Trench Edging or Air Root-Pruning for Lawns

A great landscape has a well-manicured look that results in large part from a neat and crisp edge between lawn areas and shrubbery, flower beds or paving. Crabapple LandscapExperts have state-of-the-art equipment to give your turf areas a clean edge.

Turf grasses spread rapidly by above- and below-ground runners that are difficult to control around flower beds, borders, walks and paving. For many properties we recommend trench edging for lawns.

Benefits of Trench Edging

• Natural looking
• Economical
• Clean and crisp
• Does not chip and biodegrade (as with plastic edging)
• Catches mulch from flower or shrub beds (preventing it from spreading onto the lawn)

CrabappleLandscapExperts run a mason string line for your initial edge and use a hose or spray paint for your curves. Using the latest equipment we then make a V-shaped cut between the turf and the flower bed, cutting straight down next to the grass and with an angled cut from the flower beds or paving. This results in a shallow 3-4 inch trench. Excess soil is directed into the adjacent bed. When the roots of grass hit the trench they are “air root pruned,” thus stopping turfgrass stolons from invading the flower bed or growing over the sidewalk or curb. Air root pruning is a well-accepted horticultural technique.

As with many landscaping techniques, the key to keeping a tidy edge is upkeep and maintenance throughout the year. Arrange for your edging project with your LandscapExpert. 

photo credit Steve Thompson