Edging the Carriage Roads Around the Farm
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 or electricity, 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. We edge the roads with a Little Wonder Power Edger. It works really well for creating that beautiful, smooth edge.
Enjoy these photos.
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- My farm sits on 153-acres of land that includes four miles of gravel covered carriage road. Over the course of the year, grass and weeds grow where the road meets the lawn, so it’s a good idea to edge the roads regularly. My outdoor grounds crew started this task ahead of the season’s first spring entertaining party.
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- This Little Wonder gas powered edger is such a useful tool – it is a single purpose machine used to make good, crisp lines along the edges of garden beds and lawns.
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- The blade is several inches long and cuts a very clean edge. Here it is protected by a metal cutter head that can also prevent some of the debris from flying.
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- The blade’s cutting depth can be adjusted from a lever near the handlebar of the machine. It can cut up to four inches deep.
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- When using the edger, Chhiring keeps both hands on the handle at all times when it is running. Here he is guiding the machine slowly along the carriage road, keeping the blade tight against the paved surface, so it cuts through the earth.
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- And the crew always wears safety equipment including this helmet with a shield and additional ear muffs. It is so important to protect the face from any flying debris.
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- Chhiring uses twine and a sod staple to mark perfect lines wherever the carriage roads are straight.
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- He lines up the twine where the edger should go.
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- Here is the twine pulled taut indicating where the edger needs to pass.
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- Then Chhiring lines up the edger’s blade and continues to edge along the road.
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- Chhiring also listens to the edger to guide the speed. The machine works harder when cutting through the turf and is generally quieter when it finishes.
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- It is easy to see the finished edge from behind as Chhiring walks along the carriage road.
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- Here is the finished line made by the edger. This task can also be done manually with a spade, but with the number of roads that need edging around my farm, it is a lot easier to use our Little Wonder.
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- Once a section has been edged, pull up any existing vegetation between the cut edging line and the lawn. The crew likes to use garden paddle hoes for this job.
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- A basic paddle hoe has a six-inch blade on a 52-inch wooden handle attached with a goose-neck for better alignment. The hoe has a blade that easily draws the soil out from the edge.
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- It looks so clean – see how the hoe has pulled out all the unwanted, overgrown grass and weeds?
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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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- After a section is complete, Fernando uses a soft rake to remove all the debris from the road. This is also a good time to check for any weeds that have grown and pick them up.
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- In general, power edgers are very easy to use – just line up the edger blade on the turf side of the road and turn it on. This gas powered machine requires one to pull a cord to start the motor.
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- Here’s Pete edging another area in front of my flower cutting garden. 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 is a section of carriage road before it was edged.
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- Pete slowly lines up the edger again and continues to edge along the road.
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- And here is the same area after the debris has been raked away. The task of edging miles of road takes several days to complete, but I think you’ll agree it is well worth the effort.
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- And then Pete and the crew move on to the area in front of my Winter House. It is a good idea to do this at least once a year to keep on top o the overgrown grass.
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- And here he is edging the road by my Party Lawn. Keep going Pete – the roads look great! What outdoor chores are you tackling this weekend? Let me know in the comments section below!
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