Lawn grasses are the most grown crop in the U.S. and in 2005, they covered 63,000 square miles of the country. Maintaining a green carpet of a singular type of grass that’s no more than an inch and a half tall and neatly edged is a meticulous, time-consuming and expensive task.
An equivalent of 200 gallons of drinking water per person per day is spent on lawns which also need to be regularly watered, mowed, repaired, and cultivated.
Lawns have become a symbol of the American dream. They’re a hallmark of homeownership, an indicator of socio-economic character, and are indicative of success.
Although lawn grasses were brought in by the early settlers and the concept of front lawns was copied from the European styles, this landscape aesthetic has become an American landmark.
Related: Types of Bermuda Grass | Types of Lawn Tools | Types of Yard Grass | Alternatives to Grass for Backyards
A. Types of Lawn Edging Tools for Landscaping
Below you will find grass, lawn, garden, and sidewalk edging tools.
1. Traditional Manual Tools
Source: Home Depot
There are two different types of manual lawn edging tools that you will need to know about. The first is usually referred to as a stick, but it is also sometimes called a half-moon edger.
People refer to it as a half-moon edger because the blade on this tool is shaped like a half-moon. The curved edge on this blade is what is going to be doing all of the edging work.
You can buy this type of manual lawn edger with different blade sizes. It usually has certain spots where there is a part sticking out that is meant for you to step on it.
This allows you to use your own body weight to get the edger deeper into the ground. It works well and is capable of edging a typical garden very easily.
The second type of traditional manual edger you will need to consider is the rotary edger. Some people prefer to refer to these as edging irons. The important thing to remember is that they have blades that are like the spokes on a cowboy boot.
You can wheel them along the edge of your lawn and get the job done. It’s important to keep the blades sharp in order for this tool to be effective.
For the most part, people only use these traditional manual tools for small gardening jobs in modern times. You will have an easier time with these tools if you maintain your garden regularly as if the grass or weeds get too high, it will not be as easy to use.
People who are passionate about being as environmentally-friendly as possible do like these gardening tools. They’re a good option when you don’t want to have to use powered tools for your gardening.
2. Chemical Lawn Edging Tools
Source: Home Depot
This is a little different from a traditional tool, but since it is a popular method used in lawn edging it definitely bears mentioning. Some people like to use certain herbicides to kill off the edges of grass and various weeds.
This is a very effective way to get rid of grass, but it may not appeal to you depending on your sensibilities. This method involves treating the area of your lawn that you want to edge for between seven and ten days.
Over this period of time, the grass in the spot where you applied the herbicide will start to die. The problem with this method is that it simply does not work well in some situations. You may wind up accidentally killing more grass than you originally intended.
It can be easy to make mistakes using this type of lawn edging method. The best way to use this method is to use it next to a garden that has a mulch bed, as this prevents the herbicide from going too far.
3. Lawn Edging Barrier
Source: Home Depot
Some people choose to do their lawn edging by creating a defined barrier. You can buy products that will help to separate your garden area from the lawn itself.
It will prevent the grass from growing past a certain point and is quite effective. For the most part, you will likely want to use another method in conjunction with creating a lawn edging barrier.
Using a lawn edging barrier by itself will not provide the best results when you want an aesthetically pleasing garden area. It will prevent things from growing into your garden, though. This is very useful as it makes it simpler to edge your garden effectively.
It is highly recommended that you consider purchasing a lawn edging barrier for your gardens and you should know that there are many different styles available.
4. Gasoline Lawn Edging Tools
Source: Home Depot
When you have a large lawn edging job to complete, you will want to have a powerful tool at your disposal. Gasoline lawn edging tools have the power you need to get the big jobs completed. They have proven very useful to people with a large amount of land.
These tools can be quite noisy, so you need to be prepared to create some noise-pollution in your neighborhood before using this tool. This is going to be the most effective tool for the job and is the tool that most professionals will use.
These gasoline lawn edging tools are much more powerful than the other types. They are also more expensive by far. You can buy them with different engine sizes to maximize their power.
When you want to edge your garden or lawn quickly, this is the tool that is going to be able to make it happen.
5. Electric Lawn Edging Tools
Source: Home Depot
You will see electric lawn edging tools being used by many different types of people. These tools are popular for home use but are also used by professionals as they have great utility.
They aren’t quite as powerful as the gasoline lawn edging tools, but they certainly have enough power to handle large jobs in their own right. There are a few different variants of electric lawn edging tools that will be covered in detail later on.
These electrical lawn edging tools will prove very useful to you for both small gardening jobs and large properties. You will be able to maintain your garden easily, as these tools are quite powerful and are capable of cutting grass and weeds even when they are fairly long.
