Plastic landscape edging: cheap, if you buy it right

What plastic edging is

Plastic landscape edging is a long strip of black or brown plastic, usually sold as a coil, that you set on edge in a narrow trench between lawn and bed. Most styles have a rounded bead along the top and a thin wall below it. Stakes driven through or beside the wall hold it in place. It is cheap, light, easy to cut with a utility knife or saw, and bends into tight curves without tools.

The trade-off is staying power. University of Illinois Extension says plastic edging is inexpensive but its durability is poor and it is hard to keep in place. Hunker adds that plastic can soften in strong heat, crack in the cold, and does not deter grass roots well. Buying the right style fixes much of that.

If you do not want to dig at all, see no-dig landscape edging, which sits at the surface and is held by long spikes.

What to look for

"Heavy duty" is a seller term, not a standard. Compare the listed height, wall thickness and stake count before you buy. Listings for the same product line often show different heights by size, so read the exact item.

Round top vs flat

A round top bead does two jobs: it stiffens the strip so it holds a smooth curve, and it gives a soft, finished edge at the soil line. Flat strip is thinner at the top, bends out of line more easily, and can be lifted by frost. Illinois Extension recommends round-top edging, and for flat edging that is already in, suggests nailing a 1 by 1 inch treated wood strip under it.

Frost heave: why plastic pops up

Wet soil expands as it freezes and lifts anything shallow and smooth with it. Each winter the strip rides up a little and soil falls in below it, so by spring the edging stands proud of the lawn. To slow that down:

• Bury more of it. Use a 5 or 6 inch strip and leave only the bead above grade.
• Pick a profile with a lip or grooves. Illinois Extension lists these styles, along with steel stakes, as the ones that resist frost heave.
• Use more stakes and drive them at an angle under the strip, not straight down beside it.
• Pack the backfill on both sides and water it in so no hollow is left under the wall.

The depth rules for every material are in how deep to install landscape edging.

Types of plastic edging

1. 01Most common

   Heavy duty round-top coil

   Best for: lawn and bed edges on a tight budget, long curving runs

   Height

   4 to 6 in

   Form

   Coil, often 20 to 60 ft

   Install

   Trench and stakes

   • Example: Master Mark Terrace Board is listed as 5 in tall recycled HDPE in a 20 ft coil with 5 stakes (listing claim)
   • Bends into curves by hand
   • Add stakes beyond what the box includes on long runs

   See heavy duty plastic edging
2. 02Budget

   Dig-in black plastic coil

   Best for: simple bed outlines and replacing worn edging

   Height

   About 4 to 4.5 in

   Form

   Long coil

   Install

   Trench

   • Example: the Vigoro dig-in edging is listed at 60 ft by 4.5 in (listing claim)
   • Lowest cost per foot
   • Check whether stakes are included

   See plastic edging coils
3. 03Less digging

   Hammer-in plastic edging

   Best for: firm soil where you would rather pound than trench

   Form

   Rigid sections

   Install

   Mallet, no full trench

   Join

   Connectors

   • Example: EMSCO Choppers is sold as resin hammer-in edging with teeth and a level guide (listing claim)
   • Sections hold a straighter line than coil
   • Rocky soil can stop it short

   See hammer-in edging
4. 04Easiest

   No-dig plastic edging

   Best for: mulch beds and tree rings where grass control is not the goal

   Profile

   L shape at the surface

   Install

   Spikes only

   Watch for

   Does not stop roots

   • Lip sits on the soil and spikes pin it
   • Fast to lay out and move
   • Full guide: no-dig edging

   See no-dig edging kits

Interlocking plastic sections, such as Suncast styles, are another option. Their listed dimensions vary between sellers (example listing), so check the height before you order. More names are in landscape edging brands.

How to install plastic edging

1. Warm the coil. Unroll it in the sun for an hour so it relaxes and lies flat.
2. Mark and cut the trench. Lay out the line with a hose, then cut a narrow, straight-sided trench with a flat spade or half-moon edger, deep enough that only the top bead will show.
3. Set the strip. Stand it in the trench with the bead at soil level, or just above it so mower wheels can ride on it. Follow the install note for your edging; garden centers such as Gertens print one on the listing.
4. Join and stake. Join coils with the connector, then drive stakes at an angle on the bed side, through or under the wall, as the maker says.
5. Backfill and tamp. Pack soil firmly on both sides and water it in, then mulch the bed side.

Step by step for every edging type: how to install landscape edging.

Cost of plastic edging

LawnStarter puts plastic edging at about $1 to $3.50 per linear foot in material, the lowest of any edging, with pro labor adding about $1.50 to $10 per foot. Hunker quotes 35 cents to $3 per foot. Over a typical bed, plastic often costs less than the stakes and labor for other materials. Compare it against rubber, steel and the rest in landscape edging cost.

When to pick something else

• You want a crisp, thin line that lasts: steel or aluminum.
• A mow strip that wheels can ride on: concrete curbing or a flat row of bricks.
• Holding deep gravel: see edging for gravel and mulch.
• Not sure: the edging picker or materials compared.

See heavy duty plastic edging

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.