Have you ever felt envious of the sharp and fine edges of the in the house next door? You’ve tried to get the same look but your lawnmower always failed to get those sharp cuts? Well here’s the secret – lawn edging tools! Finally, you don’t have to look at their with jealous eyes. Now you can have your own beautifully edged !
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If your lawnmower can’t get to the of a or flowerbed, you may need to use a proper to get the job done. They are excellent resources when a sidewalk or preventing from creeping into a path.
But what are the best to use? This article covers everything you need to know.
This includes the very first step – picking between power or manual . A gives you more control over the task than a power shear, such as a . But power tools are pretty awesome, especially with the technology available in 2022. So what’s the best option for you?
By , do you mean cutting an into the turf or trimming the ?
Understanding the distinction between and trimming is essential for good landscaping. Cutting the all across your , just like a , is called trimming or mowing. The “” is what separates the from the sidewalks or boundaries, and making this clear and well defined is called .
You’ll need some kind of unless you have a very specialised lawnmower that goes right up to the wall or a fence. Your goal here is to create a crisp and for a nice, tidy looking garden.
Cutting deep into the soil to sever the roots is actually a good thing. This will help to stop the roots from spreading further. Better yet, it will mean that you won’t need to come back as often to keep the edges neat.
What are best for landscaping?
You have several options, so don’t stress. Your first consideration should be the shape of your and garden edges . Landscaped beds with ample, flowing curves are more difficult to tackle than straight edges. Small lawns will also be easier than larger lawns.
If you have straight edges and a , a corded or manual is a great option. If your garden is larger but still straight, powered tools are a fantastic option to make short work of a large job.
If you have a garden, small or large, with lots of curving and bending edges, you have your work cut out for you. Although this may look very unique and beautiful, it will be a lot of work to maintain. Powered edgers might work, but you may be stuck with manual tools to achieve the desired shape.
Let’s take a look at each of the different types of tools in a little more detail.
String Trimmers
A is sometimes referred to as a / because they are frequently used as edgers. Although these machines are designed for tidying up hard-to-reach places that lawnmowers struggle to fit into, many double as tools and do an amazing job of defining clean and clear-cut edges.
Electric, manual or petrol-powered versions are available, with electric options offering a corded or battery-powered models of these small power tools. Suitable for small to medium lawns, string trimmers, or strimmers, are a great option.
Manual Edgers
Although they require a lot of effort, are perfectly suitable for small gardens and a quality will do a fantastic job.
Types of Manual
This comes in three three main types:
- Stick or a half moon – As pictured above
- Rotary – These look more like a pin-wheel
On occasion you might also stumble across an . Although these are another options for tackling your , they are very finnicky and not something we recommend relative to the myriad of other more effective solutions.
Half Moon
The name comes from the shape of the . With a circular or at the bottom of a 3-4-foot shaft, they are also known as manual landscaping edgers.
These tools comes in a variety of sizes. You use it by stepping on the lip at the top of the and adjusting the depth of your cut with the help of your body weight.
Rotary
These edgers are also called irons. The blades on this type of edgers are like the spurs on cowboy boots. Instead of using your weight to cut into the , you roll them along your ‘s and get the job done. It’s important to keep the blades sharp or you won’t achieve the desirable results.
The cheap and cheerful option, have been around for a long time and were used by gardeners for almost a century!
They look like a big pair of scissors with much longer blades that are typically bent at right angles relative to the longer handles. This allows you chop away at the without bending down too much. Oftentimes, they will also double as very effective hedge shears!
Chemical
Don’t judge us, although you might not like using chemicals, they are a very real and very effective option! It’s actually quite a popular method these days. The use of herbicides to kill the along the edges of lawns is reasonably common. When you treat the targeted area for seven to ten days, the starts to die.
This method works best on mulch beds or pathways as the herbicide won’t accidentally kill the grass that you did not intend to target. You won’t get a well-defined , but you will stop from creeping in to unwanted area.
Barriers
Using a defined barrier is a smart way of your . Barriers prevent from growing past a certain boundary. They can be set deep into the soil to stop roots from spreading.
They come in many forms but you will often see made to look like rocks or with fancy patters to provide a bit of pizazz! If you want to give your garden a fresh look, check out our list of the best lawn edging ideas!
However, this method works best when combined with other methods. On its own, you might not be satisfied with the results.
Petrol
For a large job, you need powerful tools. Petrol-powered are best for big lawns with lots of edges to maintain. They come in different engine powers and are quite expensive relative to other .
