GARDEN sieves and riddles are used to sift what you do want from what you don’t want, whether it be soil, compost or even larger seeds. They are a traditional means of doing this and date back hundreds of years, at least.
Although the terms ‘sieve’ and ‘riddle’ are used interchangeably, there is a distinction between the two. Historically, a sieve has a pre-made mesh trapped between two pieces of wood, whereas a riddle is completely woven by hand, wire by wire. A third term, referring to these tools as ‘sifters’, is often an indication that the item has been manufactured in the USA.
Past use
In the days before bagged compost for sowing seed and potting plants, sieves and riddles were used mainly for sifting compost
