How to Edge Walkways

Give your lawn a professional, manicured look by edging along hard surfaces.

Before you get out the rake and the broom to do the final tidying as the last step in your weekly lawn-mowing routine, take a look at the grass along walkways and drives. Even the lushest green, well-cut lawn can benefit from neat trimming around the edges. Edging is easy to do and requires only some basic tools. The process is quick and easy, and it will add the manicured look that every professionally maintained lawn has.

Things You'll Need

• Safety glasses
• Weed trimmer
• Dedicated edger

Instructions

Weed Trimmers

1. Put on a pair of safety glasses that provide good eye protection. The lens should be large enough to protect your eyes from objects flying up from the ground as well as from the side. These are essential when edging with power equipment.

2. Connect a power cord for an electric trimmer, insert a fresh battery for a battery-powered trimmer, or fuel and start a gas trimmer.

3. Position yourself so that the edge of the sidewalk or driveway is in front of you running from left to right. Turn the trimmer over so that the head is inverted. Raise up the engine and the back of the trimmer so that the head and the line are parallel to the edge of the hard surface .

4. Press the trigger of the trimmer to increase the revolutions per minute (rpms) of the trimmer line and lower the trimmer head until the line contacts the grass along the driveway or the sidewalk.

5. Walk slowly along the hard-surface edge, guiding the trimmer head as you go. Work your way slowly along the edge, allowing the trimmer line to cut any grass that's growing over the hard edge of the drive or walk.

Dedicated Edgers

1. Fill the tank of a gas edger with fuel, plug in an electric edger, or insert a fresh battery into a battery powered edger.

2. Position the edger so that you are starting at a corner or end of a drive or walkway. The guide wheel of the edger should sit on the edge of the hard surface, with the blade extending over the edge by half an inch to an inch.

3. Press the trigger of the edger to increase the rpms of the edger blade and begin walking slowly along the edge of the drive or walk. Guide the edger as you go, keeping the blade the same distance from the hard surface edge as you walk.

4. Adjust the height of the edger if the blade is consistently digging into the ground. Depending on the manufacturer, the wheel or blade can be adjusted to raise or lower the blade height. Some models may not be adjustable and will require you to raise or lower how the handle is held to change the blade depth.

Tips & Warnings

• Manual edgers, with no power source, will work in much the same way as a dedicated power edger as far as placement. A guide wheel will rest on the hard surface with a star shaped blade extending over the edge. Power is supplied by you pushing the edger as you walk. The wheel will turn the blade and cut the overhanging grass.

References

• All About Lawns: How Do I Trim?
• Grass Tools: How to Use an Edger