Finishing your lawn off with a nice edge is much like adding a frame to a painting and will make all the difference in the final presentation of your lawn.

If your lawn looks a bit scraggly around the edges, the overall appearance of your lawn is definitely diminished. Most people tend not to have a dedicated lawn edger, so if you are using a Whipper snipper/weed whacker/line trimmer or whatever it is you call it, it is important that you know how to use it to get the best results.

Here are our 5 tips for getting a great finish every time.

1. Choosing your trimmer – The main types are corded/cordless and petrol-powered trimmers. Petrol trimmers will have more power and you will find these much easier for larger areas. Corded trimmers are a bit of a nuisance as you need to drag an extension lead behind you, so are only really useful for small areas. Cordless trimmers are convenient but are also lacking in power. For most purposes, we recommend you use a good quality petrol trimmer for the best results.

2. Speed – Your trimmer will work best when at full speed. So, keeping your trimmer line away from the edge and working your way in, is key to maintaining speed. Avoid starting the line trimmer already in the grass you’re cutting for the quickest, cleanest cuts. It’s the tip of the line that is cutting, so keeping the majority of the line clear will result in a cleaner cut.

3. Spin direction – Depending on which way your trimmer spins, you need to make sure you are cutting with one side and the material is being ejected to the opposite side. So, if your trimmer spins counter clockwise, you need to keep the right side closer to the edge so that material is being ejected away from it. This will keep the cutting path clear and allow you to achieve a much better result.

4. Edging and tapering – Edging will be important for driveways and paths where you are after a clean edge to something parallel. This is where you hold the edge of the trimmer so that the string is vertical. This will provide a crisp cut line where you want the grass to end. Tapering is used for fences and retaining walls where you hold the edge of the trimmer so that the string is at a slight angle. This will ensure you don’t scalp a full run of grass by trimming parallel and get a nice gradual blend between the object and the grass.

5. Regular trims – The best edges are ones that are kept on top of and not allowed to get out of control. So, the more you do it, the more likely your edges will stay uniform and the easier they will be to tidy up, and the better you will get at it.