Edging Knife. What the Pros Say. 10 Things You Should Know

If you think you are done with lawn maintenance after mowing, weeding, and scraping it, you probably have missed an important step. No matter how finely trimmed your grass is, it won’t look perfect if you haven’t worked on its edges. A lawnmower may not be the right tool due to its size. To ensure these areas look tidy and well-kept, you must spend money on an edging knife and learn how to use it properly.

Edging knife:

Edging knives are gardening tools that trim grass around flowerbeds, walks, and even roads. They serve as an alternative to scissors and should be used frequently during the growing season to prevent weeds from sprouting along the lawn’s edge and keep it presentable. Being manual tools, edging knives are cheap and easy to maintain and operate. It would be best to consider using gas-powered edgers or trimmers for increased productivity for extensive gardens.

In this article, I will explain all about edging knives and their capabilities. Furthermore, this article will teach you more about mowing strips and the ideal material for building these in gardens. I will also answer some questions about a mow strip.

What Is an Edging Knife?

An edging knife, commonly known as a lawn edger or edging iron, features a semi-circular-shaped blade with a durable and strong cutting edge. It is used to trim the edges of lawns to produce smooth and tidy borders. The treaded head shape of the knife helps balance the weight and offers extra foot support when pushing the blade into a yard, which reduces strain.

What Is an Edging Knife Used for?

The edging knife is an ergonomic, simple-to-use gardening tool that gives gardeners a quicker, better way to edge than a shovel. It helps carve out sharp, clean lines on lawns, gardens, and roads. The center step design places the user’s weight directly over the sharp end, creating blunt, deep edges.

It can be turned sideways using the foot pedal, allowing users to walk alongside or close in for trimming around trees and bushes. This design makes it perfect for laying plastic edging.

What is the difference between an Edger and a Trimmer?

An edger and a trimmer are lawn maintenance tools, but their utilization and mode of operation make them slightly different.

• Functionality: An edger is a tool to shape and prune the lawn’s edges, often around walkways, flowerbeds, and roads. On the other hand, a trimmer is used to trim places where an edger can’t get to, like the base of plants and fence posts, as well as narrow curves and corners. 
• Cutting Operation: An edger uses a mounted circular blade or wheel to cut back into the grass and create a clean, precise edge. However, a trimmer uses a cutting line or blade that rotates the end of a motorized reel to cut and shape weeds and grass. 

In short, an edger creates neat and fine edges around the desired areas, while a trimmer trims or shapes the vegetation to the shape of your choice.

How Effective Are Manual Edgers?

Manual edgers are gardening tools for various farming and landscaping tasks. They are hand tools for creating smooth, uniform lawn edges by trimming trim branches, shrubs, and lawns.

Manual edgers offer more control and ease of operation due to their compact size and simpler design than electric or gas-powered trimmers and edgers. They can fit into tighter spaces and are quite cheap to buy.

Additionally, manual edgers don’t require maintenance since there are no spark plugs or fuel lines. They are also environmentally friendly since they don’t produce any smoke or noise.

If you own a large garden requiring more frequent upkeep, it might become cumbersome to use a manual edger. In that case, you should probably invest in a good quality gas, electric-powered trimmer, or edger.

Do You Pull or Push an Edger?

When working with a manual edger, you use muscle strength to push the blade into the ground. The operating procedure involves the following steps:

• Step1. Safety: First, wear gloves and safety eyewear.
• Step 2. Place your shore: Grab the handle tightly and place your shoe on the edger tool. 
• Step 3. Press your foot: Push your foot down to break through the soil, and carefully rotate the blade as it cuts through the lawn.
• Step 4. Turn the blade around: A few degrees to the right and left will help push the cut area open. The grass will be clipped as the blade rotates.
• Step 5. Clean the entire edge: Run the lawn edger along the grass’s edge until you have completely cut the edges.

Which Manual Edger Is Best?

The best manual edger depends greatly on your preferences. I recommend choosing a rotary lawn edger with dual wheels for easy traction. Several brands, like Truper, sell those. Use one with a long sturdy handle so you do not always have to bend.

