Short answer
To install landscape edging: call 811 a few working days ahead, lay out the line with a hose and mark it with paint, cut a narrow trench a little deeper than the buried part of the edging, set the edging with about 1/2 to 1 inch above grade, drive stakes on the bed side, then backfill and tamp both sides. No-dig edging skips the trench and is spiked at the surface; brick and stone go on a sand base in a wider trench.
Before you dig: plan the line
- Decide what the edge must do. Stop grass, hold mulch, hold gravel or hold pavers? That sets the material and depth. The edging picker helps if you are unsure.
- Measure the length along the curve, not straight across, and buy a little extra for overlaps and mistakes. How to measure is in landscape edging cost.
- Check the depth your edging needs in how deep to install landscape edging.
- Pick a day after rain. Damp soil cuts far more easily than dry clay.
What you need
How to install strip edging (steel, aluminum, plastic)
Lay out the line
Lay a garden hose along the edge you want. Step back, look from the house and the street, and adjust until the curves are smooth and wide enough to mow around.
Mark it
Spray marking paint along the hose, then move the hose away. Check the 811 marks again before you dig.
Cut the trench
Push a half-moon edger or flat spade straight down along the line on the lawn side, then cut at an angle from the bed side to lift out a narrow V. Dig a little deeper than the buried part of the edging; a Permaloc retailer note says about 1 inch deeper than the edging (Elite Metal Tools listing).
Set the edging
Stand the edging in the trench against the straight lawn-side wall and join the sections as the maker directs. Leave about 3/4 to 1 inch above grade for metal, per Gertens, or follow the product instructions.
Stake on the bed side
Drive stakes on the bed side so they are hidden and out of the mower’s path. Use the spacing the maker gives, and add extra stakes at curves, joints and ends.
Backfill and tamp
Push soil back into the trench on both sides and tamp it firm. Water it in to settle the soil, top up any low spots, then spread mulch on the bed side.
Steel and aluminum details (gauges, joins, finishes) are in metal landscape edging and aluminum landscape edging.
Plastic coil edging: what is different
Plastic coil is the cheapest and most forgiving edging to install, but it is also the one most likely to wave, lift or pop out of the ground later. A few habits help:
- Unroll it in the sun first. Warm plastic relaxes and stops trying to coil back up.
- Bury most of it. Only the rounded top bead should show. Gertens says to dig down about 1.5 inches before setting Master Mark Terrace Board (retailer note); follow your product’s directions.
- Stake at an angle and often. University of Illinois Extension notes that plastic is hard to keep in place, that round-top styles beat flat ones, and that lipped or grooved styles with steel stakes resist frost heave. For flat plastic, it suggests nailing a 1x1 treated wood strip under it.
- Overlap joins with the connector supplied, and stake right beside each join.
More in plastic landscape edging.
No-dig edging installs
No-dig edging has an L-shaped profile: a short wall and a flat lip that lies on the soil. You lay it along the line and drive long spikes through the lip. Dimex EasyFlex, for example, uses nylon spiral spikes driven with a mallet, and its 20 ft kit is listed with 6 spikes and 1 connector (retailer listing).
- Cut the grass short along the line and mark it.
- Lay the edging with the lip on the bed side, so mulch hides it.
- Drive spikes through the lip, angled slightly, at the spacing in the instructions; add more on curves.
- Cover the lip with mulch.
It is fast, but because it barely goes into the soil it will not stop grass runners. Use it where there is no lawn next to the bed. Full guide: no-dig landscape edging.
Brick and stone on a sand base
Bricks, pavers and stone edgers need a firm base or they rock and sink. Illinois Extension recommends setting them on sand or a concrete base, and Gertens suggests a trench deep enough for the edger plus 1 inch of sand.
- Dig a flat-bottomed trench as wide as the brick or stone and deep enough for the unit plus the sand layer.
- Tamp the bottom of the trench firm.
- Spread the sand, dampen it and tamp or screed it level.
- Set each unit, tapping it down with a rubber mallet until it sits level with its neighbor. Use a string line for straight runs.
- Backfill both sides with soil and tamp so nothing can shift sideways.
For bricks laid flat as a mow strip, set the top level with the lawn so the mower wheel can ride on it. See brick edging, stone edging and, for pavers, paver edging, which needs spikes into a compacted base rather than soil.
Common mistakes
- Edging set too high. It gets hit by the mower and catches feet. Keep it low on the lawn side.
- Too few stakes. Most wavy, lifted edging is under-staked, especially at joins and curves.
- Loose backfill. If the soil is not tamped, the edge leans as soon as it rains.
- Tight wiggles. Small curves are hard to edge and hard to mow. Smooth them out at the hose stage.
Choosing a material first? See landscape edging materials compared or lawn edging.
Questions people ask
Do I need to call 811 before installing edging?
Yes. Call 811 or file online a few working days before you dig, even for a shallow trench. It is free, and utilities mark their buried lines. Notice rules vary by state; in California, for example, the CPUC says 2 working days.
Which side do the stakes go on?
On the bed side, so they are hidden by mulch and plants and are not hit by the mower. For gravel or mulch paths, stake on the side the fill will cover.
How deep should the trench be?
Deep enough for the buried part of the edging, plus a little extra so you can adjust the height. A retailer note for Permaloc aluminum edging says to dig about 1 inch deeper than the edging. Depth by material is in our depth guide.
Can I install edging without digging?
Yes, with no-dig edging. It has a flat lip that sits on the soil and is held with long spikes driven through it. It goes in fast but is too shallow to stop grass runners.
How do I keep plastic edging from popping up?
Bury it so only the rounded top shows, use plenty of stakes driven at an angle, and backfill and tamp firmly. University of Illinois Extension notes that lipped or grooved styles held with steel stakes resist frost heave better.
How long does it take to install edging?
It depends on soil, length and material. A short, simple bed in soft soil can take an afternoon; long runs in clay or rocky ground take longer. Brick and stone take the most time because of the base.
Sources
- Call 811, Know what is below (national call-before-you-dig line)
- California Public Utilities Commission, 811 fact sheet
- Permaloc CleanLine aluminum edging listing (Elite Metal Tools)
- Gertens, Edging options beyond vinyl (garden center guide)
- Master Mark Terrace Board listing with install note (Gertens)
- University of Illinois Extension, Bed edges (Rhonda Ferree, 2015)
- Dimex EasyFlex no-dig edging kit listing (Do it Best)
Last reviewed October 12, 2026. Products, sizes and listings change; check the product details before you buy, call 811 before you dig, and follow the maker’s instructions.