How to Edge a Lawn With or Without an Edger

Achieving lawn perfection requires a variety of steps. Aside from staying on top of watering and other maintenance to keep your lawn green and healthy, you'll also need to give it a good trimming and shaping from time to time. General mowing will keep your lawn looking uniform, while edging will give your lawn an extra clean and manicured look. Edging a lawn involves creating clear and defined line between the edge of your lawn and other landscape elements, like walkways or flower beds. Follow the steps and expert tips below to learn how to edge a lawn correctly.

Always mow before you edge

Mowing is an important first step because it will help you see how much grass needs to be trimmed along the edges.

“Follow the one-third rule when mowing—never cut or remove more than one-third of the grass blade at one time while mowing,” says Eric Harshman, grounds project manager at SSC Services for Education, which provides facilities maintenance and grounds management for educational spaces. If you mow your grass too short, he says it may cause scalping, which creates bare and weak-rooted patches of grass.

Define the shape you want to create

It’s tempting to just eyeball it, but you really don’t want to just guess on something as important as your lawn. (After all, your the appearance of your lawn can have a big impact on curb appeal.) Harshman says you need to create an outline. “Your outline can be precisely defined by using a measuring tape string and aerosol paint, thus allowing for a uniform shape,” he explains. And the good thing about an outline is that you can adjust it if necessary.

If this is the first time you’re creating a landscape edge, Harshman recommends checking for any underground utilities. “Make any necessary phone calls to your local utility companies to mark or check the areas in which you will be digging,” he says.

Use protective equipment

Personal protective equipment should be worn any time you're using power equipment. “Hearing protection should be worn to protect operators from the loud noises produced by motorized edgers,” Harshman says. “Safety glasses are also necessary, as debris and foreign objects can be widely distributed in the area of gas-powered tool use.” He recommends using caution when using lawn tools and says you should avoid using the tools while others are in the general vicinity.

Determine which tools you'll need

There are two main ways to edge a lawn: with a shovel or with a gas powered edger. Gas powered options include landscape edgers, dual wheeled rotary edgers, and string trimmers. According to Neil Cathey, senior project manager at SSC Services for Education, landscape edgers are primarily used for removing pre-existing landscape beds or tree rings.

“Dual wheeled rotary edgers are best utilized on hardened surfaces, and use serrated blades that cut through grass that is growing over the edges of sidewalks and driveways,” he explains.

String trimmers, on the other hand, can can be used to trim or re-define edges on hardened surfaces or on pre-existing landscape beds and around tree rings.

How to edge a lawn with an edger

According to Janna Bradley, COO and co-founder at Landscape Management Network (LMN): these are the steps to edge with an edger:

• Choose an edger with a sharp blade for the cleanest cut.
• Turn on the edger and guide it along the edges of your lawn, keeping a steady pace to ensure an even line.
• Follow the contours of the landscape for a precise edge.
• Clean up debris.
  

How to edge a lawn with a shovel

Bradley says you’ll need a flat spade shovel to edge a lawn. These are the steps:

• Define the edge you want to create by marking it with landscape paint or a garden hose.
• Use the shovel to dig a narrow trench (about 2 inches wide and deep) along the marked line.
• Keep the shovel straight to ensure the sides of the trench are clean and vertical.
• Remove the soil and grass you have loosened.
• Clean up debris.

Trim edges on a regular basis

Keeping your lawn mowed and your edges trimmed can increase your curb appeal. Whichever method you choose, Bradley says you should keep the depth and width consistent so your lawn will look uniform. “Edge your lawn regularly throughout the growing season to maintain crisp lines,” she says.

And after edging garden beds, Bradley recommends adding mulch. “This will enhance the visual contrast and help retain soil moisture.”