How to Edge Your Lawn in Jacksonville: Complete Guide

There's something deeply satisfying about a crisp lawn edge. That clean line between your St. Augustine turf and the sidewalk, driveway, or flower bed makes the difference between a yard that looks maintained and one that looks meticulous.

I've edged hundreds of Jacksonville lawns, from compact bungalows in Murray Hill to sprawling estates in Ponte Vedra. The technique stays the same, but our grass types, sandy soil, and aggressive growing season add unique challenges you won't find in other climates.

Why Edging Matters in Jacksonville

St. Augustine grass is a spreader. Left unchecked, it will creep into your flower beds, over sidewalks, and into your neighbor's yard. During peak growing season (May through September), it can advance several inches in just a few weeks.

Bahia grass, while less aggressive, still needs regular edging to maintain defined borders. Both grass types thrive in our zone 9a/9b climate, which means fast growth—and fast growth means regular maintenance.

Proper edging also:

• Prevents grass from stealing nutrients meant for flower beds
• Reduces mowing time by keeping grass out of hard-to-reach corners
• Improves curb appeal dramatically with minimal effort
• Protects hardscaping by preventing root infiltration under pavement

Best Time to Edge Your Lawn

In Jacksonville, timing matters:

Peak Growing Season (May-September)

Edge every 2-3 weeks during summer. St. Augustine grows aggressively when temperatures hit the 80s and 90s. Skip even one edging session and you'll notice the difference.

This is also when humidity and afternoon thunderstorms fuel rapid growth. Your lawn can look freshly edged on Saturday and overgrown by the following weekend.

Cooler Months (October-April)

Edge every 4-6 weeks. Growth slows significantly when temperatures drop below 70°F. Some winters, if we get cold snaps, St. Augustine goes dormant and barely grows at all.

Bahia stays semi-active longer into fall and greens up earlier in spring, so adjust accordingly if that's your turf.

After Heavy Rain

Wait a day or two after major storms before edging. Wet, saturated sand makes it harder to get clean cuts, and your edger (especially manual tools) will just push through mud rather than slicing through turf.

Tools for Lawn Edging

Manual Edgers

Half-Moon Edger: My go-to for precision work. This tool has a flat, semi-circular blade on a long handle. Step on it, push down, and it slices through grass roots cleanly.

Pros: Quiet, no fuel costs, excellent for tight spaces and detail work Cons: Physical work, slower on long borders

Best for: Smaller yards (under 5,000 square feet), flower bed edges, areas near windows where noise matters

Rotary Manual Edger: A wheel with a vertical blade that rotates as you push. It's faster than a half-moon edger but requires consistent effort to keep the blade vertical.

Pros: Faster than half-moon edgers, still relatively quiet Cons: Requires steady pressure, can skip if you push too fast

Power Edgers

Gas-Powered Stick Edgers: The professional standard. A vertical blade spins at high speed, cutting through turf and roots effortlessly. Most have adjustable depth settings.

Pros: Fast, powerful, handles thick St. Augustine runners easily Cons: Loud, requires fuel and maintenance, heavier

Best for: Larger properties, commercial work, thick overgrown edges

Electric Edgers (Corded and Cordless): Lighter and quieter than gas models. Cordless battery-powered edgers have improved significantly in recent years.

Pros: Less noise, no fuel mixing, lighter weight Cons: Cordless models have limited runtime; corded models require outlet access

Best for: Suburban yards with accessible outlets, noise-sensitive neighborhoods like Riverside or San Marco

String Trimmers Used as Edgers: You can flip a string trimmer vertically and use it for edging. It's not ideal, but it works in a pinch.

Pros: Multipurpose tool, already in most garages Cons: Less precise, harder to maintain consistent depth, tears rather than cuts

Specialty Tools

Edging Shears: Hand shears for fine detail work around trees, mailbox posts, or landscape features. Not for primary edging, but useful for cleanup.

Bed Edgers: Heavy-duty machines for creating new edges or redefining severely overgrown borders. These cut deeper (4-6 inches) and are overkill for regular maintenance.

Step-by-Step Edging Process

Step 1: Mow First

Always mow before edging. This lets you see the lawn's true edge and removes excess grass that would otherwise clutter your workspace.

For St. Augustine, mow at 3.5-4 inches during summer. Bahia can go lower, around 3 inches.

Step 2: Clear the Edge

Walk your borders and remove any large debris—sticks, fallen fronds from palms, oak branches. Jacksonville yards collect plenty of organic matter, especially in spring and fall.

If you have flower beds mulched next to turf, rake mulch back a few inches from the edge. This prevents mulch from getting mixed into your lawn during edging.

Step 3: Define Your Line

For established edges, follow the existing border. For new edges or severely overgrown areas, use a garden hose or string line to mark your desired curve or straight line.

In neighborhoods with HOA standards (like Nocatee or Julington Creek), check guidelines for setback distances from sidewalks and curbs. Some require grass to stop at specific points.

Step 4: Start Edging

With a Manual Half-Moon Edger:

• Stand with one foot on the blade's top edge
• Position the blade vertically against the border
• Step down with your full weight, pushing the blade 2-3 inches into the soil
• Rock the handle back to lift the cut sod
• Move 6-8 inches and repeat

With a Power Edger:

• Start the engine and let it warm up
• Position the blade against the border at a 90-degree angle
• Lower the blade slowly into the turf
• Walk at a steady pace—too fast and you'll skip spots; too slow and you'll over-cut
• Keep the guide wheel on the hard surface (sidewalk, driveway) for consistent depth

With a String Trimmer (Vertical Method):

• Flip the trimmer 90 degrees so the string spins vertically
• Angle the head slightly away from you
• Walk slowly, letting the string slice through grass at ground level
• Expect frayed edges rather than clean cuts

Step 5: Remove Cut Grass

After edging, you'll have a strip of cut sod and loose grass along your borders. Use a rake or leaf blower to clear it away.

