How to Rake Out Rocks
Rocks in your soil can prevent roots from growing properly and make tilling the soil difficult. Raking rocks out also helps you to break up large clumps of dirt or get plant matter out of the soil. Rakes can be effective tools for removing rocks because their tines act like a sieve. The tines pass through the smooth soil with small particles, but they trap large rocks that should be removed.
Till the soil with rotary tiller down to the desired depth.
Spread out the tilled soil to an even layer no deeper than the height of the bent portion of the rake's tines, allowing the tool to rake through to the bottom of the layer of soil in a single pass and speeding the work.
Draw a heavy iron rake through the soil; the tines will sift through the soil, trapping large rocks.
Set the rocks aside and repeat drawing the rake in parallel lines over the soil until you no longer pull any rocks out.
- Use a heavy, iron rake with widely spaced tines for the best results when removing rocks, especially if you are working with heavy, clay-based soils. The tines should be spaced slightly smaller than the width of a plum so you can remove plum-sized rocks or larger.
- Substitute a garden fork for a rake for removing rocks in small garden patches.