Detailed string trimming around trees, fences, beds, and obstacles throughout Ellicott City and Howard County. Essential finishing work that completes professional lawn service. Greenlawn Inc since 1986.
Grass trimming is the detail work that separates good from great
Call for FREE EstimateGrass trimming (also called string trimming or weed-eating) is the detail work that completes professional lawn service. Mowers can't reach grass growing around trees, fences, posts, garden beds, structures, and other obstacles. Without proper trimming, these areas create unsightly borders of tall grass that make otherwise well-mowed lawns look incomplete and unprofessional. String trimming reaches everywhere mowers can't, creating finished appearance across entire property rather than partially mowed look.
At Greenlawn Inc, we've been trimming Howard County lawns since 1986. Our 39 years of experience has taught us that trimming quality separates true professional lawn service from basic mowing. Some services skip thorough trimming, rush through it carelessly, or treat it as optional extra. We include complete, careful trimming with every mowing visit because it's essential component of proper lawn maintenance. Properties serviced by our crews emerge with every area trimmed—no strips of tall grass around obstacles, no ragged borders, no shortcuts. This attention to detail is why our weekly mowing customers stay satisfied season after season.
Ellicott City lawns without thorough trimming face obvious issues:
Complete trimming addresses every area mowers miss:
We trim carefully around all trees on your property—from large shade trees to small ornamentals. Proper tree trimming creates neat circle of short grass matching lawn height while protecting tree bark from trimmer damage. Our experienced crews know to hold trimmers at proper angle avoiding bark contact that can damage or kill trees. Trees with surface roots, multiple trunks, or irregular bases require extra care—we take time to trim thoroughly without harming valuable trees. Properties with many trees receive particular benefit from professional service since trimming around numerous trees consumes significant time and requires skill to avoid damage.
Grass growing along fences is classic trimming challenge. We trim both sides when accessible—property side and neighbor side if fence allows access. Chain link fences allow trimming on both sides. Privacy fences typically allow access only from your side, which we trim thoroughly. Fence posts, gates, corners, and irregular sections all receive attention. Proper fence line trimming prevents grass from pushing through or growing tall along borders creating unkempt appearance. For properties with extensive fencing, thorough trimming makes substantial visible difference.
We trim carefully along garden bed edges where lawn meets planted areas. This creates clean transition without damaging plants or disturbing mulch. Trimming complements lawn edging by cutting grass at proper height up to bed borders. For properties with extensive beds, this trimming represents significant portion of total trimming time. We're experienced distinguishing desirable plants from grass and weeds, trimming appropriately around perennials, shrubs, and groundcovers without damage.
We trim around sheds, decks, patios, foundations, AC units, mailboxes, light posts, signs, and every other obstacle on your Ellicott City property. These areas are often most visible—foundation plantings, front walkways, mailbox areas—making thorough trimming particularly important. Neglected trimming around structures looks especially bad since these high-visibility areas draw attention. We ensure every obstacle receives proper attention rather than spot-checking obvious ones and missing less visible areas.
Properties have numerous tight spaces mowers can't access—narrow side yards, spaces between structures, corners, and irregular areas. We trim these thoroughly even when they're not immediately visible. Some services skip difficult-to-reach areas, but we believe complete service means complete service. If grass grows there, we trim it regardless of access challenges. This commitment to thoroughness ensures your entire property is maintained to same standard.
Steep slopes that challenge mowing often require extensive trimming. We handle slope trimming carefully for both quality results and crew safety. While some extremely steep areas might require specialized equipment beyond string trimmers, we trim all reasonably accessible slopes thoroughly. Properties with significant slopes or banks benefit particularly from professional service since slope trimming is physically demanding and potentially dangerous for homeowners without proper equipment or experience.
Quality trimming requires proper technique and attention to detail:
We use commercial string trimmers designed for daily professional use. These tools are more powerful, reliable, and durable than consumer models. Commercial trimmers cut cleanly through thick grass and handle extended use without overheating or failing. The power difference is immediately noticeable—consumer trimmers bog down in heavy grass while commercial models power through effortlessly. This equipment investment is one reason professional service delivers superior results compared to DIY efforts with homeowner-grade tools.
We trim grass to match mowing height rather than scalping everything to ground level. Proper height maintains lawn appearance and health while still creating neat borders. Scalping (cutting too short) damages grass, creates bare spots, and looks poor. Our crews understand how to hold trimmers at appropriate height and angle achieving clean trimming without excessive removal. This technique requires practice and skill that develops through professional experience.