You can approach the grass from a vertical angle and get a clean cut with many types of electric lawn edgers, which is a nice feature.
B. Styles of Lawn Edger Tools
1. Stick Edger
Source: Home Depot
The stick edger is the most common manual lawn edging tool that you will see people using. It works well for edging your garden, but it may not be convenient for larger jobs.
You can step on it to help this tool get a little deeper into the ground if you need to. It will usually come with convenient footholds for you to place weight on the tool.
2. Rotary Edger
Source: Home Depot
The rotary edger is also a commonly used manual lawn edging tool. These rotary edgers work by being wheeled along the edge of a lawn. They are simple to use and have a lot of utility in small gardens.
It may feel like a burden to try to push them through overgrown grass or weeds, so it is best used in a maintenance capacity.
3. Recycled Plastic Lawn Edging
Source: Home Depot
If you enjoy being environmentally-friendly, then you may want to consider purchasing this recycled plastic lawn edger. Lawn edging that is made of recycled plastic works very well to separate your garden areas from your lawn.
It can help to define the edge of your lawn and makes it easier to do detailed work with your other tools. Making use of this specific type of edging is nice as the plastic can stand up to harsh weather conditioners and can be used for a fairly long time.
4. Wooden Log Edging
Source: Home Depot
Some people prefer to maintain a natural look in their garden area. If you feel like you would like things to look as natural as possible, then adding in a wooden log edging can fit with the aesthetics you are trying to achieve.
These wooden logs can act as a barrier between your lawn and your garden. This is an effective tool for keeping the edge of your lawn well-defined, and installing this edging is very simple.
5. Metal Landscape Edging
Source: Home Depot
For something that is truly durable, you will want to consider purchasing metal landscape edging. This metal landscape edging will stand up to harsh weather conditions without any problems.
You will be able to use this to create a barrier between your garden and your lawn that will stand the test of time. This is convenient for those who don’t want to have to change out their barriers every year.
6. Garden Stakes Lawn Edging
Source: Home Depot
Buying garden stakes lawn edging is really convenient. This is pretty easy to install in your garden, as the stakes make it easy to create the barrier you have been wanting.
These garden stakes can be made out of various materials, but you will find that they are commonly made of plastic. This method works well, and the edging is quite durable, so it will work well for you for several seasons.
7. Rubber Landscaping Edging
Source: Home Depot
Rubber landscaping edging is very useful for helping you mow around your garden area. It can be a great tool when you are planning on edging your garden in a very detailed way as well.
You can install rubber edging very easily and it is actually quite discreet. It looks natural by having an appearance that looks like dirt, so it will look like it belongs in your garden area.
8. Landscaping Fabric
Source: Home Depot
Landscaping fabric can be used in a similar fashion to the lawn edging barriers that are mentioned above. This fabric is also used to protect your garden from the elements.
It can be used to keep your lawn from growing into your garden. Many landscapers absolutely love using this fabric as it is a cost-effective way to create a barrier that will last.
9. 2-Cycle Engine Gasoline Lawn Edger
Source: Home Depot
A 2-cycle engine gasoline lawn edger is going to be powerful enough to handle most any job around your house. People love to use gasoline lawn edgers because they can make quick work of any lawn edging job.
Although 2-cycle engine models aren’t going to be the most powerful lawn edger on the market, they will still do the job well. You can save a little money by purchasing a two-cycle engine model, so you should think about your needs before coming to an ultimate conclusion on what to purchase.
10. 4-Cycle Engine Gasoline Lawn Edger
Source: Home Depot
If you want to have a gasoline lawn edger that has the most power possible, then you should consider purchasing a 4-cycle engine model.
This model is going to be the best option when you have a large lawn that needs to be edged. It will be able to make quick work of any lawn edging job, so you will love having all of this power at your disposal.
11. Gas Stick Edger
Source: Home Depot
You can also find stick lawn edging tools that are gas-powered. These tools are incredibly useful as you can get them into tight spots where you need to edge your lawn.
When you need the combined utility of something being both portable and powerful, you can turn to this tool. It will prove useful to you and will allow you to edge your garden in a detailed fashion.
12. Walk Behind Gas-Powered Lawn Edger
Source: Home Depot
You can buy gas-powered lawn edgers that are made for you to walk behind. These models have spinning blades that will help you to get rid of excess grass and weeds without issue.
Using a lawn edger like this is very convenient and will surely help you to make short work of your landscaping job. Many of these models even have deep rooting capabilities for added utility.
13. Walk Behind Tri-Tip Lawn Edger
Source: Home Depot
You will find that there are many differences in how the blades operate depend on which model of lawn edger that you buy. This model has a tri-tip blade and it works very effectively to cut through grass and weeds.