If you've cut thick sections of St. Augustine, consider composting them or adding to yard waste. Fresh sod breaks down quickly in our humid climate.

Step 6: Clean Up Hardscaping

Sweep driveways and sidewalks to remove soil and grass clippings. If you've kicked up sand (which is inevitable in Jacksonville), a quick blow-down makes everything look polished.

Step 7: Create a Shallow Trench (Optional)

Some professionals dig a shallow trench (1-2 inches wide, 3-4 inches deep) along edges. This creates a visible gap between turf and beds, slowing grass creep.

Fill the trench with mulch, river rock, or leave it bare. It's extra work but extends time between edging sessions.

Edging Different Border Types

Sidewalks and Driveways

These are the easiest borders to edge because you have a hard surface to guide your tool. Keep the blade vertical and let the pavement edge act as your reference line.

Jacksonville's concrete sidewalks often have expansion joints or slight lifting from tree roots (especially in older neighborhoods like Riverside). Be careful edging near lifted sections—you don't want to trip hazards.

Flower Beds and Mulched Areas

Edge between turf and mulch using a smooth, curved line. Avoid sharp angles; gradual curves look better and are easier to maintain.

St. Augustine will infiltrate mulch aggressively. Edge deeply (3-4 inches) to sever stolons (above-ground runners) and rhizomes (underground roots).

Tree Rings

Create circular edges around tree trunks, typically 2-3 feet in diameter. This protects tree roots from mower damage and gives you a mulched area for moisture retention.

Use a half-moon edger for tree rings—power edgers are overkill and harder to control in tight circles.

Along Fences

Grass grows right up to fence lines, making mowing difficult. Edge a 3-4 inch gap between fence and turf to give your mower room.

This is especially important with St. Augustine, which climbs into fence corners and creates mowing blind spots.

Jacksonville-Specific Edging Challenges

Sandy Soil and Blade Depth

Our soil lacks the structure of clay or loam. Blades sink easily, which is great for cutting but can lead to over-edging. Go too deep and you'll create a mini-trench that fills with sand after the next storm.

Aim for 2-3 inches depth for regular maintenance. Deeper cuts are fine when establishing new edges.

St. Augustine Stolons

St. Augustine spreads via stolons—thick, above-ground runners that root wherever they touch soil. Edging severs these stolons, but they'll resprout quickly.

During peak growing season, stolons can extend 6-8 inches in a month. Stay on top of edging or you'll be fighting serious overgrowth by mid-summer.

Heat and Afternoon Storms

Summer edging means working in 90°F heat with 80% humidity. Start early (before 9 AM) or edge in the evening after storms pass.

Afternoon thunderstorms are a given from June through September. If you hear thunder, stop immediately. Lightning is no joke in Florida.

Fire Ants

Turn over a shovelful of sandy soil anywhere in Jacksonville and you might hit a fire ant colony. They nest along lawn edges, especially in drier areas near driveways.

Keep an eye out while edging. If you hit a nest, step back and treat it with ant bait before continuing.

Maintaining Edged Borders

Edging isn't a one-and-done task. To keep your borders crisp:

Mow Regularly: Frequent mowing (every 7-10 days in summer) keeps grass from overgrowing into edged areas.

Spot-Check Weekly: Walk your yard each week and look for grass creeping back over edges. A quick five-minute touch-up with shears prevents major re-edging later.

Mulch Maintenance: Replenish mulch in flower beds annually. Fresh mulch sits higher than grass level, creating a visual and physical barrier to encroachment.

Fertilizer Placement: When fertilizing your lawn, keep product away from edges. Excess fertilizer in beds feeds grass runners and speeds up border overgrowth.

Common Edging Mistakes

Edging Too Deep: Cutting 4-6 inches deep on every edging session removes too much soil over time. Eventually, your lawn sits noticeably higher than surrounding areas, creating drainage issues.

Inconsistent Angles: Some spots cut vertically, others at an angle, creates a wavy, unprofessional look. Keep your tool vertical throughout.

Skipping Cleanup: Leaving cut grass and soil along borders looks messy and can smother adjacent plants if mulch gets buried.

Edging Wet Grass: Wet St. Augustine clumps together and clogs blades. The cuts are ragged, and you'll spend more time cleaning your equipment.

Forgetting to Edge After Sod Installation: New sod needs immediate edging to establish borders before grass starts spreading. Don't wait—edge within the first week after installation.

Professional vs. DIY Edging

Most homeowners can handle their own edging, especially with small to medium-sized yards. It's straightforward, doesn't require specialized knowledge, and the tools are affordable.

Consider hiring professionals if:

• You have a large property (over 1 acre)
• Your lawn has severe overgrowth requiring bed edging equipment
• You have physical limitations that make manual edging difficult
• Your HOA has strict standards you're nervous about meeting

Professional lawn services in Jacksonville typically include edging with mowing packages. If you're outsourcing mowing anyway, bundling edging makes sense.

Final Thoughts

Edging your Jacksonville lawn transforms it from "mowed" to "manicured." It's one of those tasks where the effort-to-impact ratio is incredibly favorable—30 minutes of work creates a visual difference that lasts weeks.

St. Augustine and Bahia grass are aggressive growers, which means we edge more often than folks in cooler climates. But that's the trade-off for having green grass year-round while half the country deals with snow.

Start with the right tool for your yard size, stay consistent during the growing season, and don't overthink it. Walk the edge, make the cut, clean up, done. Your yard will look better, and you'll wonder why you didn't start edging sooner.