "wings" that you see on this particular frame were a late addition... I screwed them on and turned the screen to vertical and placed it in front of the chipper/shredder output (well, almost in front - I welded up a little directional box to control the flow).

I'm really digressing. Point is that it's a really neat idea to use hardware cloth for the purpose you describe. I like the idea a lot.

I laid hardware cloth or chicken wire over some big, steel-wire shelves that I brought home form the dumpster at work.



That gave the screens enough support that I could bash clods with the flat of a shovel, and rub back and forth with the back of a steel rake, pressing down.

I wonder if you could crush the bigger chunks of lava rock to produce porous, water-retaining grit, smaller than 1/8". That would be a desirable amendment for many kinds of heavy soil. If you could crush it even finer, it would be like a "porous sand" soil amendment.

I hope you saved some lava rock in case you may want to grow potted plumerias, or maybe anthuriums. Lava rock "rocks" as mulch on these plants!

it is nice and porous. I think I might just have dug it through the soil rather than removing it. But your system looks great!

Wonderful article, well written! I am impressed, especially for a young person to be able to articulate your meaning so well! Too many kids nowadays can't write a proper grammatically correct sentence. (I fail myself many times )

Thank you so much for the helpful tips and comments. I really appreciate the encouragement. My Mom is responsible for teaching me correct grammar. She's a wonderful teacher.

Too many PEOPLE don't know how to make a grammatical sentence!

I was shocked when I went on the road for one company, installing our equipment in packaging plants. Highly placed managers, responsible for hundreds of jobs and probably millions of dollars, often have trouble with Junior High School English.

I understand not being able to learn to spell - I rely on spell-check a lot - but I thought that people learned grammar by listening to other people, radio and TV.

Oh, well. Maybe in this century we can only learn CORRECT grammar by reading.