Edge Tools Are A Better Choice Ergonomically
Shoulder-mounting a string trimmer to use it as an edger does relief a lot of the back pain but you are still using the tool it a manner that it was not designed for. As a result, it is not as ergonomically friendly as just using an actual lawn edge tool. Edgers are designed to be operated in that orientation and so they are generally more comfortable to use for longer periods.
I get by just fine using my weed eater as an edger but I recognize the benefit of having the right tool for the job. As a result, Ive been on the search for a solid battery-powered edger. Ive even considered going the dual-purpose route with the WORX WG163 which is both a trimmer and an edger and is powered by a 20V lithium-ion battery.
What I do not recommend unless you have very specific circumstances is a corded edger . I actually own a Black and Decker corded Edger and it sits in my garage collecting dust because it is just too much of a hassle to use. Save yourself the frustration and go with a battery-powered model if you choose to purchase a separate edge tool.
How To Edge A Lawn With A String Trimmer
What You Will Need
Lastly, try edging your lawn with a string trimmer using these steps:
The first thing you need to do is . You can outline your lawn with a string or spray paint, as I mentioned above. Run the string alongside straight edges of your lawn and mark curved sides with spray paint.Read the first step of the first tutorial for a detailed explanation.
Protect Yourself
Before you start your string trimmer, you need to protect yourself. Put on some non-slip gardening or construction boots that will protect your toes. Wear safety goggles to shield your eyes from flying grass clippings. We all know that gas string trimmers are pretty loud. Your neighbors sure know, anyway. All jokes aside, you should wear ear protection since prolonged exposure to loud noise leads to hearing loss.
Prep Your String Trimmer
The last thing you want is your string trimmer dying on you in the middle of the job. Before you start edging your lawn, fill up the tank with fresh gasoline. Give it a test run. If the trimmer is running smoothly, you can start working on your lawn.
Clean Up The Site
Once you are done using your string trimmer, you can start cleaning up the yard debris. Remove grass clippings and dirt from the lawn. Dont forget to sweep your driveway and other paved surfaces too! You want to define the new edge of your lawn and make it noticeable.
Dont throw the collected debris away! Add it to your garden bed or composting pile.
Using A Pair Of Plain Lawn Shears
If you have shears that look like they have a couple of long blades perpendicular to the handle, you have a pair of edging shears.
The design of this tool makes it possible for you to trim grass while standing up.
Unlike regular shears that are better for cutting along the top, edging shears are great for cutting along the edge of a lawn.
Nevertheless, if you dont mind straining your back and knees, you can always use a pair of lawn shears instead.
Things Youll Need
For marking your edges, you can use some wooden or plastic pegs and a ball of yarn or string.
In addition to your garden shears, you should also prepare a pair of gardening gloves, a broom, and some ground padding.
The gloves will protect your hands from the sharp blades of both the grass and the shears.
Similarly, some ground padding, such as flattened cardboard boxes, can make lawn edging with regular shears an easy chore.
Finally, use a broom to help you collect all the trimmings and debris after the task is complete.
Edging a Lawn with Plain Garden Shears
Follow these simple steps when edging your lawn with a pair of regular shears.
Step 1: Plan your edges.
Before you begin, take a close look at your lawn and determine where the edges should be.
Then, mark the edge with string and straighten it out by tying each end onto pegs affixed on the ground.
Step 2: Choose a starting location and set your ground padding.
With simple garden shears, the blades are aligned or only slightly tapering to the handles.
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How To Repair A Broken Or Crumbling Lawn Edge
If a section of lawn edge has become too damaged to successfully create a firm edge in line with the rest of the lawn, you can repair it.
Family run Jacksons Nurseries suggest, If you have a broken open edge in your lawn , it’s best to cut out a square section of turf that contains the broken edge using your edging iron or garden spade. Under-cut the turf to remove it, then turn it through 180 degrees and re-lay so that the straight edge aligns with the lawn edge. and there is a gap in your lawn a short distance from the edge.
Repair the damaged section, which is now within the lawn, by filling with topsoil and reseeding.
When You Should Edge
First and foremost, lets discuss the issue of what this activity means. When thinking about lawn care, most peoples thoughts go straight to irrigation and mowing, which is correct, but whats wrong is that it all stops there. One thing that you can do to have your yard look put-together is to take care of the free edge by either cutting down the overgrown grass or by cutting out straight lines or curved ones if thats the case that clearly mark where the lawn stops and where your sidewalk begins.