Although you might receive some complaints from your neighbours for spreading noise pollution in the neighborhood, they are very effective and do a great job. Their razor-sharp or blades cut deep into the soil and slow the spread of , meaning you won’t have to come back and do the job again anywhere near as often.
Electric
This is the more environmentally friendly version of the petrol-powered models. These tools are commonly used in home lawns and by professionals. This type of comes in cordless and corded varieties.
Corded varieties are almost as powerful as petrol-powered tools, but battery models are comparatively less powerful. That being said, modern advances in battery technology have helped them become very capable of doing their job effectively, especially if you get a bladed model.
FAQ
How Do You A With A ?
Strimmers work best when they are turned vertically with the string cutting into the and into the soil. It is used chiefly for clean edges because it uses /plastic blades or nylon line, and it is best for creating sharp edges on small or medium lawns with straight edges (not curved) and tough .
When should you your ?
If you’re only going to use tools once a year, late June is an excellent time to go. The peak growth season (April to May) is avoided, so your job takes less time. Better yet, because your grows less from July to December, towards the end of June means you won’t have to do the job again until next year!
How do you create the best edges with your ?
It’s the cherry on top, if you will, of a well-finished piece. Any yellow areas or evidence of damage, poor health or infestation won’t matter as much if your has a . This is the first thing many people notice about a .
To make sure your tools give you the best edges, there are a few things you can do. First, make sure your tools are well maintained. They have sharp blades, aren’t covered in muck and have been kept in a dry and safe place.
Second, you should use your tools regularly, or at least as regularly as your is indicating to you. Don’t let you edges get so crazy and overgrown that your tools need to work too hard.
How do you cut in a ?
Use a strimmer or weed shear to trim the around the . Then, use an to create clean and defined edges close to the . Cut deep into the soil to stop or at least slow the spread of into the garden bed.
Are edgers worth it?
Definitely! As we’ve said before, one of the first things many people notice in a garden is the edges. It might not seem obvious at first, but a lawn with perfectly trimmed and beautifully neat edges looks very professional and really raises the bar for everything else in your garden.
Although you can achieve this look without , it’s difficult and very time consuming. Having the right will make your life much easier and make your look like a million dollars!
What to look for when buying the best edgers?
When shopping for the there’s a lot to think about. Depending on what type of you are going for, we’ve got some advice to help you choose.
If you have a larger , then petrol-powered options are fantastic. However, this isn’t for everyone. The alternative is a battery powered option, as corded or manual models will get very tiresome very quickly. You should then be looking for edgers with longer battery lives.
With insufficiently long battery life, you will end up with half the job yet to be finished since you will have to recharge the battery mid-way through. It is common for to have a suggested size of roughly half an acre but no larger.
If you choose to go for a manual , then make sure you go for a quality product. Look for corrosion resistant materials like galvanised or and make sure that the collar (the connection between the and the handle) is robust and the features a nice, .
Manual tools should also be easy to use. Features such as a foot-plate (the area where you plant for your feet to put pressure on the ) or a D-handle will make the job much easier. Carbon fiber handles are also great if you can find them.
If you are choosing a powered model then make sure you have access to replacement parts. Batteries, blades, fuel and spark plugs are key parts that will wear out over time, so make sure you choose a reliable manufacturer with a good warranty or local service support.
For powered options, the should feature at least three adjustable depth settings for the blades, providing you with a clean, crisp and . It’s also not a good idea to buy a petrol or electric without the disengagement mechanism which allows you to prevent the blades from rotating.
How do you manually your ?
You should use a just like a shovel. With your feet, gently drive it into the ground, keeping it as straight as possible. As you , rock the side-to-side to cut into the soil and through the roots. Then gently pull the handle up and shuffle along the , repeating the process as you go
The footrest of your works in two ways. You can use your body weight to push the of the into the ground. It also helps in controlling how deep you want to go while cutting. When used carefully, it provides an even and smooth depth of cut.
Tools Summary
There are a variety of options available for this , each best suited to different jobs. Small lawns should definitely consider manual as they are fantastic in the hands of a capable and committed home gardener.
Larger owners should look for powered tools, as manual options will be very time consuming to use. Corded models are powerful and effective, but it’s 2022, get yourself a battery-powered option.
If you really need something with serious power, go for a petrol model. They offer unbeatable strength and longevity, but you do have to pay for fuel and maintenance can be a pain.
Whatever the case, having crisp clean edges will elevate your and your whole garden whilst also making your job much easier. You will quickly become the envy of your neighbours. Just don’t get lazy and forget to stay on top of things as has a funny habit of growing back!
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