How to Edge Your Lawn Easily Without an Edger

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Things You'll Need

  • Ball of string

  • Shovel

  • Wheelbarrow

  • Garden hoe

  • Edge filling

You can fill in the edge with a decorative border.

Edging your lawn is the process of creating a border between the lawn and the garden bed, driveway, walkway or any other object. This prevents weeds from spreading and gives your lawn a tidy appearance. Mechanical edgers make edging the lawn a quick process, but they can be expensive and difficult to clean or maintain. You can easily edge your lawn with a shovel and a ball of string.

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Step 1

Place a piece of string at the place where you want to start edging your lawn. Walk as you unravel the string, laying it along the future edge of the lawn as a guide. The string should be 2 to 3 inches from the garden bed, driveway, walkway or other landscape element you are edging.

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Step 2

Insert your shovel into the soil at the line you marked with the string. Insert the shovel at a 45-degree angle, 3 to 4 inches into the soil.

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Step 3

Lift the shovel straight up and lift the soil out with it. If the soil will not come out, push the shovel down straight into the soil, 2 to 3 inches from the cut when you are facing it. Then lift the soil out of the cut and put it in the wheelbarrow.

Step 4

Continue walking down the line you marked, digging out the trench at a 45-degree angle, 3 to 4 inches deep along the edge of the lawn. Put the loose soil in the wheelbarrow. You can add it to your compost or use it as topsoil when you are done.

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Step 5

Go back over the edge with a garden hoe once you have the trench excavated. Remove any excess loose soil with the garden hoe.

Step 6

Fill the trench with loose gravel, small river rocks or any other decorative filling. You can also leave it empty.

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