So your garden needs to be edged, and you have never used a string trimmer. Well, if this sounds like you when you have come to the right place.
In this article we are going to cover everything you could possibly need to know about how to edge with a string trimmer.
With all of that said, let’s dive right in and show you exactly how to edge with a string trimmer.
Step-By-Step Guide On How To Edge With A String Trimmer
In this section we are going to cover how to edge with a string trimmer using a simple step-by-step guide.
So, without further ado, let’s dive right in!
1. Before You Edge Make Sure To Mow The Lawn
Before you actually edge you should make sure that your lawn has been mowed. This will help your lawn to look neat and uniform before and after your edge.
If you mow the lawn first, all that will be left to do is simply clean up the edges with your lovely string trimmer.
The issue with not mowing your lawn before your edge can mean that the borders can end up looking shorter and less neat than the rest of the lawn.
So, after all your hard work, the lawn may not end up looking as nice and neat as you intended.
2. With The Trimmer, Trim The Surface Of The Grass On The Edges
The majority of lawn mowers will not actually trim the grass up to the borders of the lawn. So even after you have mowed the lawn, the edges may look a little less neat and uniform than you would like.
So, start off on the left side of the edge.
Make sure that you are holding your string trimmer as you normally would. Next, turn it a little so that the string is able to cut the grass that is longer than the rest.
With your positioning and angle right, you can then walk slowly along the right side of the edge until you have trimmed all the long grass on that side.
Before we move on, it is imperative that we talk about what to do if your mower is able to cut evenly up to the border. If you are happy that everything looks uniform and tidy, you can skip step two and move on to step three.
Additionally, if you were curing the longer grass and noticed that there were lots of lawn clippings being thrown around where you do not want them then all you need to do is walk in the opposite direction.
By doing this you reduce the risk of the shoots being thrown where you do not want them to.
3. Plan Where You Want To Cut For The Edging
If you have never done edging before, then you are going to have to decide where you want to cut. You could use something like a rope to hose pipe to mark out where you are going to edge.
If you have a lawn which has been edged already, then all you need to do is follow the existing lines and simply tidy up the grass which has grown long.
If you have areas where the lawn meets other surfaces like driveways, patios, or other harder surfaces then all you need to do to edge is use the line of the hard edge to help guide your edging.
Most of the time you will want to edge your lawn where it meets a garden bed, path, or anywhere else you might need an edge.
Before you do any trimming you will need to make sure that there are no hazards like rocks, glass, wire or other things which might damage your trimmer. This is especially important where you want to edge.
4. Hold Your Trimmer Properly
Before you actually start trimming you really need to make sure that it is held at a 90-degree angle with. Your strings need to be spinning from top to bottom. Your positioning should be so that the guard is facing you.
With the correct positioning you can now lower your trimmer until it gets close enough to the grass and soil where you have placed your border.
5. Trim In The Opposite Direction If The String Rotation
The trimmer will typically toss debris away from the path that you are cutting. The majority of spinners will spin clockwise which means that you will need to do your work from left to right.
If your trimmer spins the opposite way then you will need to work from right to left.
6. Make Sure To Keep A Steady Hand And Move Slowly
You need to turn your strimmer on after you have the right positioning. So, make sure to walk slowly and keep your strimmer nice and steady. This ensures that your edge will be nice and even.
7. Use A Shovel To Get Rid Of Loose Soil And Turf
Once you have cut your edge, you should then grab a wheelbarrow and shovel so that you get rid of any soil and turf that you have displaced.
8. Use A Leaf Blower To Get Rid Of Loose Dirty And Lawn Clippings
Once you have your edge nice and neat you should then use a leaf blower to help get rid of any loose grass clippings and dirt. With this final step you should have a perfectly neat and tidy edge and an immaculate lawn.
Final Thoughts
We hope that you have enjoyed reading this article and learning about how you can easily edge your lawn using a string trimmer. It really is so much easier than you could imagine.
The main things you need to keep in mind is that you should hold your trimmer properly and keep your angle right.
On top of that you also need to make sure that you mark out where you want your edge carefully so that you get a nice even line which will complete the look of your garden.
With all of that said, we hope that you have a fantastic day. Good luck with your gardening and goodbye for now!
