Should you mow or edge your lawn first? (2024)

FAQs

Should you mow or edge your lawn first? ›

While there is no definitive answer, it is often found that doing the edges first can be easier and leave a cleaner appearance. Doing the edges first will mean that the excess clippings from the edges will then get cleaned up when the mower goes over the top of them, making the clean up a lot easier and quicker.

Some people find that by trimming the edges first you are able to mow over the cut grass from the edges, which will leave the lawn clean of debris when finished. But if you don't mind blowing these trimmings away afterwards, then it doesn't really matter.

Step 1: Trim first.

If you use a string trimmer, use it before mowing. The mower will chop the trimmings and reduce the need for raking.

Not only does edging create a distinct barrier around your concrete, but it benefits flowerbeds as well. That's because this process provides a root barrier to block out invasive grasses from your lawn from entering into your flowerbeds.

Try to edge at least once a year.

Stand on the sidewalk or driveway when edging.

Recommended Lawn Mowing Techniques

The way we recommend that you do it is to mow the perimeter first to make sure the grass blades don't spray all over the street or into your garden. Then, mow your lawn back and forth, making one line after another and slowly making progress toward the other edge of the perimeter.

Roll when soil is moist but not wet. Roll before mowing season begins. Roll after laying sod to increase soil contact. Roll after seeding to improve seed-to-soil contact and retention.

When you're ready to give that first mowing in the spring, lower your mower height 1 or 2 notches so you're mowing your grass about 3 inches tall. Be careful not to scalp your lawn. This low mow will cut off the brown winter grass blades and open up the soil to the warm spring sunlight.

Do you do trim first or last? ›

Do you paint walls or trim first? From a professional point of view, with interior painting, it makes the most sense to paint your trim first, then ceilings, and then your walls. It's much easier and faster to tape off trim than to tape off your walls. And you definitely don't want the hassle of taping them both.

Benefits of Lawn Edging:

Gives your lawn a clean manicured appearance while increasing curb appeal. Adds value to your landscape without spending a lot of money. Saves trimming time. Provides a root barrier to prevent invasive lawn grasses from entering flowerbeds.

Edging is a vertical cut and trimming is a horizontal cut. Trimmers generally use heavy nylon string that rotates in a circular motion, parallel to the ground. However, edgers use short metal blades similar to a lawn mower blade, positioned perpendicular to the ground.

Outline the border of the lawn edging to assure an accurate and straight installation. Dig a 6 inch deep trench using a trenching machine or straight edge spade shovel.

Dry edging is usually the best choice for a professional-looking, clean lawn. When you use a manual edger, it's important to make sure that the blades are sharp. This allows you to get a clean cut and reduce the gouging soil.

Once you have mowed your lawn, don't fertilize just yet! It's ideal to wait at least 24 hours to a few days after mowing your lawn to apply the fertilizer treatment to reduce any risk of stressing out your grass. Lawn mowing involves cutting the grass blades, which can put minimal stress on your turf.

You usually don't want to mow your lawn within 24 hours before any such treatment. This is because if you mow right before an herbicide treatment, there isn't much leaf area left to absorb the weed control. If a broadleaf weed control doesn't come in contact with enough of the plant's foliage, it won't be effective.