Seeking Advice for Soil Cleanup

[KShark]

I'm in the process of beautifying my new homes back yard and am seeking advice on this issue I have.

The soil is very sandy and it appears the previous owners did a lot of dumping in the yard, so far I've filled bags of small toys, lunch boxes, tools and more random objects. I'm trying to find an inexpensive tool I can use to lift all of the debris and begin to help replenish the soil and fill in the empty patches.

Also lots of small rocks, broken old concrete or stone that's easy to break up.

In an ideal world I need a Lawn Vacuum that doesn't mulch

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Chuck]

I don't think there is such a thing, at least inexpensive anyway. It looks to me like a LOT of labor with a screen, wheelbarrow and shovel to me and that is just to get the garbage out of the sand. I don't live in Florida but that sand looks imported to me, like contractors sand.

 

[KShark]

I don't think there is such a thing, at least inexpensive anyway. It looks to me like a LOT of labor with a screen, wheelbarrow and shovel to me and that is just to get the garbage out of the sand. I don't live in Florida but that sand looks imported to me, like contractors sand.

Thanks Chuck, I'm unsure to be honest - there doesn't appear to be much attempt to make improvements here but who knows. I'll have to get digging I guess

 

[pepper]

It would be a lot less backbreaking work to just rent a mini cat and doze it all into a pile then sift it or take it to the landfill and replace it with top soil.

 

[Susan BBPM]

We moved into our house when it was about 6 years old. The garden (front and back) is big and it was all lawn. Not lush, green, perfect lawn, but certainly above average standard.

When we moved in the next door neighbour mentioned in passing that no one laid lawns. The builders just left big rubble fields and the plot had previously been a nursery so there was broken glass and foundations of old greenhouses all over the lawns. They all just left the weeds to grow then eventually started mowing. Very quickly the lawns all looked pretty good.

Over the years, whilst digging for various projects we found all sorts of debris under the lawn.

Point being - once the grass has grown over you'd possibly never notice what's under it. That said, I don't know if I could do it if I actually saw the amount of junk under my lawn!! But anyway, just lifting the big bits or leveling it all over might well be good enough depending on your goals. Although that said, we have clay soil.

 

[Mr_Yan]

In an ideal world I need a Lawn Vacuum that doesn't mulch

Any advice would be appreciated.

Well I was using a shop vac to dig fence posts two weeks ago. I live on pure beach sand under about 6 inches of black stuff.

Rocks and broken bits of concrete huh. How small do you want to clean down to?

Crazy ideas time:
Set up some type of back drop like a canvas drop cloth and use a leaf blower to move the fine stuff out. Then pitch fork to lift the remaining rocks out?
See if any local tool rentals have a rotating barrel sifter.
Rent a skidloader or tractor to dig out the top X inches into a pile (last year around here it was $250 a day if you have a fullsize truck to pull the trailer away or $100 additional for delivery and pickup).
Lots of time with a shop vac with some 1/4" hardware cloth over the end - be sure to wear a tinfoil hat while doing this.

 

[oneeye]

Get a soil test and see what's in the soil first. You may be surprised that all the soil needs is to be amended with something specific or the pH needs to be modified. The soil, lab will give professional recommendations to supplement or de-toxify the soil. The $30 bucks is really worth it and the test is good for five years. Don't play with the soil get a soil test.