We trim carefully around trees holding trimmers away from bark to prevent damage. Repeated trimmer contact damages or kills tree bark creating entry points for disease and potentially girdling trees. We also avoid disturbing garden beds, damaging perennials, or throwing mulch during trimming near planted areas. This plant protection distinguishes experienced professional crews from careless operators who damage valuable landscape plants through rushed or improper trimming.
String trimmers throw grass clippings and debris in all directions. We're mindful of where clippings land, avoiding throwing material onto freshly mulched beds, into pools or ponds, or onto cars and structures. After trimming, we blow scattered clippings back onto lawn or remove excessive accumulations. This cleanup is particularly important around beds and hardscaping where trimmer debris is most visible. Proper debris management keeps properties looking clean rather than messy after service.
We trim systematically around entire property rather than spot-checking obvious areas. Our crews develop routes through properties ensuring nothing is missed. First-time customers sometimes note we trim areas previous services neglected—this thoroughness is standard for us rather than going "above and beyond." If grass grows somewhere on your Ellicott City property, we trim it as part of complete service you're paying for.
Trimming frequency follows mowing schedule:
Weekly mowing service includes complete trimming every visit. Weekly trimming means grass around obstacles never gets significantly overgrown. You're constantly maintaining short grass everywhere matching lawn height. This frequent trimming delivers optimal appearance and easiest maintenance—minimal grass volume means quick, easy trimming each week.
Bi-weekly service also includes trimming each visit. Two weeks between trimming allows more growth than weekly service, meaning heavier trimming required and more time spent cutting taller grass around obstacles. Trimmed areas look fresh immediately after service but become noticeably tall by second week, similar to the lawn itself.
We occasionally provide standalone trimming for properties where homeowners mow themselves but struggle with trimming. This works particularly well for properties with many trees or extensive fencing where trimming consumes excessive time. Standalone trimming is priced per visit based on time and difficulty. However, most homeowners find that if they need help with trimming, complete mowing service including trimming provides better value than continuing DIY mowing while hiring just trimming.
Many Howard County homeowners attempt trimming themselves with varying success:
String trimming is physically demanding—holding trimmer in various positions, bending repeatedly, walking entire property with vibrating equipment. Trimming takes 15-30 minutes on typical property, longer for properties with many obstacles. This adds significantly to mowing time already consuming 1-2 hours. Many homeowners find trimming more exhausting than mowing itself due to awkward positions and extended periods holding equipment.
Consumer trimmers ($100-300) lack power of commercial models. They bog down in thick grass, overheat during extended use, and require frequent line replacement. String trimmer maintenance is annoying—replacing line, cleaning debris, troubleshooting feed problems. Professional commercial equipment avoids many of these frustrations through superior design and durability.
Proper trimming technique requires practice. Homeowners trimming monthly or bi-weekly never develop muscle memory and consistency that professionals achieve through daily use. Results show this experience gap—professional trimming is cleaner, more consistent, and faster than typical DIY efforts. If you trim occasionally, you're perpetually learning rather than mastering technique.
Inexperienced operators frequently damage trees through careless trimming. String line hitting bark at high speed cuts through thin bark easily, creating wounds that never heal properly. Repeated damage over years can girdle and kill valuable trees. Professional crews trained in proper tree protection techniques avoid this damage, protecting your landscape investment.
Complete trimming included with every mowing visit
Call for Mowing ServiceTrimming is included with mowing service at no separate charge:
Since trimming is included with mowing, there's no separate pricing decision. When you hire our weekly or bi-weekly mowing service, complete professional trimming is automatically part of what you receive. This comprehensive approach ensures consistent quality across all aspects of lawn maintenance.
Complete trimming is absolutely included with our mowing service at no additional charge. This isn't bait-and-switch where basic mowing is advertised then trimming costs extra—complete service means complete service. We include trimming because partial lawn maintenance leaving strips of tall grass around obstacles isn't professional service we're willing to provide. Our per-mowing pricing accounts for total time including mowing, trimming, edging, and blowing. Properties requiring extensive trimming (many trees, lots of fencing) may have slightly higher per-mowing rates than simple open lawns, but trimming itself isn't itemized separately or charged as extra. When you receive estimate from us, quoted price includes everything needed for complete lawn maintenance. You'll never receive bill for mowing plus separate trimming charge—one price covers complete service.
