Q: “I am tired of my concrete edging stones being knocked over or rain runoff eroding the soil, causing the edging to shift. I would like to know the basics of good concrete laying. Is sand needed as a base?”

That’s the question Bwatie recently posted to our Garden Club Forums, a great place to pose questions for expert advice on gardening, lawn care and outdoor living.

A: Community associate greengiant had the answer. He says Bwatie doesn’t necessarily need to pour concrete to keep the concrete edging in place. It might just be a matter of giving the edging stones a good footing and choosing a different mulch:

“Here in Atlanta, we have to bury landscape edging two inches in the ground to try to keep the Bermuda grass out of our flowerbeds. This will give it a firm footing. But more is required to help keep these in place. If this area is on a steep hill that washes the mulch out of the islands or flowerbeds, then I might recommend using pine straw in the islands, as the pine needles will weave together and certainly stay in place much better on hills than any other mulches.

If the hill is not so steep, then you could use a different type of mulch. The key is to put the mulch down thick. This will absorb more water and slow it down as it goes down the hill, making it much less erosive. Whether you are pouring concrete edging or installing concrete edger stones, be sure to bury them a couple inches in the ground.

Putting sand under the edging would just allow more water under the pavers, which will, over time make it more likely to erode.”

We get a lot of great gardening and lawn care questions on our online Garden Club Forum. Go see for yourself, and while you’re at it, post a question or two. Your question might be featured right here on the Apron in Gardening Q&A.

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