Is there an easy way to sort pine needles so that they may be used as mulch?

I've used pine needles as mulch. The only thing I'd pick out is the rocks, and not even those if they aren't very big. The sticks will decompose quite quickly, and I've always thought that pine cones in my flower beds were rather charming. I did pick out the big sticks - the ones that were bent or forked, as they don't lay flat in the mulch.

If you don't like the looks of the pine cones, spread them along with the needles, and just take out the ones that end up on top of the needles. Most of them will be buried by the needles.

The sticks are not going to be a problem, but pine needles and pinecones can cause problems that can persist for years. Pine trees are loaded with a chemical called creosote. The high concentration of flammable creosote is the reason why you shouldn’t burn pine in your fireplace. Aside from chimney fire problems rotting pine compost makes the ground very acidic, so acidic in fact, it will acidify the surrounding soil to the point where very little will grow. The acid that naturally occurs in pine trees is the reason why you’ll never see a healthy lawn under a pine tree.

Well, I might have stumbled on a good idea, but I'm not sure if it's "easy".

There's a guy on the web who had a similar problem with his compost, and he made his own compost sifter, that sat right over his wheelbarrow. He powered it with his electric drill, clamped into a little jig. It was kind of clever. Now, somebody else has improved the design. You decide if it's worth your time to build the contraption, but it's mostly wood, and looks pretty easy. Here it is: Enjoy!

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/automatic-compost-sifte...

use a garden rake ,it will comb out the big stuff ,it's easy with practice