# Edging material



## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

I am trying to decide between the COLMET steel edging or the old castle plastic landscape edging. The colmet looks more robust. The plastic one had a lower height. My goal is to keep mulch from washing out of the bed and across the sidewalk. 




My concern is the steel is going to be too high and the plastic is going to suck. Input welcome.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

I have never used any next to a sidewalk, but use the COL-MET everywhere else. When installing it I split the ground with a garden spade and tapped it down into ground with a soft face hammer - so that only about half of it is visible above ground.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

Ware said:


> I have never used any next to a sidewalk, but use the COL-MET everywhere else. When installing it I split the ground with a garden spade and tapped it down into ground with a soft face hammer - so that only about half of it is visible above ground.


I was considering running my edger as deep as possible to create a trench. Any issues or tips concerning installation?


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## roundrockag (May 17, 2018)

If you have little ones who run around bare-foot, you might want to think about that rubber edge molding that you can apply on the top edge of the steel just to protect their little feet. Using the edger is a good idea, especially if you have one with a 9" blade vs. the 8" variety.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

roundrockag said:


> If you have little ones who run around bare-foot, you might want to think about that rubber edge molding that you can apply on the top edge of the steel just to protect their little feet. Using the edger is a good idea, especially if you have one with a 9" blade vs. the 8" variety.


I had not considered the little feet aspect but good point. The toddler is almost always wearing shoes in the grass due to the chance of ants and missed dog landmines. I try to pick them all up but there's always that one you miss, which is seems the kids manage to find.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

I bet a dollar he won't step on it twice 

+1 on the steel edging. Plastic sucks.


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## TigerinFL (Mar 29, 2018)

we ended up going with a composite because here in FL that metal wouldn't last long. came out real nice. best hint I can give you is lay it out in the sun before installing so it will lay flatter once you install it.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Vigoro-20-ft-Premium-Black-Composite-Edging-903002VG/206392211?MERCH=REC-_-PIPHorizontal2_rr-_-205471427-_-206392211-_-N


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## kds (Apr 28, 2017)

I'm going with the metal edging as I reshape beds.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

SCGrassMan said:


> I bet a dollar he won't step on it twice
> 
> +1 on the steel edging. Plastic sucks.


I ended up going with the steel edging and drove it into the ground so that about one inch of it remained above grade. I'm curious to see how long it lasts. Nonetheless, I'm very pleased with how it looks.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Movingshrub said:


> SCGrassMan said:
> 
> 
> > I bet a dollar he won't step on it twice
> ...


Thats how I did mine, and I went with the brown instead of the green since I planned on having it rust anyway  I got the home depot stuff and the paint started to flake off within a year. If I do more extensive work with it I'll probably go with whatever the stuff is at SiteOne which is "real" iron or steel or whatever without any paint on it.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

SCGrassMan said:


> Thats how I did mine, and I went with the brown instead of the green since I planned on having it rust anyway  I got the home depot stuff and the paint started to flake off within a year. If I do more extensive work with it I'll probably go with whatever the stuff is at SiteOne which is "real" iron or steel or whatever without any paint on it.


I went with brown as well. I didn't even consider SiteOne; lesson learned for next time.


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