How to Edge Your Garden & Lawn Like A Pro: Tips For Lawn Edging

Last Updated on September 10, 2020 by woodcutter

Don’t you just love the sight of most sporting green turfs like those of favorite golf course? Although you have earnestly tried to get, your lawn to look the same way you just can’t seem to be getting there, what’s the secret here? Well, apart from mowing, it has to do with how they do their lawn edging.

In this article, I’m going to share some tips you can use for lawn edging with you. I will also be giving you tips on which tools you can use for an active edging job. Working for some reputable gardening companies has taught me that some decoration inclusion can help bring out the edging vividly. Thus apart from edging using some high powered tools, you may also want to use things like logs for edging. Not to worry, the tips for lawn edging I provided cater for both expert gardeners and novices.

Edging equipment and methods

A best edger cuts the grass vertically along patios or concrete pathways and so forth.

1. Electric edger

This tool allows you to trim that grass off the edges quickly. It has a mains cord which supplies the electricity.

2. A cordless electric string lawn edger

This electronic tool has no strings attached, which facilitates ease in mobility while approaching inaccessible positions.

3. Half-moon edger

This is a manually operated by digging dip along the edges and cutting off the grass. It is a less costly option for those with tight budgets.

4. Edging sheet barriers

These barriers will allow you to separate grass that has been edged from the rest. Sheet barriers also offer aesthetic appearance, which is a bonus.

5. Rotary tool

It is a manual edging tool that is less strenuous than the half-moon edger.

6.  Wooden log edging

In place of artificial barriers, you might want to use natural wooden barriers, which will increase the aesthetic appeal of your lawn. You can either get a professional to do the cutting or perform a DIY; many articles guide you on the cutting process.

7.  Gas stick edger

This is automated and more powerful than the electric edger.

8.  Walk-behind gas edger

This is quite a powerful machine. It is normally used for commercial purposes; however, if your pockets allow and you have proper storage facilities, then go for it.

Tips for lawn edging

Align edger next to hard surface

After turning on your power edger, allow the blade to spin through the edging grass. Make sure the edger just touches the hard surface you want to edge against. This will significantly assist you in making a clean well-aligned vertical slicing cut. In addition to this, it serves to reduce much strain on your hands.

Move the edger back and forth.

Make sure you move your edger back and forth to get an even cut along the edges. In addition to this, try to make your hand movements as even as possible. You should note that the first season’s cut is the most difficult, and the edging becomes subsequently more natural.

Edge often

Since edging gets easier the more you do it, I encourage you to do it very often and not only when you have done mowing. You should not let the lawn grow and creep into you walk the path before starting edging as this will require more work. As a general rule, summer grasses are active in growth during the summer, increasing edging frequency during this period, reducing the frequency in winter while they are dormant. The same is true with winter grasses.

Adjust the depth of cut

Cut down at least 1/2 past the edge you are trimming. Some edgers allow you to adjust the cut’s depth, which is quite useful in giving a great appeal, and you might want to try changing the depth.

Edge around trees to create tree rings

Edge around your much-loved tree, this will give a perfect decorative outlook. You can do this by drawing a circle around your tree trunk using paint. After this use, your edger around this line, dig out the soil after the edging and apply mulch.

Use a proper oil-gas mixture.

To extend your gas-powered edger’s life, make sure you mix the gas and oil in their right proportions as given by that specific edger model.

Edge around planter edges

Use an edger to define plant bed edges. Do this each week to prevent edge grass from recovering and also for the best results. I recommend using a redefiner with an “m” shaped blade, which digs a more pronounced trench that clearly defines the edges.

Mow your lawn first

Although edging before mowing might save you time, I encourage you to do it after you are done with mowing. This allows for a better follow when trimming the lawn by exposing the edges of the lawn.

Stand on walkways when possible.

When edging your lawn, you should stand on walkways and paths because they allow you to perform uniform work with ease when these are even.

Be slow and steady.

This tip targets mostly novices. You have to do your work slow and steady so that you execute it with perfection. With time as you gain more experience, then you can move a little bit faster. However, being an expert, I still say, “slow and steady wins the race.”

Don’t kill the perennials.

It’s quite easy to lose control of your powered edger and cut those flowers your neighbor is envious about. Therefore, I recommend that you use a manually operated edger when edging around flower beds or any ornamental crops, especially when prone to losing control of your hands.

Consider inorganic edging

To reduce the time and frequency of edging, invest in plastic, metal, wood, and concrete edging barriers. A concrete option is a great one for a permanent structure, and you can pour it into any shape to create fluid, undulating edging. The use of weathered steel for edging to make lawn sections will give it a more contemporary look.

Rusting steel has an industrial decorative appeal, which it establishes well by matching with the ground. In addition to this, lawn edging bricks will work as well. You will need bricks, sand, cement, rubber mallet, trowel, and a rake. Alternatively, you can cut the wood into sections that you can place around lawn edges. Make sure to overlap it to prevent soil from siping through.

Use lawn edging kits available on the market.

These have the upper hand because they allow placement without any digging. You can simply pound each piece into the ground with a rubber mallet. They are available in interlocking sections, which can give you a long continuous edge of the lining. If need be, you can bend your pieces around corners or into parts you desire. The following are available:

●       Landscape edging coil.

This one is a flexible, sturdy coil that can be used to delegate the lawn edges along your footpath. The coil can easily be bent around corners and curves. In addition to this, faux woodgrain texture and color allow the coil to blend with the landscape quickly.

●       Stacked slates.

Though appearing like natural stacked slates of rocks, they are made of heavy-duty plastic. They are also flexible; thus can be adjusted around corners and curves and are also easy to install. I particularly like the stacked slates because they do not require any digging for installation. You just use the stacks which come with the set to anchor the slates into the ground. A total of 20ft of edging can be made with a set; however, you can always add more.

●       Eco-friendly lawn edging options.

Aluminum is one example of this kind of edging. Aluminum being an inert element, the metal is a non-toxic option. It also does not rust, which means it has no interaction with the weather elements. To install it, you just slide the ends of pieces together and insert spikes into the ground. You will also be able to bend it around corners to create more organic shapes and designs. Black, brown, bronze, and silver are the colors that come with the aluminum.

To Sum Up