Edging your lawn is often an overlooked task when it comes to maintaining your garden area. If you’re not edging your lawn properly, it can make it look overgrown and messy which is not a good look.
Edging a lawn creates a boundary around the edge of the lawn and whatever is beside it. This provides a crisp, clean look and increases the curb appeal of your home.
If you want a well-manicured lawn, you just need to follow a few simple steps that we have outlined in this guide.
1. Mow Your Lawn
You should always start off by mowing your lawn before you edge as it will help reduce the grass and weeds around the area you’re edging.
Edging and mowing go hand in hand and having freshly cut grass will add to the overall look of a perfectly edged lawn.
It’s important not to cut your grass too low as this can result in bare patches and a damaged lawn. We recommend mowing your lawn to around 2 ½ inches to allow enough nutrients to be passed to the roots.
2. Plan Your Edging Path
Once you’ve mowed your lawn, you can start outlining the edges you want to cut. You may use something as simple as a garden hose to mark out the edges.
We recommend creating a gap of about ½ inch between the lawn and the flower bed, path, or driveway.
If you’re edging along a path or driveway this step is completely optional.
3. Clear Nearby Debris
Before edging your lawn, be sure to clear the area of any debris such as sticks, roots, rocks, or anything else that is in the way.
This is a safety precaution and will prevent anything from flying up due to the fast rotation of the grass edger tool.
4. Put on Safety Gear
Put on safety glasses to protect your eyes from any flying debris such as sticks and rocks. A sturdy pair of gloves will protect your hands and we always recommend wearing a face mask if you get allergies.
If you’re using a gas or battery-powered lawn edger, it’s a good idea to wear ear protection. When you spend time in a loud environment, it may cause permanent damage to your hearing.
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5. Edge Your Lawn
Edging with a Manual Edger
The manual edger is the most common and affordable edger on the market. This is because they require a lot more manual labor than powered models.
There are two main types of manual edgers, these are the half-moon edger and the rotary edger tool.
- If you’re using a half-moon edger, you must place the blade where you have previously outlined the edges.
- Once the blade is in position, you can now step on the blade with the appropriate amount of pressure that will force the blade into the ground and accurately cut an edge.
- Repeat this process as many times as necessary until the area is edged.
- If you’re using a rotary edger, position the blade the same way as described above and roll the blade along the desired area until a clear edge has been cut.
Edging with a Powered Edger
If you are using an electric, gas or battery-powered edger, the job will be much easier and quicker than using manual effort.
- If your lawn edger tool has a height adjustment option that lets you choose the desired depth you want to cut, we recommend setting this to around 2 inches as this will prevent damaging the lawn while still giving a precise cut.
- Turn on the edging tool and let the blades spin for a few moments before starting your work. Depending on the type of edger you have, powering up the device will vary. Electric models are turned on with a push-button and gas models require you to pull a cord.
- Place the edger where you have outlined the cutting path. Squeeze the trigger and start cutting the edges making sure to listen and look if the edge is being cut.
- Push the edger along the outlined path ensuring a clean edge is cut.
- Once you’ve edged the entire area, double-check that cut is clean and go over any areas that may have been missed.
6. Clean up Your Yard
After you’ve finished edging and you’re satisfied with the cut, use a broom or a leaf blower to clean all the grass, roots, and soil from the area.
You should also brush off any grass and debris from the edger or trimmer to ensure it’s well maintained and ready for use the next time around.
Enjoy Your Newly Edged Lawn
Once you’ve cleaned the area and put your tools away, all that is left to do is to sit back and admire your beautifully pristine lawn.
Edging your lawn is a great way to create a manicured garden that will easily increase the curb appeal of your home and make your neighbors jealous.
