Edging the Carriage Roads
It’s always important to keep up with lawn maintenance chores, especially during this time of year when everything is growing so quickly.
Here at my farm, my outdoor grounds crew is busy edging the interior carriage roads, so they look crisp and clean. Edging the lawns can be done manually with a variety of spades, but depending on the size of the yard, it can become quite time-consuming. Rotary edgers, powered by gasoline, electricity, or portable backpack battery reduce the time it takes to complete this job. These machines feature a spinning blade that cuts through turf as the edger is pushed along the grass border. For this task, we used our new STIHL Kombi-System Lawn Edger. It works really well for creating that beautiful, smooth edge.
Enjoy these photos.
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- I have four miles of gravel-covered carriage road at my Bedford, New York farm. It’s important to edge it regularly, so the roads look tidy. This section of road heads toward my Winter House. It is ready to be edged.
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- Here’s a closer look at how the grass has grown into the gravel making it difficult to see the exact edge where the carriage road and lawn meet.
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- An edger is a very handy tool. This is our new STIHL Kombi System with Lawn Edger attachment. The attachment is a single purpose tool that is used to make good, crisp lines along the edges of garden beds and lawns.
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- This is STIHL’s backpack battery. This backpack battery eliminates the cost of fuel and engine oil and can be used with this edger attachment along with several other useful accessories.
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- Edgers are easy to use – just line up the edger blade on the turf side of the road, and turn it on. This edger is also very light – less than three pounds, with a wheel on one side for added maneuverability.
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- The blade is about five inches long, which cuts a very clean edge. Here it is protected by a cutter head that can also prevent some of the debris from flying. The lawn edger blade is made of carbon steel that is tempered and blackened to resist corrosion.
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- Pete uses jute twine to line up the straight edge of the lawn where the edger will go. We use twine for a lot of projects around the farm to mark perfectly straight lines.
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- A large nail is used to anchor the twine at one end. A stake or a garden sod staple can also be used.
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- The twine is pulled taut from one end to the other. Here it is easy to see the guiding line for the edger. A lot of grass has grown since this road was last edged.
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- Pete keeps both hands on the edger handle at all times. Here he is guiding the machine slowly along the carriage road, keeping the blade tight against the surface, so it cuts through the earth.
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- It’s always important to wear safety headgear with a brush shield, long pants, and closed shoes to avoid injury from any flying debris – edgers can cause small stones to fly up to nearly 10-feet.
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- The STIHL backpack battery is designed with comfort in mind, including an ergonomic hip belt and chest strap that evenly distributes the weight.
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- The important thing is to focus on staying in line with the turf – one of the biggest problems among homeowners is that they go too low and ignore the line they are following.
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- Here, one can see how close the edger blade is to the twine, making a precise cut. Edging can take some time depending on how much road there is to do. In two days, Pete edged the carriage roads surrounding my Summer House, my Winter House, and alongside the long pergola.
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- Here is the finished line made by the edger – so clean and crisp. This task can also be done manually with a spade, but with the number of roads that need edging around the farm, it is a lot easier to use the powered edger tool.
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- Once a section has been edged, Pete pulls up any existing vegetation between the cut edging line and the lawn.
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- Pete uses a basic paddle hoe to pull the unwanted turf. The hoe has a six-inch blade on a 52-inch wooden handle attached with a goose-neck for better alignment. The hoe also has a blade set at approximately a right angle to the handle, and easily draws the soil out from the edge – it looks so beautiful and clean.
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- Pete also uses the hoe to clean any growth from this section of the road that is lined with brick pavers.
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- Once a section of old grass has been pulled from the edge of the road, Pete rakes up the clippings for the compost pile. Here he is using a soft rake.
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- It looks so wonderful now.
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- Here is the other side of the finished road.
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- My catch basins are covered with bluestone caps. The grated drain openings are on the front and the sides. Pete noticed the soil and grass were growing too high in front of it possibly preventing some water to enter the drain during rainstorms. Whenever doing outdoor work, it is always a good time to check any catch basins.
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- Pete carefully pulls up the sod and removes some of the soil underneath.
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- Then he tamps the sod down to ensure all the drains are clear and that there is good contact with the soil.
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- Pete also uses a hula hoe for tough weeds. A hula hoe is great for weeding as well as for cultivating around live growing plants. It works by using a back and forth push-pull motion to cut weed roots deep under the surface.
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- The hula hoe has a triangular-shaped head and a hardwood handle for strength and durability.
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- I love how well-manicured this area is looking. Edging the carriage roads just gives this area a beautiful finishing touch.
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- This is the hitching post in front of my Winter House. It, too, was edged.
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- Here is Pete working in front of my long and winding pergola.
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- The roads are about 12-feet wide, which is what it should be after any overgrowth is removed.
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- The entire road alongside the pergola is complete. It looks great.
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- And here is a view from the other side with my bald cypress trees on the left. Spring chores can be tedious, but they are all worth the effort. Great job, Pete.
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