Question
Do you have tips for edging my lawn?
Answer(s)
Although it is more work, finished, neat edges can make a landscape look polished and attractive. Lawn areas may look green and lush, but if the edges are uneven or untrimmed, the whole yard can seem unkempt.
Consider these tips to keep your landscape tidy.
• Remove and prevent grass from growing where it cannot be easily reached by a mower. This helps reduce edging time. Spray a non-selective herbicide such as Round-up or Finale to kill the grass and weeds around trees, fence posts, walls and rocks. Leave a large grass-free zone around trees and a smaller strip around rocks, fences and walls.
• Mix a pre-emergent herbicide such as Surflan with Round-up to prevent grass and weeds from returning. This kills existing weeds and deters germination for a few weeks.
• Design the landscaped area so it requires a minimal amount of edging or trimming. This means trees, shrubs and flowers should not be placed in the lawn, but in separate planting areas. Surround fences and rocks with some sort of edging material to prevent weeds and grass from growing up the fence or around the rocks.
• Consider the many materials that can be used as an edge around flower and shrub beds. Cement, redwood binder board, vinyl, rubber, bricks and other materials reduce the amount of trimming required. There is no perfect edging material, however. Each has benefits and drawbacks. Thick black rubber edging material holds its shape for many years, but can be expensive. Cheaper vinyl and plastic products are inexpensive, but tend to lose their shape over time. Redwood eventually wears out but is attractive and natural looking for many years. Cement, bricks and other hard materials last for many years, but can also be costly. Cement edging appears cold in a landscape and makes it difficult to change the shape of beds. Bricks are usually very moveable, but can be too mobile at times. Visit your local nursery or home improvement store to see available options.
• A cost-free option to maintain a clean appearance and keep grass in its place is to cut a 6 inch deep line between the bed and grass with a spade or shovel. A small scoop shovel leaves the straightest edge. This process needs to be repeated two or three times a year. Though it is cost free, it creates more regular work than the other methods.
* For information on other yard and garden topics, visit http://extension.usu.edu/
Other Questions In This Topic
- We live in Perry, Utah. We are getting our yard prepared for sprinklers and grass. We are doing a lot of rock in areas, so we are not watering as much grass etc. We are wondering about the grass itself. At this point we would like to put sod down, but we are wondering what type of grass we should be looking for that is heat and drought tolerant and that will do well all year long in the area where we live. Can you suggest a particular sod or seed, and a place to obtain it, that might work well for us?
- I notice groups of about 4 or 5 pine needles buried into the flower beds and am wondering what type of bug is pulling them into the ground in the fall. They do not get ther naturally because of the way they are sticking out of the ground. Half buried. I am just wondering what creature this might be and do I need to do something about it?
- Due to the dry season, the weeds are overtaking our lawn. Besides watering, is there a weed killer I can apply when it is so hot? Is there a fertilizer or food that would help it?
- I want to switch my current lawn (bluegrass with some bermudagrass infestation) to a low-water and low-growth grass. I have a front lawn that's in shade most of the day, and the back lawn is mostly in sun. Will dwarf tall fescue work in this situation? Do you have any recommendations for the best DTF variety(s) to use? Also, will the bermudagrass be able to survive on less water and compete with the fescue?
- When is the best time to seed native grasses such as streambank and western wheatgrass into an existing Kentucky Bluegrass lawn? Some of what I've read leads me to believe that it would be best to seed in late fall so the seed will germinate in the spring. But I wonder if it would be better to seed in early fall after stressing the KBG. I will also be seeding sheep fescue, but I've seen conflicting information on whether that is native or introduced. My goal is to have a lawn that can survive with no water, and stay green with very little water.
- How do I get rid of wild morning glory?
- Leaves on my maple tree have turned yellow, but the veins are green. Is this an iron problem?
- I made the mistake of fertilizing my newly planted trees. I had heard that the salty, clay soil I have needs iron useable for the trees. I used chelated. Anyway two of the trees, a candian red cherry and a zelkova tree have dry crispy leaves on the north side of the tree. We have had very hot, windy weather. I have two other canadian cherries that look fine.