Edging helps define a space, enhances the aesthetic, and can reduce soil erosion and water runoff. Plus, creating borders in the landscape makes it easier to keep areas organized and prevent some plants from spreading and encroaching to other spaces by creating a natural or physical barrier.
Edging Is Part of an Excellent Lawn Care Package
In short, you don't need to edge your lawn. But edging should be part of your lawn care package if you want your outdoor space to look its best.
Your landscaping at your home is an investment, and to ensure that investment is protected, it is important that you create a border for your landscape. Not only are landscape borders functional (they keep invasive grass out of your beds and keep your landscape plants in,) but they also look great and, if done correctl.
It emphasizes the lines and edges and leads the eye to the next garden focal point. From a practical standpoint, landscape edging helps to keep turfgrass from creeping into surrounding garden areas. At the same time, it prevents soil or mulch in garden beds from spilling onto the lawn whenever you water, or it rains.
While you may not think edging is an essential part of maintaining your lawn, it can be the difference between a good lawn and a great one. Edging your lawn not only adds a distinguished look, but it also has many other benefits, including cleaner mowing lines and weed-free borders.
Using a Lawn Edger
Lawn edgers cut a trench between the grass and hedges or other areas using a very sharp blade. A lawn edger is a tool that you can use to trim the grass on the very edge of a lawn or flowerbed that the lawnmower may not be able to reach.
It often depends on what your lawn is like. If you have a well maintained lawn that is regularly mowed quite low, there are benefits in edging first. This will create a line for the mower to follow and finish along while ensuring the height of the grass is even.
Mulch not only makes a great and inexpensive garden edging idea because of how it suppresses weeds, but also for its benefit to your plants. Mulch is a great preserver of water and moisture, so your flowers or greenery will stay hydrated for days to come.
How long does the steel edging last? There are factors which vary the lifespan of steel edging but as a guide our 6mm edge will last in excess of 25 years and 3mm in excess of 20 years.
You'll get best results when the grass is dry. Avoid edging in wet soil or wet grass areas, which might cause the blade guard to clog and result in an uneven edge. Check your battery is charged. An EGO 56V 5.0Ah battery will give you up to 60 minutes edging time and can be recharged in 40 minutes with a rapid charger.
If you're looking for a material that can blend into the landscape, is easy to work with and is also exceptionally durable, then rubber landscape edging is the choice. Made from recycled materials, rubber edging is quite easy to install with the included spikes.
One of the most popular is spraying a solution of vinegar, salt and dish soap where you don't want grass or weeds to grow. Use a highly acidic vinegar found at hardware and garden stores as opposed to the 5 percent acetic acid in most household vinegar.
Dig the trench to a uniform depth of three to four inches—deep enough to let the edging stand about one-half inch above ground level. Dig straight down to create a vertical "wall" that will support the edging.
Your garden's size plays a key role in determining the type of edging that would work best. Using bulky garden edging made from materials like stone may overwhelm the area and make it look crowded. For areas with a small garden, we recommend either steel, rubber or plastic edging.
Before you lay the stones over the fabric, install the edging you selected to create a border around them. Tuck the fabric underneath the edging, and then lay out the rocks or stones you want to use. Layer the rocks and add a little bit of gravel to protect the landscape fabric.
Use an edging tool to cut a sharp edge around garden beds before mulching. This prevents lawn grass from creeping into garden beds while making a neat edge that looks nicely tended.
Benefits of Lawn Edging:
Saves significantly on trimming time; Provides a root barrier to prevent invasive grass from entering flower beds; Provides a nice visual break between landscaping elements; Creates contrast between the house, landscaping, garden beds, and lawns.
Overall, it's a good idea to edge at least once a month during the growing season. By following these tips and taking the time to create a clean and defined edge, you can enjoy a beautiful and well-maintained lawn all season long.
If you're seeking the most budget-friendly option, crushed stone often emerges as the winner. Other cheap landscape rock options include pea gravel and river rock. These cheapest rocks for landscaping are cost-effective due to their abundance and minimal processing requirements.
A self-propelled walk-behind lawn edger is a great investment for landscapers who are edging on a large scale, while a hand-held stick edger provides the same trim lines, takes up less space, and offers greater portability.
Square-foot gardening (SFG) makes efficient use of space. Normally, an SFG garden is made of multiple 4x4-foot “boxes” (deeply-raised beds) that can be densely planted for multiple harvests. A lattice is laid across the top to separate each square foot. By getting rid of traditional rows, you will do less weeding, too.
Even if you're performing weekly mowing, if you're cutting the grass too short, it could still turn yellow from stress. When you mow too short, you also invite weeds into your lawn. Opportunistic weeds are much more likely to invade weakened lawns, than dense and thriving ones.
Wet edging can help prevent the soil from cracking, which is a risk when edging dry ground. It's also a boon if you're planning to reseed your lawn, as it creates a smooth surface for the seeds to settle into. However, wet edging has its downsides. The results may not be as clean and precise as dry edging.
Benefits of Lawn Edging:
Gives your lawn a clean manicured appearance while increasing curb appeal. Adds value to your landscape without spending a lot of money. Saves trimming time. Provides a root barrier to prevent invasive lawn grasses from entering flowerbeds.