The handle should be non-slip and comfortable to handle. A self-cleaning blade makes using the edger easier for larger areas. Ensure the blades are sharp enough to cut the grass in a single by-pass-action. You should be able to find a good one for around $50 US.

Are Lawn Edgers Worth it?

Lawn edgers are helpful tools if you’re looking to maximize your garden’s visual appeal by keeping a tidy and crisp edging across various garden features. Use a manual or powered edger depending on the size of your lawn.

The exact decision to buy a lawn edger depends on the garden type and your personal preference. If you own a smaller yard, investing in a manual lawn edger is worth it, as it’s pretty cheap and can be used to make sharp corners and crisp edges.

However, if you own a large yard that requires much effort to clear the edges from grass, consider buying a powered edger. This could be a gas-powered or electric-powered device.

Generally, gas-powered models are more powerful and don’t require cables or charging batteries. However, they can be noisy and difficult to maintain. Electric edgers (corded and cordless) are also used as they are much quieter and easier to maintain.

What Is a Mower Strip?

A mower piece is a small piece of lawn that enhances the beauty of your garden by separating the grass from other parts of the land. The separated part could be a floral bed, a raised patio, or a small food garden.

The mowing strip can be anything from a simple row of paving stones to a complicated concrete trough filled with intricate smooth stones. They can also enclose a tree so that its roots can absorb rainwater more effectively.

What Is the Purpose of a Mow Strip?

The main purpose of a mow strip is to create a boundary between areas that require mowing and those that do not. With them, you can avoid having messy, improperly groomed lawn edges.

Below are a few reasons why you must have a mow strip in your garden

–       Better Water Drainage

When rain falls off the ceiling, it comes down directly to the ground, which can cause water to collect in some places. As a result, the area around the patio or porch can erode, which might pose structural issues. You can direct excess water away from the load-bearing structures by including mow strips. You can also fill a trough with porous substances like smooth stones and absorbent sand.

–       Add A Modern Flair

Using a mow strip can be a great way to give your yard unified, classy architectural features. If you have multiple matching mow strips, you can scatter them throughout your yard. When someone views your yard, this will provide a pleasant visual pause.

How Wide Should a Mow Strip Be?

A mowing strip should be between 6 and 12 inches wide. The strip length will vary according to the size of your flower beds and yard.

If you go for a narrow mow strip, you won’t need to worry about the mower blade scraping the strips as it passes through them. Larger-sized strips, however, might be more difficult to mow, but they also allow you to use them as paths.

Larger mowing strips are more distinctive and require more supplies and possibly a few days to construct.

What Materials Are Best to Construct a Mow Strip?

When building mowing strips, people use many materials, including plastic and metal. The best materials for your mowing strips are the ones that are simple to find and work with.

We suggest concrete, gravel, and rubble as the best building materials for a mowing strip. Unlike other materials that might need to be replaced after a few years, these are robust and long-lasting. 

Concrete can be more difficult to mold into the required strip shape, but a multipurpose diamond blade saw works well to cut concrete once it has been set. However, plastic is one of the cheapest materials available if you want something inexpensive. Choose timber or stone mowing strips if cost is not a problem. 

Can You Mow Over Lawn Edging?

You can mow over lawn edging, depending on what is beside. If there is stone or another hard, uneven surface beside it, you shouldn’t use a lawnmower on an edging. If those stones sit at a higher level, you risk your lawnmower’s blades breaking or being damaged if you mow over the grass’s edge.

If your lawn edging is level with the ground, you can mow it. However, if it is not, mowing over an elevated or rugged edge is not a good idea. 

What Kind of Lawn Edging Is Mowable?

Generally, it is not advised to mow over any lawn edging. However, if you still wish to do so, pavers, brick, concrete, and stone are the best materials to be mowed over. They are usually flat and sturdy enough to resist breaking under pressure.

They can, however, quickly harm or destroy your mower blades due to their extreme toughness. Mowing over a lawn edger made of plastic, which is more malleable and less durable, can damage both the mower’s blades and the lawn edger. The most important aspect of mowing over edging is choosing one with a flat surface that you can bury to be level with your yard.