You will find that many of these tri-tip models are gas-powered, but they are available in electric-powered variants as well. This is one of the most popular lawn edging tool styles on the market for good reason.
14. String Lawn Edger
Source: Home Depot
One of the most common types of lawn edging tools that you will see used in neighborhoods is this string lawn edger. These are very easy to use and are great for getting into tight spots. You can use these lawn edging tools effectively just about anywhere.
The string style of blade works very effectively, and you will love how easy it is to create a defined edge for your lawn using this tool.
15. Electric Corded Lawn Edger
Source: Home Depot
Buying an electric corded lawn edger is very sensible when you want to take care of your home garden quickly. It is going to be powerful enough to handle big jobs while being pretty cost-effective.
Having the cord means that you will be able to stay plugged into a power source at all times. Some people prefer this as they don’t want to have to worry about the battery running out.
16. Electric Cordless Lawn Edger
Source: Home Depot
Many people love using electric lawn edging tools, but they may find that the cord gets in their way sometimes. It is possible to purchase an electric lawn edger that doesn’t have a cord.
This allows you to go anywhere that you need to without having to worry about being tethered to a cord. This is very simple to use and is really very convenient, so it comes highly recommended.
C. Features of Grass Edging Tools
1. Curb-Hopping
Source: Home Depot
Some of the walk-behind style lawn edging tools have a convenient curb hopping feature. This allows you to more easily walk your lawn edger to where it needs to go.
If you need to hop it up a curb to reach the proper spot, it will not be difficult to do so when it has this convenient feature. It’s important to be able to get where you need to go when edging a lawn, so this feature is definitely going to come in handy.
2. Automatic Feed Spool
Source: Home Depot
Having an automatic feed spool makes using a lawn edger a lot simpler. Many people love using the spool blade style but changing out the spools on certain models can be a pain.
Having a lawn edging tool that has this automatic feed spool features really simplifies things. You will never have to worry about things being difficult when you have this handy feature available.
3. Adjustable Front Wheel
Source: Home Depot
Another important feature to look for is an adjustable front wheel. This can be very convenient to have when you need to trim at different heights.
You will be able to find several walk-behind models that have this feature. It will make your lawn edging experience even easier than before, so it is worth looking into buying one of these models.
4. Bonus Batteries
Source: Home Depot
Having a lawn edging tool that uses a battery can be a very convenient option. The problem that people run into is that when doing big jobs, you may find that you will run out of battery life before completing it.
This isn’t usually the case, as most jobs can be completed within a few hours and the battery will last longer than that. Even so, for those with very large properties, it can be useful to have a spare battery.
It is possible to purchase an electric lawn edging tool that comes with a spare battery. This way you can keep the spare battery charging while you are out doing your work.
If you happen to run out of power before you are able to finish the job, then you will be able to simply grab your spare battery pack. This allows you to pick up where you left off and everything will work out swimmingly.
D. Materials of Garden Edger Tools
1. Wooden Landscape Edger
Source: Home Depot
Some of the manual lawn edging tools will be made of wood. Generally speaking, the blades will be made out of steel. You find wooden tools are common when you purchase manual designs.
These tools are made to be easy to use for anyone and will work well for small gardening jobs, although they may not be as convenient for larger landscapes.
2. Plastic Edge Cutter Tools
Source: Home Depot
Certain parts of these tools may be made out of plastic. You will find that many of the casing on even the most powerful lawn edgers are actually plastic. Also, the lawn barriers that you have seen mentioned are most commonly made of plastic.
Recycled plastic is available for those who wish to be environmentally-conscious.
3. Steel Grass Edge Cutter
Source: Home Depot
Of course, steel is the most common material used in lawn edging tools. You will find that the blades of most of these tools are made out of steel.
When you are looking at the gas-powered and electrical lawn edging tools, you will also see that much of the body of those tools are made of steel as well. There will be plastic parts here and there for the casing, but steel is the most important material.
4. Fabric
Source: Home Depot
You will also find fabric being used as the material for lawn barriers that are used as a lawn edging tool. This landscaping fabric is very popular and has a lot of utility.
It isn’t going to be the solution to your problems if you plan on using it by itself. When this landscaping fabric is used in conjunction with a regular maintenance routine, you will see excellent results.
5. Rubber
Source: Home Depot
Rubber is used for certain landscaping barriers, but it is also used as parts of the landscaping edging tools. For instance, cords on the electric landscaping edgers will be partly made out of rubber.
Rubber is a very important material when it comes to just about everything, so it is no surprise that it is prevalent here.
Related: Types of Ornamental Grass | Types of Artificial Grass | Types of Lawnmowers | Types of Small Lawn Mower
