Three Ways to Edge Your Lawn – Various Lawn Edging Methods
Lawns are the focal point of most house landscapes. However, neighboring shrubs, trees, and perennial beds complement any lawn, and maintaining a clear line between the two is one of the keys to making the landscape seem its best.
Below we discuss three ways to add an edge to your lawn:
- Natural Edge with a Shovel
- Edging Your Lawn with Bricks
- Adding a Gravel Edge to Your Lawn
Using a shovel to edge your grass
You can keep the precise edge between grass and beds with little more than an edging shovel and avoid the price and hassle of installing edging.
Identify the Lawn’s Edge
Mark the grass with spray paint or a garden hose where the edge will be maintained if your borders are curved. Drive two small wooden pegs into the ground and tie a string tautly between them slightly above ground level for a perfectly straight line.
Edging Shovel for Cutting
Cut the sod to a depth of 4 to 6 inches along the line. For better leverage, stand on the sod rather than on the bed when cutting. An edging shovel is precisely suited for the job and provides a clean cut. A digging shovel, garden spade, or flat shovel can also be used successfully. The purpose of the instrument is to create a neat, continuous line at the sod’s edge.
Gas-powered edge equipment makes large edging operations much easier to complete and are often available for rent at tool rental facilities.
Remove Excess Sod
Sever the roots that hold the detached strip of sod to the earth from below by cutting under it from the opposite side. Cut beneath the sod layer and pry it up with a shovel to dispose of it. If the sod is still in a long strip, use the shovel to chop it up into smaller bits that are easier to pick up and transport away.
Sod should be discarded or replanted.
Load the chopped sod onto a wheelbarrow and transport it away. If desired, the dirt from the roots can be shaken into a neighboring bed. Then, turn the sod over to expose the roots and let it in the sun for a few days to dry it out so it doesn’t continue to grow where it was dropped.
Edges Should Be Cleaned
With a rake, smooth down the bare soil where the sod was removed and clear any residual grass or roots. Next, fine Gardening recommends clipping the grass along the edge using hand shears to clean up the edges further. Make sure to cut vertically rather than horizontally.
Maintain Your Yard’s Edge
Maintain the line between grass and beds every two weeks during the growing season to prevent the sod from re-establishing. If it works in your landscaping, consider adding mulch. It will aid in preventing weed growth in newly exposed soil.
Using bricks to edge your lawn
Adding brick edging to a lawn helps keep edges in place, reducing labor and creating a clean finish. Over time, the bricks will also acquire a beautiful worn appearance. Of course, the entire impression is dependent on the grass itself looking nice, so if your turf is getting worn, try perking it up in fall by weeding and reseeding.
Make a mortar.
Sand and cement (4:1) should be mixed with water until the consistency of a thick cake batter. It should not be overly wet or dry. To avoid destroying the pavement, mix on an old piece of board.
Placing the Brick
Spread cement around the border of a small patch of lawn. Place the bricks on the mortar, align the ends, and press them into the mixture with your hands.
Setting the Brick
Tap the bricks into position with a rubber mallet to secure them. As you work, ensure they are even and follow the line of the lawn. Continue laying bricks until the entire lawn is edged.
Backfill the Brick
Rake the border soil up to the bricks and avoid standing on them for a few days until they’ve solidified. Then, the grass may be mowed directly over the brick border.
Edging your lawn with gravel
A gravel walk around your lawn may be just what you’re looking for if you desire a country-style, rustic look. However, if you don’t establish a barrier to keep the pebbles from slipping out of position into the lawn, they may become an unwanted burden. In addition, gravel on your lawn might harm your mower and hurt your bare feet. You may rapidly make affordable gravel barriers using several edging materials, or you can use a more expensive but gorgeous specialized stone barrier.
Calculate Areas
Calculate the area where you plan to lay down your edging. Add a few feet to your amount to account for edging route bends and installation damage.
Clear the Area
Remove all tiny stones and trash from the portion of the lawn closest to the gravel with a rake. Then, make an edging path with the pointy end of your spade or shovel.
Create the Edge
Make a small trench along the course of the edging. After installing the barrier, dig deep enough to provide a 2-inch barrier above the gravel. Next, take out all of the grass and roots from the backfill.
Add a base layer
Fill your trench with a layer of pea gravel. A layer of pea gravel will aid in the stabilization and drainage of your edging material.
Place a barrier
Insert small strips of edging material into the trench. Fill the trench with clean backfill once the barrier portion is in place. Firmly tamp down.
Replicate the installation procedure till the edging barrier is finished. Then, tamp down the earth gently at the barrier top. This will assist your edging in shedding rainfall.
Add Gravel
Fill the trench with loose gravel, river pebbles, or other ornamental infills.
Add an Edge to Your Lawn Today
Now that you know the different types of edging, it’s time to choose which one is right for your home. Summit Turf Services can help you add an edge to your lawn and give it a finished look. We have years of experience in landscaping and can help you choose the perfect type of edging for your home. Give us a call today!