How to Edge a Lawn: Clean Lines That Last

To edge a lawn, clear the area of stones first. Then walk an edger or a string trimmer along the line where grass meets the walk, driveway or garden bed. Cut straight down, not on a slant. Go slowly, so the line stays even. Keep the trimmer away from tree trunks. Then sweep the clippings back onto the lawn. Do a light edge each time you mow, and the line stays sharp all season.

What's the difference between edging and trimming?

People mix these up all the time. They're two jobs that work together.

• Edging is the clean line where your lawn stops. It runs along the sidewalk, the driveway and the garden beds. The cut goes straight down into the soil.
• Trimming is cutting grass the mower can't reach. Think fence lines, posts, the base of the house and rocks. The line spins flat, so the grass matches the rest of the lawn.

Most yards need both. A mowed lawn with fuzzy edges still looks unfinished. Our page on trimming and edging covers what's in each job in more detail.

What tool should you use to edge a lawn?

You've got three good choices. The right one depends on how much edge you have and how long it's been.

Tool	Best for	Watch out for
Half-moon hand edger	Garden beds, curved lines, a first edge on an overgrown spot	Slow on long walks and driveways
Stick edger (gas or battery)	Long, straight runs of sidewalk and driveway	Heavy, and the blade can throw stones
String trimmer turned on its side	Weekly touch-ups when the line is already set	Easy to wobble and cut a wavy line

If your edges haven't been cut in a year or two, start with a hand edger or a stick edger. A string trimmer is great for upkeep. It's not great at cutting through thick sod that has crept a few centimetres over the concrete.

How do you get ready to edge?

Ten minutes of prep saves you a crooked line and a cracked window. Walk the edge before you start.

• Pick up stones, toys, dog bones and sticks. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) says rotating cutters can throw objects.
• Move cars, bikes and planters back from the walk and driveway.
• Keep kids and pets inside. CCOHS says to keep people away from where you start and run the tool.
• Find your sprinkler heads, low-voltage lights and cables near the edge. Flag them so you don't cut them.
• Check the blade or line. CCOHS says to replace bent, damaged or dull cutting parts.

Pick a dry day too. The City of Red Deer says wet grass clumps together. Wet clippings stick to the concrete and to you.

What should you wear to edge a lawn?

An edger or trimmer is fast, loud and throws things. CCOHS lists this gear for grass trimmers and brush cutters:

• Long pants or jeans (no shorts, no short sleeves)
• Heavy-duty, non-slip gloves
• Safety boots with non-slip soles
• Safety goggles, or a face screen with safety glasses
• Ear muffs or ear plugs

Sandals and a T-shirt are how people end up picking gravel out of their shins.

How do you edge a lawn along a sidewalk or driveway?

This is the easy one, because the concrete gives you a straight guide.

1. Find the real edge. Push back any grass that has grown over the concrete. You want to see where the slab ends.
2. Set the blade straight down. On a stick edger, the guide wheel rides on the concrete. The blade sits right at the seam.
3. Walk slowly. Let the tool do the cutting. Pushing hard makes it jump and wander.
4. Stay steady. CCOHS says to hold the tool firmly with both hands, keep your footing and never overreach.
5. Make a second pass if needed. On an overgrown edge, the first pass breaks the sod. The second one cleans it up.
6. Pull out the cut strip. Grab the loose sod and grass by hand or with a flat shovel.

Using a string trimmer instead? Turn it so the head spins up and down, like a wheel. Keep the guard close to the concrete and watch the seam, not the spinning line. That keeps your line straight.

How do you edge a garden bed?

Beds don't have concrete to follow, so you make the line yourself.

1. Lay out the shape. Use a garden hose for curves. Use string and two stakes for a straight edge.
2. Cut along the line. Step a half-moon edger straight down into the turf. Move along and overlap each cut a little.
3. Keep the lawn side straight down. A slanted cut lets grass roots slip under and creep into the bed.
4. Lift out the strip. Slide a flat spade under the cut grass and pull it out. Shake the soil back into the bed.
5. Tidy the bed side. Smooth the soil or mulch back so it doesn't spill over onto the lawn.

Curves look best when they're gentle and wide. Tight wiggles are hard to mow and hard to keep sharp.

Weeds coming up in the bed or in the cracks of the walk? Our partner crews don't spray, and Golden Oak doesn't give weed killer advice. They'll keep the edges cut clean.

How do you edge around trees without hurting them?

Be very careful here. Purdue Extension says mower decks and string trimmers damage the base of trees. It says that kind of damage can't be undone. A tree hit over and over can even die.

The fix is to give the trimmer nothing to cut near the trunk. Purdue says a mulch ring is a visual cue to keep mowing gear away from the tree.

• Edge a circle around the tree, the same way you edge a bed.
• Lift out the grass inside the circle.
• Spread 5 to 7.5 cm (2 to 3 inches) of mulch, the depth Purdue gives.
• Keep mulch from piling up against the trunk. Purdue says not to mound it like a volcano.

Once the ring is in, you only edge the outside of the circle. The line never touches the bark.

Should you edge before or after you mow?

Either works. Many people edge first. Then the mower picks up some of the clippings as it passes. Others like to mow first, so they can see the edge clearly.

What matters more is doing it often. Grass at the edge grows as fast as the rest of the lawn. If you only edge in spring, it's shaggy again by July. A light pass with each mow takes a few minutes. A full re-cut once it's overgrown takes an afternoon.

Spring and fall are good times for a deeper edge on the beds. The plants are cut back, so you can see the line. That's often done as part of a spring and fall cleanup.

How do you clean up after edging?

An edge looks only as good as the walk next to it. Here's the routine:

• Pick up the cut sod strips and put them in yard waste.
• Blow or sweep clippings off the walk, the driveway and the road.
• Send clippings back onto the lawn, not into the street. The City of Red Deer says to sweep them away from the storm drain.
• Using a blower? CCOHS says to wear eye protection and keep about 10 metres (30 feet) clear of people and pets.
• Aim the blower away from cars, windows and people, so stones don't bounce back.

Can a local crew edge your lawn for you?

Yes. Golden Oak Lawn Care matches you with a vetted, insured local partner crew. They do the work. We stand behind it with the Golden Oak Guarantee.

Your crew trims and edges along walks, driveways, fences and beds on the same visit as your lawn mowing. They blow the clippings off the hard surfaces. Then they text you a photo of the finished yard. If the edges look sloppy, text us a photo within 24 hours. Your crew re-cuts it free within 48 hours.

We price every lawn by its size from satellite images, so no one needs to visit. The length of your edges, the number of beds and trees, and gates all change the price.

Want it handled? Get your price in 60 minutes, or call 1-866-904-LAWN.

Lawn Edging Questions

Sources: CCOHS grass trimmers and brush cutters, Purdue Extension tree damage, City of Red Deer grasscycling.