When it comes to picking the right moment, you should consider doing this activity during early spring, either after it has rained or a little while after irrigating the lawn. The reason for this specific timing is that doing the edges in the spring will give you an easier time throughout the year since youll only have to do maintenance work from now on which would leave you with plenty of time to perform other lawn care activities. Also, since you dont have an electrical lawn edger with which you can go through the soil quicker and keep a straighter line, then youll have a way easier time if the soil is damp enough to make it easier for your manual tools to get through it.
Gardener Using Sheers on Lawn
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Touch Up Any Messy Areas And Clean Up
After edging your lawn, go back and check for any jagged or uneven areas. You may need to touch up certain areas of your lawn with a manual edging tool, like shears.
After checking your work, all you need to do is clean up any debris. Use a broom or another brush to get rid of grass, dirt, soil, and other debris from your driveway or concrete sidewalks.
Start Cutting The Edge
Edging a lawn with a manual half-moon lawn edger can take a while, depending on the size of the lawn but is very satisfying. Developing a good technique will ensure good results and can combat back strain. Working at a 90 degree angle to the grass to create a straight downward edge. The team at lawn experts Rolawn also add, Place the edging tool roughly 5cm in from the edge and dig into the lawn about 5cm deep. As you lift the edging tool, the excess lawn and soil should lift with it. This can be dropped into a bucket for removal to your compost bin, or local garden waste facility.
Continue your way around the lawn, closely following the guideline, to create a smooth, jagged free edge.
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Why Use The Shoulder
Its possible to simply rotate the shaft and edge by holding the trimmer in much the same fashion as you would when weed-eating. The problem is that this technique can result in more back strain.
I found that my back was always aching when trying to edge in this manner. By holding the trimmer next to my shoulder I can rest the shaft on my arm and significantly reduce back strain.
Additionally, as I stated earlier, simply rotating the weed eaters head will not give you a true 90-degree angle for edging. You need to raise the back end of the trimmer to get this angle.
Edging Without An Edger
Lawns usually have defined areas in which the grass is confined, but grass plants don’t necessarily grow where you want them to. Blades grow long and straggle over sidewalks and driveways, spoiling the neat lines of lawns and making a yard look unkempt. You can keep your yard trimmed and neat using an edger, but they can be expensive and difficult to maintain. Turn to one of the alternative methods of edging without an edger to keep your grass in check and looking neat.
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Types Of Edgers And Trimmers
Many people think that if they own a string trimmer they can just edge their lawn and garden beds with that.
Not really.
A string trimmer is really a tool thats designed for cutting grass in hard to reach areas . It can be effective at maintaining the edge you cut around your garden beds with an edger, but it isnt a tool for cutting the edge.
A string trimmer is an essential lawn care tool in my opinion, but owning one doesnt mean you shouldnt also own a tool for edging.
The good news is that there are a wide range of lawn edging tools, and you can find one that works well for your property and your budget with a little guidance.
Ill provide that now:
This Edging Tool Works Best When It Doesnt Have A Lot To Cut Through
It becomes difficult to push the more sod you have to cut- so it is best to do it often.
It is best to run this tool around the perimeter of the lawn ever time you cut the grass. This will keep the amount of overgrown grass to a minimum.
This edging tool does not leave as clean of a cut line at the edge of you lawn. The grass has a slightly more hacked finish. Although it does create an edge its not as clean an edge like the steel landscaping edger. Or even a powered rotary edger.
Also you cant really just set it down and walk around the perimeter. It needs to be pushed back and forth 3 to 4 times to properly cut all the grass. This is energy sapping if you have left the edging for a long time.
See it in action in this video below..
A dual wheel rotary edger is it works best on hard path to run the drive wheels on.
The real benefit of this tool is that it is so quick to edge a long run of lawn. Compare this to the longer time using a steel half moon edger.
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About Cutting Lawn Edges
The first thing to understand is that cutting lawn edges will involve more than just mowing the lawn. Cutting the edge of your lawn is something that you do after you have finished mowing.
You can think of it as the finishing touch on the lawn that helps it to look as good as it possibly can. Mowing your lawn in a sloppy fashion and not ensuring that you have done things well can make things harder, but cutting the lawn edge is still a separate task.
Mowing the lawn first is necessary because you need to expose the curve in the grass. It makes it so that you can follow things when youre trimming the edges.
