Lawn edging creates a clean, sharp boundary line between a lawn and adjacent areas like flower beds, sidewalks, or driveways. This practice serves a dual purpose: it enhances the aesthetic appeal of a property by providing a manicured look and establishes a clear containment barrier. The defined edge restricts the horizontal spread of turfgrass roots and runners, keeping the lawn contained within its intended space. Choosing to edge by hand offers distinct benefits over machinery, including greater precision for intricate lines, lower equipment cost, and much quieter operation.
Selecting Manual Edging Tools
The choice of tool largely depends on the scale of the project and the desired result, though three implements are commonly employed for manual edging. The half-moon edger, characterized by its specialized semicircular blade and footplate, is designed specifically for this task. This tool allows a consistent depth of cut and is particularly effective for quickly resetting a line. A standard flat-backed spade can also be used to achieve a clean vertical cut, though it requires more effort and precision to maintain a uniform depth.
While the spade is a more versatile tool for general gardening, the dedicated half-moon edger provides superior consistency and speed for long stretches of edging. Long-handled edging shears are used for trimming the grass blades that overhang a hard surface, rather than for cutting into the soil to create the main trench. A small trenching shovel, or sharpshooter spade, is sometimes used for removing the cut sod or cleaning out narrow cracks.
Preparing the Border Zone
Before the first cut is made, the border area must be properly prepared to ensure a smooth, accurate, and safe edging process. Begin by clearing loose debris such as fallen leaves, small stones, or sticks from the edge line to prevent tool damage and provide a clear view of the work area. It is recommended to work on a day when the lawn is dry, as wet grass and muddy soil can make the job more difficult and lead to uneven cuts.
A guide must be used to define the exact path of the new edge, which is the most important preparatory step for achieving a clean line. For straight edges, a tightly pulled string line secured with pegs is the most reliable method to ensure accuracy. When creating curved lines, a flexible item like a garden hose or rope should be laid out and adjusted until the desired shape is achieved. Viewing the marked line from various angles helps verify the flow and symmetry before the physical cutting begins.
Step-by-Step Manual Edging Technique
Manual edging requires a careful and consistent technique to establish a professional-looking, defined border. Position yourself directly over the marked line with the blade of the half-moon edger or spade perpendicular to the ground. The goal is to maintain a consistent 90-degree angle to the surface of the lawn, creating a sharp, vertical drop into the border zone. An initial cut depth of about 2 to 3 inches is generally sufficient to sever the grass roots and runners.
Using your weight, press down firmly on the tool’s footplate, driving the blade into the soil along the guide line. After the initial plunge, rock the tool back slightly and then repeat the process, making overlapping cuts as you move slowly along the entire length of the marked line. This sequential, overlapping action ensures a continuous, clean cut through the turf and soil. For a slightly different aesthetic, a 45-degree angle creates a beveled edge, often used when creating a trench border between a lawn and a planting bed.
Once the entire line has been cut, the next step is the removal of the resulting sod strip, often called the cleanup cut. Use a spade or a small hand tool to carefully lift the severed ribbon of grass and soil from the border zone. The removed material should be relocated to a compost pile or waste bin to prevent any lingering grass roots from re-establishing themselves. Finally, smooth the soil in the border zone to eliminate loose debris or unevenness, which will fully reveal the crisp, definitive line.
Keeping the Edge Defined
Maintaining the initial crisp edge is a continuous process that is much simpler than the first deep cut, but it requires regularity. During peak growing seasons, grass growth is at its highest rate, requiring more frequent attention to the edges. For soft edges bordering flower beds, a full re-edging with the half-moon tool is typically needed every one to two months to prevent the grass from encroaching.
The key to longevity is consistent, light maintenance that avoids the need for heavy labor. For hard edges next to sidewalks or driveways, a quick trim with edging shears or a string trimmer should be performed as often as every one to two weeks, ideally every time the lawn is mowed. Regularly trimming the grass that creeps over the hard surface prevents the line from blurring and keeps the edge looking sharp. This frequent, light maintenance routine is significantly easier than allowing the grass to overgrow and having to re-carve the line.