I had at one time 5 different sieves. They work well for separating seed from chaff. I just bought some cheap ones.

jim_6b

pippi21 - I have several different-sized sieves I bought at the job lots stores. I use them to separate seeds from chaff unless the seeds are extremely large (daylily) or tiny as dust motes (astilbe). The sieves work for the bulk of the seed types I harvest. After I run the seeds through the sieve, it only takes a few minutes' work with tweezers to get the rest of the chaff out. Seed types like cupid's dart & blanket flower that are shaped like tiny shuttlecocks don't work with the sieve but they're large enough to make harvesting them less of a headache. Lupine & false indigo seeds are too large but they also don't have much chaff to contend with. For dianthus/carnation seeds, I use a plastic colander.

I was trying to harvest the dwarf fairy candytuft and they have a paper-like shell and you end up with all that along with the tiny seeds. I tried to use two different strainers. Neither worked. One was too fine, not even the seeds would go through it, the other was too large and the paper-like shell would fall through and I ended up using the tweezers..a tedious and back breaking job.

I saw a sieve in Lee Valley catalog that has 3 screens but the description talks about gardeners using it to sift twigs, stones and other debries out of their soil and composts. Nothing about separating chaffe from seeds. Does this serve the purpose for what I want it for? Lee Valley product#PR405. $22.90..

Gardenweed,are you going to save any of the Cupit's Dart seeds this year? If you have extra, willyou save me some or tell me where you purchased yours?

pipp21 - why don't you email Lee Valley and ask them if that sieve would work to separate seeds from chaff. There should be a contact link on their website. Can't hurt to ask what it's most often used for.

I'm saving the cupid's dart seeds but don't know how many I'll eventually have to spare since they were wet after the hurricane when I harvested them. Once they dry I'll have a better idea of how many I've got. I bought the original seeds off a store rack--they didn't seem to be hard to find. I think Swallowtail sells them too, as does Hazzard's. If I have enough, I'll save a trade's worth for you...that is, unless they'll put you over top of your ironclad WS plan.