How Often Should You Edge Your Lawn?

Lawn edging is an overlooked, vital piece of keeping a lawn well maintained. But many people find themselves wondering how often to edge the lawn. After some significant research, we found an answer to shed some light on this popular question. 

There isn't any general rule of how often one should edge their lawn. Instead, it'll change from situation to situation based on specific visual clues. The grass's condition (whether it's spilling over to the hard surface) will determine when edging is required. As a result, you might need to do it every mowing session or after a couple of them.

But this answer doesn't provide the whole picture of the lawn edging process. Our following discussion will cover several additional topics to ensure you feel comfortable. They'll help make sure your lawn always looks well maintained, pretty, and neat. Without further ado, let's get into it.

Close-up of a string trimmer cutting the grass along a concrete sidewalk - How Often Should You Edge Your Lawn

How To Determine When Your Lawn Needs Edging

A commercial lawn edger machine is cutting grass next to a concrete sidewalk

Edging a lawn is the process of trimming grass edges that borders walkways or driveways. In other words, it's an effort to prevent the grass around a lawn's perimeter from spilling over to these hard surfaces. 

If the grass does spill onto these areas, it'll look unappealing and untidy. It's not a look anyone who takes pride in their landscaping wants. So, people who want to avoid these issues should stay up-to-date on their lawn's edging needs.

One of the easiest ways to determine your lawn's edging needs is by examining its edges. Most people find it helpful to do these examinations every time they water or mow their lawn. It's a much more practical way to go about your lawn maintenance. 

Your grass's condition will then tell you whether it needs edging or not. If it's spilling over onto those unwanted areas, it's time to take out the lawn edger for some work. 

When Is the Best Time To Edge Your Lawn?

Determining the proper time to edge your lawn is another crucial process. Sadly, there's no exact time of the year when everyone around the world edges their lawns. That would make things easier for everyone who cares about lawn maintenance. 

Instead, lawn edging is a never-ending process for homeowners. Your lawn could require various sessions throughout each year to stay in good condition. But there are a few things to consider that could make this task less stressful.

For instance, edging your lawn during the summer can be a frustrating experience. It can make pushing your edger into the dry soil harder and more strenuous. Meanwhile, anyone who lives in a hot/dry climate needs to realize the water inside the soil will dry entirely. 

So, it's best to minimize this problem by watering the lawn before edging. But please don't use an electric edger on the newly moist soil. Winter months can also cause issues in the edging process by providing the always problematic snow situation on our lawns.

In the end, spring seems to be the best time for edging a lawn. It comes with the most suitable soil moisture level and climate. The only downside is spring seasons speed up grass growth, increasing edging frequency.

Why You Need to Edge Your Lawn

You might be wondering why lawn edging is necessary. The truth is that edging your lawn isn't necessary at all. People who mow regularly while following basic care practices will still have a beautiful lawn without it. 

However, edging the lawn is recommended to achieve the best appearance possible. The process will provide a much crisper, fresher, and overall better presentation. It's the last step to setting your lawn apart from others around the neighborhood. 

Another benefit of edging your lawn is providing guests with a visual barrier. It'll help direct people to walk in the appropriate places rather than through unwanted areas. For instance, it can help make sure nobody walks through your flower beds.

What Type Of Lawn Edger Do You Need?

Close-up of a string trimmer cutting the grass along a concrete sidewalk.

As you can imagine, there are many types of lawn edgers available. Each one comes with its own set of benefits and drawbacks. So, customers will need to decide which one best suits their situation when choosing one.

The first option would be manual lawn edgers, the most basic type. These options require a significant commitment when using them, considering the required physical effort. But if used correctly, they will offer excellent edging quality. 

Electric lawn edgers are a more advanced option. You'll find them in either a battery-operated or corded variation. Battery-operated choices aren't known to be very powerful, but they're much more portable and easier to use. 

Meanwhile, a corded electric lawn edger will be convenient and quieter. But you'll need to use them in areas close to the electric outlets, or a long extension cord will be required. So these options can end up being slightly impractical within certain circumstances. 

The last option is gas-powered edgers, which are the most powerful choices. People use these to edge larger areas and properties. They're also portable for users who are strong enough to lift them.

But these edgers do have a significant downside. After all, gas-powered options aren't very environmentally friendly, as they're known for creating fumes and being noisy. 

What Is The Easiest Edger To Use?

Electric edgers are easier to use than your standard manual or gas options. After all, these choices allow users to put in a lot less effort and offer better portability. But you'll need to account for the lack of power and other issues like electrical outlet placement.

How To Edge A Lawn By Hand

Unrolling grass, applying turf rolls for a new lawn

Since we've discussed the benefits of lawn edging and determining when it's needed, it's time to discuss the process. The following 5-step guide will teach you how to edge your lawn by hand easily:

  1. Start by spraying a line that you want to edge. You'll need to think about where this line is placed before beginning the edging process. If you keep changing your mind, spray-painted lines will be all over the yard. So please do yourself a favor and put some thought into it before spraying the first line.
  2. Take out your edging tool and place it onto the spray-painted line. From there, push it down with your feet. Users will want a 90-degree angle down about 4 inches. But please remain careful of any hazards such as underground electrical wires.
  3. Once you push the edging tool into the ground, rock it backward. This action will pick up the grass and dirt, which you can then place into a wheelbarrow. Some people leave it in their garden or other areas for later use.
  4. Repeat step 3 along your spray-painted line until you're finished. Using the tool, you'll have to clean some excess grass, rocks, and dirt from your edge.
  5. Pick up the excess grass, rocks, and dirt by hand or with a shovel. Proceed to place it into your wheelbarrow for easy cleanup.

Are Garden Edgers Any good?

Garden edgers are helpful tools designed to make neat edges around your plant beds. They'll help keep your garden's appearance looking into tip-top shape. You won't have to worry about grass overlapping or other similar issues.

How Do You Use A Star Wheel Edger?

Star wheel edgers are a type of roller edger that requires foot power. These devices will feature a wooden or metal pole with a star-shaped wheel attached to their bottom portion. Users will place the wheel on a hard surface and its cutting edge into the ground. 

Once placed into the ground, they'll push with their feet. It's a relatively simple process, as there's nothing more to it. Most people find star wheel edgers useful when a lawn needs frequent edging. 

In Closing

Yard Edger in Action

Lawn edging is a never-ending process without a general rule about often one needs to do it. But if you keep a close eye on your lawn's condition and whether it's spilling onto other surfaces, it'll let you know when it's time.

Before you go, be sure to take a look at these other posts:

8 Awesome No-Dig Garden Edging Ideas You Should Check Out

Where To Buy Garden Edging [Top 30 Online Stores]

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