Another thing to remember when youre cutting the lawn edges is to try to avoid hardscape features. This means you should shy away from sidewalks and other areas that have concrete features when youre using your edger because you dont want to ruin it.
Most people are going to use a power edger to get this job done. Its going to be able to do a good job, but it isnt something that youre going to get done quickly no matter what tool youre using.
Essentially, edging the lawn is a task that can be very time-consuming. You cant try to rush the process either or youre more likely to do a bad job and make things uneven.
Try to walk on the sidewalk and face the lawn so that your power edger wont touch the concrete. Do your best to stay on an even surface as you slowly walk and get the edge of the lawn that is near the concrete feature.
How To Edge Your Lawn Properly
Theres nothing wrong with being proud of your grass. Its your slice of paradise, so theres no shame in spending a bit of time learning how to edge your lawn properly so that it stands out.
However, as naturally as lawn mowing may come to you, edging can be a completely different kettle of fish. Read on to learn some of our tips and tricks for achieving a perfectly edged lawn.
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How To Edge A Lawn
This article was co-authored by Keith Souza and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. Keith Souza is a Home Improvement Specialist and the Owner of Vaulted Hammer Handyman Services. He specializes in home repair, home automation, and yard maintenance. Keith holds an AAS in Electronics Technology from Heald College.There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 440,660 times.
When the snows of winter melt, you have a lawn that needs maintenance. After you have fertilized and watered, turn your attention to edging and mowing. It is easier to do the job correctly, so learn how to edge a lawn. All you need to do is periodic lawn maintenance once you have established clean edges around yard borders, shrubs, trees, planters and flower beds.
Should You Use An Edger
Believe it or not, using a trimmer to edge can do more harm than good. It’s impossible to maintain the same depth and angle while keeping a straight edge. It doesn’t just look sloppy, it gives weeds an invitation into your lawn. Use a lawn edger to get clean, crisp lines and prevent weeds from finding their way in. via
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Start With The Perimeter
It’s best to start by edging the perimeter of your lawn. Just be sure that you know if there are any plumbing pipes or electrical wires in your way. If you’re edging with an electrical trimmer, make sure that the tool’s deflector shield faces away from your body. With manual edging, just drive the edging tool straight into the ground. Make sure that your manual edger is completely straight and move in slow, careful lines.
You should walk on the sidewalk or other hard surface next to your lawn as you edge. Move your arms carefully and in straight lines to prevent you from over edging your lawn. Try to cut about 2 inches deep.
Can You Edge Your Lawn Without An Edger
Many homeowners spend hours grinding their lawn using an edger, but do you need to use this tool to create a perfect edge? While an edger helps create straight lines, it can make your grass look healthy and green. There are many different ways that you can edge your lawn without using an edger. In this article, we will share some ways to edge your lawn without an edger quickly.
1. Edging lawn with shears
Edging a lawn with shears is one of the easiest ways through which you can edge your lawn. If you are looking for a simple way to edge your lawn, then this is the best option. The shears easily and quickly cut the grass and create a perfect edge. If youre looking for a quicker and more straightforward option, then edging a lawn with shears is the best solution for you.
2. Edging with a lawnmower
Edging with a lawnmower is another straightforward approach to cut your grass and create a perfect edge. This approach is slower than edging a lawn with shears, but at the same time, you dont have to spend a lot of time on this. A lawnmower cuts your grass and effortlessly creates a perfect edge that you can use as the natural border for your lawn.
3. Edging with a string trimmer
4. Edging lawn with a shovel
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Pavers And Other Edging Ideas
Hardscapes edging, such as pavers, will give your entire landscape a finished look. Create a boundary along the border of your sidewalk and along mulched areas. Pavers come in a variety of colors and shapes to match the look of your home. You can set the pavers on top of the ground using a paver base. Or you can dig a trench and put the pavers in so they are level with the surrounding ground. Installing pavers this way makes it easier to mow. Maintain the look with routine edging with a string trimmer.
Hedges make great borders. Keep them maintained so you won’t have to remove large amounts of foliage at any one time. After you groom the perimeter, focus on any existing shrubs and bushes. Prune any excess foliage with hand shears or hedge trimmers, but make sure to work in small sections so you can keep the shapes even. For smaller yards, consider placing new shrubs along the front of your house, near the mailbox or down the walkway.
Tip: A compatible assortment of evergreen shrubbery is a great way to create edging for a lawn.
