Installing plastic landscape edging with stakes is a straightforward process that helps define garden beds, walkways, and lawns, providing a clean and finished look while preventing mulch or gravel from shifting.
Here's a guide on how to install plastic edging using stakes:
Preparing for Installation
Before you begin, gather your tools and materials:
- Plastic landscape edging (often comes coiled)
- Stakes compatible with your edging (usually included or sold separately)
- Spade or shovel
- Rubber mallet or hammer
- Utility knife or heavy-duty scissors
- Work gloves
- Measuring tape or string (optional, for layout)
- Couplers (if joining sections of edging - mentioned in the reference video snippet)
- Soil or mulch for backfilling (as noted in the reference)
Step-by-Step Installation Guide
Follow these steps to install your plastic edging with stakes effectively:
H3 Planning and Layout
- Determine the Path: Decide exactly where you want the edging to go. Use a hose, string, or marking paint to lay out the desired shape. For straight lines, stakes and string can ensure accuracy.
- Clear the Area: Remove any grass, weeds, rocks, or debris from the path where the edging will be installed.
H3 Digging the Trench
- Dig a Shallow Trench: Use a spade or shovel to dig a shallow trench along your marked line. The depth and width depend on your edging type, but typically, the trench should be deep enough to seat the bottom edge of the plastic and allow the top edge to be at the desired height (usually slightly above ground level or flush).
- Tip: A clean, consistent trench makes installation easier and helps the edging stay in place.
H3 Positioning the Edging
- Unroll and Place: Carefully unroll the plastic edging and place it into the prepared trench, following your planned layout. For coiled edging, it can be helpful to unroll and let it sit in the sun for a bit to make it more flexible.
- Shape Curves: Gently bend the edging to follow curves or contours.
H3 Installing the Stakes
- Position Stakes: Locate the designated holes or slots along the bottom edge or face of the plastic edging. Position the stakes through these points. Stakes are typically placed every few feet (e.g., 2-4 feet apart) on straight sections, and closer together (e.g., every 1-2 feet) on curves to help hold the shape.
- Drive the Stakes: Use a rubber mallet or hammer to drive the stakes firmly into the ground. Drive them until the top of the stake is flush with or slightly below the top edge of the plastic edging. Ensure the stakes are straight and hold the edging upright and stable.
H3 Connecting Sections (Using Couplers)
- Join Edging: If your path is longer than a single roll of edging, you will need to connect sections. Use the provided couplers. Slide one end of the coupler into the end of the first edging section and the other end into the beginning of the next section.
- Reference Insight: The video snippet mentions "Coupler," indicating their use in the installation process for joining sections.
H3 Forming Corners
- Make Necessary Cuts: For sharp 90-degree corners or specific angles, you may need to modify the edging. As highlighted in the reference:
- Reference Insight: "Make a horizontal cut along the edging and remove the necessary material to allow for the corner." This involves cutting a horizontal line along the edging's profile and potentially removing a small section to create a clean bend point for the corner.
H3 Backfilling and Finishing
- Backfill the Trench: Once the edging is installed, staked, and connected, backfill the trench on both sides.
- Reference Insight: "After you have installed and staked your edging fill the lawn side of your edging with dirt." While the reference specifically mentions the "lawn side" and "dirt," you should generally fill on both sides (lawn and bed/path side) using the soil you removed or other suitable material like mulch or gravel.
- Tamp Down: Lightly tamp down the backfilled material to secure the edging and stakes further.
- Final Adjustments: Check the alignment and height of the edging, making any necessary adjustments before finishing.
Following these steps, you can effectively install plastic landscape edging with stakes to create neat and defined areas in your yard.
