Edging is the art of finely trimming or cutting the sides of the lawn to beautify it more. The overall look of your yard can be scraggly around the edges if you leave them to overgrow. Most lawn owners overlook the importance of having a string trimmer for their lawn.
You may not know, but this piece of gardening tool is the final piece to the jigsaw. Regardless of your garden’s size, the string trimmer will always be a crucial part of your gardening kit.
In this piece, we’ll walk you through how to edge a lawn with a string trimmer. With this guide, your yard will look no less than an enchanted garden!
A Step-by-Step Guide to Edge a Lawn With a String Trimmer
Are you not aware of how to edge a lawn with a string trimmer? In that case, this detailed guide will become your gardening BFF!
Step 1: Mowing Your Lawn
It is much more sensible to mow your lawn before getting your legs deep in the edging process. How do you expect to get edging right if your yard doesn’t have the right shape?
Mowing the lawn will give the place uniformity and a clean finish. In this way, correctly edging the driveways and pathways will taper the shape. Only when you mow the lawn correctly, you’ll be able to use the string trimmer.
Therefore, to edge the lawn with a string trimmer, you have also to take the help of a mower.
Step 2: Trimming the Hard to Reach Places
After you complete mowing the place, there will be hard-to-reach spots that your mower can’t cut. And, this is where the multi-talented string trimmer will come in handy. String trimmers are capable of reaching all the nooks and crooks of your lawn.
Areas that are close to the walls or flowerbeds are essentially tight corners. A string trimmer is adept at handling such locations. You have to hold on to the trimmer with both hands and swiftly move the piece through the edges.
Step 3: Practice Trimming
If you want to edge your lawn like professionals, you have to practice. Nothing will build a high competence like practicing edging regularly. Practice the string trimmer motion repeatedly to get the thing right.
The best way to do this is to switch off the trimmer and mimic the movement as if you were edging. You are more likely to achieve the perfect balance between your activity and the string trimmer with practice.
Go over small patches on your lawn and keep track of your progress.
Step 4: Clear the Grass Clippings
The final step on ‘how to edge a lawn with a string trimmer’ is to clear the grass clippings. If this is your first experience with the trimmer, clean out the grass clippings as well. By this, you can understand the accuracy level of your trimming.
The grass trimmer will scatter the grass clippings with a force that you won’t be able to notice the progress. Clearing the grass clipping will enable a much better view for you. As you practice, you’ll also pick up some pace.
Edging vs Tapering
Trying using the word tapering synonymously with edging in front of a pro gardener, and get ready for a lecture. Though the process sounds the same, they are essentially different. There’s a thin line of difference between edging and tapering.
Edging is essential for driveways and paths, while tapering is more suitable for walls and fences.
During edging of driveways or pathways, the string trimmers have a vertical positioning. This positioning allows them a parallel cut. On the other hand, tapering fences demand a slightly angled position.
Safety Precautions
Before you get down to the edging business, you must follow the safety precautions and rules. The string trimmers are capable of causing severe injuries and damages.
The string trimmer works with highly spun wires, which stretch out with the centripetal force present in the middle. The inertia on the string gives it plenty of energy to cut through the weed.
However, this high speed can throw stones and scatter them in high-speed projectiles. For this reason, you must have these safety tools by your side:
- Safety glasses and gloves
- Cover boots/shoes
- A piece of hearing protection
- Snag sleeves and long pants
The Bottom Line
Edge your lawn with the string trimmer regularly. The more frequently you do it, the better will be your trimming skills. You’ll be pleased with the results that your string trimmer delivers to the lawn.
Make sure to follow the process step-by-step, so there’s no room for errors. Edging like this guide will save you from the pain of committing costly mistakes. Make sure to read the user manual of your string trimmer before starting.
