How to Edge a Lawn for the First Time
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The short answer
Mow first, mark the line, then cut with a blade edger at about 1.5 inches deep with the guide wheel riding on the concrete, walking forward at a slow steady pace so the blade never bogs. Cut one continuous pass instead of stopping and restarting, clear the soil clods back onto the lawn before they dry, and only go deeper on a second pass if turf has grown over the pavement.
EGO Power+ 15" Edger
Marked depth stops mean "1.5 inches" is a setting you can repeat, not a guess.
A first edging pass is where a lawn either gets a crisp permanent line or a wandering scallop you spend the rest of the season fixing. The tool matters less than the sequence, so here is the sequence.
Do these three things before you start the edger
- 1Mow at your normal height. Long grass hides the true soil line and rides up over the blade.
- 2Sweep or blow the concrete clean. Grit under the guide wheel makes the depth wander.
- 3Walk the border and pull anything hard out of the path — sprinkler heads, landscape staples, buried edging strip, gravel.
Set the depth before the first cut, not during
| Situation | Depth | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Border already edged this season | 1 in | Maintenance only — refreshes the lip |
| First pass of the year on a known edge | 1.5 in | Cuts below the stolon layer so it lasts |
| Turf grown over the concrete | 2 to 2.5 in, two passes | Pass one frees the overhang, pass two cuts the trench |
| Soft mulch or gravel border | 1 in or manual tool | No concrete lip to protect, less depth needed |
How to actually walk the pass
- Keep the guide wheel on the hard surface and let it carry the depth — do not steer with your arms.
- Walk forward, not backward, and slow enough that the motor pitch stays constant.
- If the blade bogs, lift slightly rather than pushing harder. Pushing packs soil against the blade face.
- Cut the whole run in one pass. Every stop and restart leaves a divot you can see from the street.
Clean up while the soil is still damp
Fresh clods sweep off concrete in seconds. Dried clods bond and need a stiff brush or a pressure washer. Blow the debris back onto the lawn — it is topsoil, not waste — then run a quick trimmer pass to knock down the grass standing over the new trench.
Myth
You should edge before you mow so you can see what you are doing.
The Fact
Uncut grass leans over the border and gets pushed aside by the blade instead of cut, so the line ends up wide of where you aimed. Mow first, every time.
How often to repeat it
In active growing season, a real trench holds its shape for three to four weeks. Between those passes, a string trimmer held vertically keeps the line honest in about two minutes per hundred feet. Skip a month and you are back to a full-depth reset pass.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How deep should you edge a lawn the first time?
- About 1.5 inches for a normal border. If turf has crept over the concrete, make one shallow freeing pass at 1 inch, then a second at 2 to 2.5 inches to cut the actual trench.
- Do you edge before or after mowing?
- After. Mowed grass lets the blade meet the soil line cleanly, so the cut lands where you aim it.
- Can you edge a lawn without a power edger?
- Yes, with a half-moon manual edger. It cuts as deep as a powered unit and is genuinely faster on borders under roughly 100 feet.
- What do you do with the dirt after edging?
- Blow or sweep it back onto the lawn while it is still damp. It is topsoil and it disappears into the turf after one watering.
The Gear We’d Buy
Everything referenced in this guide, in one place.
EGO Power+ 15" Edger
Top pickMarked depth stops mean "1.5 inches" is a setting you can repeat, not a guess.
Typically $180 – $230 bare tool
Radius Garden Half-Moon Edger
Best valueFor a first border under 100 feet, this cuts a cleaner line than any machine.
Typically $40 – $60
Cut-Resistant Gloves
First job with a blade tool — wear these while you learn the feel of it.
Typically $10 – $18
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Key Takeaways
- Mow, sweep, and clear obstacles before the edger comes out.
- Set depth once — around 1.5 inches — and cut the run in a single pass.
- Let the guide wheel carry depth instead of steering with your arms.
- Sweep clods off concrete while damp; they bond once dry.
Reviewed by
The Lawn Tool Hub Test Bench
We buy, borrow and break lawn tools on our own yards — clay in the back, sand-cut Bermuda in the front — and write down what actually changed the result.
Keep reading
Edger or String Trimmer — Which Actually Cuts a Border?
A blade edger cuts a vertical trench; a trimmer only shaves grass back. Here is what each tool does to a driveway edge, and when a trimmer is genuinely enough.
Best Edger for Thick, Overgrown Borders
Overgrown edges need blade depth and torque, not a trimmer. Here is what cuts through matted Bermuda and turf that has crept over concrete — and the two-pass method that saves the blade.
Ryobi vs. EGO vs. DeWalt: Which Cordless Edger?
A straight comparison of the three battery platforms homeowners actually own: blade depth, weight, runtime and which one is worth buying if you already have the batteries.
Top pick
EGO Power+ 15" Edger