A Guide to Edging Your Lawn

Edging gives a finished look to a lawn and this is accomplished with a tool referred to as an edger. Edging is completed with vertical cuts through the lawn to achieve sharp edges.

There are three basic types of edgers; turf edger, rotary edger and a gasoline edger. The choice of edger is a personal one – and each comes with its own benefits and repercussions. A turf edger is the least expensive in comparison with the gas powered edger. A gas powered edger may be heavier – but the results are often quicker.

A turf edger is a straight blade at the edge of a handle and could be shaped like a shovel. This edger is available at a low cost at the home and garden store. Often at a price lower than twenty dollars they are an inexpensive tool but require more work than a gasoline or turf edger.

A rotary edger is a cutting blade with a wheel attached and also comes at the end of a long handle. A rotary edger is manual and may be more difficult to manoeuvre than a gasoline powered edger but requires less strength because it is more lightweight.

A gasoline edger consists of a cutting wheel, a handle and a grip. Gasoline and power trimmers are also handy for cutting weeds and debris. It is important to adorn the proper safety equipment while operating the power machinery. Debris can fly from the machine as it cutting with a high powered string that spins quickly to snip the top off of the grass and weeds. A gasoline edger is the most expensive in the edgers as well as the heaviest. It is important to use precaution and be fully aware of the methods that should be taken while using.

Edging should be completed as one of the first landscaping steps. Many amateurs complete this task after mowing but by doing so the lawn clippings and other pieces of matter are picked up by the mower and mulched into the lawn – giving valuable nutrients that the lawn requires back into the earth.

It is important to stay away from wood and concrete edges while using a power edger. Decks and fences can become easily damaged by the movements of the power edger. The blade could be worn down if it comes in contact with concrete and therefore the guide tool comes in handy while edging. The contact between the concrete and the edger should be minimal.

Trees can be damaged by rotary and power trimmers. If the outer layers of the tree bark are injured if broken and too often it can severely damage the tree. To shield trees it is important that they be wrapped with a trunk protector around each base of the tree.
Trunk protectors are available at many nurseries and are rectangles of heavy-duty perforated plastic that have been pre-rolled to stay in place around a trunk. Alternative to protecting the trunk this way is a ring of mulch created around the tree to protect from further damage close to the tree.

It is important to keep the edger sharp to ensure that corners and edges are concise. If the edger is not sharpened than it could damage the lawn. It has the same affects of mowing with dull blades. The blades of grass may become split on the edges and the grass could be susceptible to disease and other infestations.

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