Our experienced crews are trained to trim around trees without bark contact. We hold trimmers at proper distance and angle, cutting grass close to trees without string hitting bark. However, we acknowledge that over years of weekly trimming, occasional minor bark contact is virtually impossible to avoid 100% of the time on all trees. What we can promise is that we take reasonable care to minimize contact and never trim carelessly or recklessly. The alternative—leaving tall grass rings around every tree—looks terrible and creates pest habitat. Most Ellicott City homeowners find that benefit of neat trimming outweighs minimal risk from occasional light contact by careful operators. If you have particularly valuable or sensitive trees where you prefer leaving grass tall rather than risking any trimmer contact, inform us and we'll skip those specific trees. We're responsive to your priorities and concerns about tree protection.
Some lawn services price mowing and trimming separately to advertise lower base mowing rates. They quote $35 for mowing but then trimming is $15-20 extra, totaling $50-55 for complete service. We find this pricing approach confusing and prefer straightforward pricing where quoted rate includes everything. Our competitors separating trimming charges aren't necessarily more expensive overall—they're just pricing differently. However, separated pricing creates opportunities for services to skip thorough trimming on properties where customers decline the "extra," or to pressure customers into paying more than expected. We prefer transparent all-inclusive pricing where you know exactly what complete service costs without add-on discussions or partial service temptations. If complete service costs $55, we quote $55 rather than $35 plus $20—it's clearer and more honest approach to pricing.
We can provide standalone trimming service, though it's uncommon request. Most homeowners find that if they need professional help with trimming, they benefit even more from complete mowing service that includes trimming. Trimming without mowing makes sense only in specific situations—perhaps you have riding mower that makes mowing easy but struggle with physical demands of trimming, or your property has so many obstacles that trimming consumes excessive time while mowing itself is manageable. Standalone trimming typically costs $50-100 depending on property size and trimming volume. However, this often approaches cost of complete mowing service that includes trimming plus mowing plus edging plus blowing. We'll provide standalone trimming if that's truly what you need, but we'll also provide complete service pricing for comparison since most customers find full service provides better value.
Trimming time varies significantly based on property characteristics. Simple properties with few obstacles might require only 10-15 minutes of trimming. Properties with many trees, extensive fencing, numerous beds, and complex landscaping can require 30-45 minutes of trimming time. Average Howard County residential property typically needs 15-25 minutes of professional trimming. This represents about 25-40% of total lawn service time—substantial portion of overall work. The time investment explains why many homeowners prefer professional service over DIY—adding 20-30 minutes of trimming to 60-90 minutes of mowing extends lawn care to 2+ hours weekly. Professional service completes everything in fraction of time through commercial equipment, experienced operators, and efficient routing. Your weekend time is freed while property receives better results than DIY attempts typically achieve.
Yes, we trim carefully along all garden bed edges where lawn meets planted areas. This creates clean transition and maintains grass at proper height up to bed borders. We're careful not to disturb mulch, damage plants, or throw debris into beds during trimming. Our experienced crews recognize perennials, shrubs, and desirable plants versus grass and weeds, trimming appropriately around everything without damage. If you have particularly sensitive plants or areas where you prefer we leave grass slightly longer to avoid any risk, just point these out during first service and we'll note your preferences. We can also coordinate with garden bed edging if you're interested in permanent borders that further define beds and reduce maintenance needs around planted areas. Thorough trimming around beds creates finished appearance that makes entire landscape look cared for.
Stop settling for partially maintained lawns with strips of tall grass around obstacles. Complete lawn service from Greenlawn Inc includes thorough professional trimming every visit, creating finished appearance across your entire Ellicott City property. Our 39 years serving Howard County means we've developed systems and skills to trim efficiently and thoroughly, protecting valuable trees and plants while delivering consistent quality that makes properties look truly professional.
Whether you're frustrated with your own trimming efforts, dissatisfied with partial service from current provider, or simply want to ensure your lawn receives complete professional care, we provide the comprehensive service including trimming that transforms properties from adequate to excellent. Many customers report that our attention to trimming detail was most noticeable difference from previous services—properties finally looked completely maintained rather than mostly done.
Thorough trimming is what separates good service from great service
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Trusted by Howard County families since 1986
Family Owned • Complete Service • Professional Results
About Greenlawn Inc: Since 1986, Greenlawn Inc has provided professional grass trimming services throughout Ellicott City, Columbia, and Howard County, Maryland. Our experienced crews use commercial string trimmers to carefully trim around all obstacles, creating finished appearance that makes properties look professionally maintained rather than partially done.