Plain Old Burlap: 6 Smart Uses for Burlap in the Garden (Shade, Frost, Seeds & More)

Burlap is coming out of the shed for fall tomato protection

If you live in one of the warmer climate zones here in the south and western United States, fall presents a different set of garden challenges than it does for our neighbors in cooler places. While they’re taking precautions against frost, we’re dealing with hot, sunny days that can reach into the upper 80s or low 90s and nights that will drop into the low 40s. Add in the frequent gusty desert winds and single digit humidity and you have a hot/cold whipsaw that takes its toll on even well-established plants.

Fortunately, keeping older plants healthy and help new ones get established before the cold and wet of winter shows in a few months is simple. All you need do is provide a little shade from the sun, shelter from the wind and mulch to keep moisture in the soil. Even better, you only need one thing to do all three — a roll of burlap fabric.

Like a lot of people, I used to use a variety of stuff — floating row cover, mulch, screen, shadehouses, etc. — with varying degrees of success. Then, a landscaper friend of mine introduced me to the magic of burlap.

The author and his beloved roll of burlap

What is Burlap?

Burlap is a coarse fabric woven from Jute, which is inexpensive, sustainable, biodegradable and very strong. According to the Dayton Burlap and Bag Company, one of its original uses was as the material for uniforms worn by Germans from the Hesse region, which is why in many parts of Europe the fabric is still referred to as “hessian.”

These days burlap is used for all kinds of stuff from rustic accent pillows to feed sacks, and, of course, landscaping where it does everything from carrying lawn clippings to controlling erosion.

Where to get Burlap

You can pick up rolls of burlap or smaller burlap “blankets” at just about any home and garden store as well as at big online stores like Amazon.com. (You can also get it at fabric and craft stores, but those varieties tend to be a bit tighter weave and may be dyed colors, which makes them less suitable for outdoor work.)

It’s cheap. About 70 cents per foot for 24 foot “blankets” in 5 oz. weights. Heavier weights, like 10 oz. fabric, will run around $1.10 a foot. Generally it’s 36-inches wide, though you can get it in 48 and 60-inch widths as well.

5 oz. loose weave burlap (L) next to heavier 10 oz. burlap (R)

Uses for Burlap in the garden

Beyond being super inexpensive, the other reasons I really like this fabric are versatility and durability. You can leave it exposed to the elements for months at a time, pick it up and re-use it over and over for all sorts of different purposes, which isn’t something that floating row cover, shade screen or plastic mulches can do. Here’s how I use it:

Shade cover

Burlap’s coarse weave and natural color makes it an ideal shade covering that knocks down somewhere between 50% and 80% of sunlight and heat radiation, making it particularly good at providing cover to plants that would otherwise get scorched in the hot, dry weather we have in late summer on into mid-fall. It’s heavier than floating row cover, so you’ll want to support it or cut it down into smaller strips to keep it from squashing your more delicate plants.

A burlap shade tent protecting parsley from scorching in midday sun

For vegetables like sweet peppers and tomatoes where the fruit is prone to sun scald, I like to use strips cut down to 18″ x 36″ and lay them directly over the fruit and plants I’m trying to protect. For more delicate plants, I’ll cut a 36″ x 36″ or 48″ x 36″ piece and drape it over poles made of cut PVC pipe and secured with fabric pins pushed through the burlap and onto the poles to make a shade “tent”.

Burlap is also great for protection for succulents and cacti that could use a little extra shade in mid-summer’s blazing sun. Because these plants tend to be sturdier than summer veggies, you can lay the fabric right on top of them. Just keep in mind that if it’s a cactus with spines, they’ll poke right through the fabric, so you’ll want to be careful when removing it.

Seed Protection

We’ve got all kinds of foraging birds and animals that love nothing more than treating a freshly seeded bed like a buffet. To discourage that, once the bed is planted, I cover it with burlap and secure the edges with landscape pins to keep the more enterprising rabbits and scrub jays from peeling it back to get at what’s underneath.

Best part here is I can either put drip irrigation under the burlap or simply water over the burlap. Either way, most of the water goes directly into the soil, but the fabric also absorbs some itself providing a sort of insulating moisture blanket for the seeds underneath.

Burlap is great for protection seed beds and keeping soil moist

Best of all, if you’re planting fine seed like grass or many herbs, you don’t even have to remove the burlap once the seeds sprout. They’ll grow up through the gaps in the coarse weave of the fabric providing you a built-in weed barrier that you can leave in place forever (the burlap breaks down into the soil), or pull up once the plants in the bed are done.

Insulation and Mulch

Along with seed protection, burlap also makes a great soil blanket that provides insulation, water retention and weed barrier. You can put down a single layer of fabric for just a little cover, or double or triple layers to make a “blanket” of sorts. Water will still seep through the fabric and into the soil, but it won’t evaporate as quickly, and it’ll maintain soil temperature without baking the ground like plastic mulches can do.

Better yet, you can use it in combination with compost and organic mulch. Spread your organic matter first, then lay the burlap over it to prevent birds, dogs and other critters from scattering your carefully laid compost.

Cold Protection

With chillier nights on the way, you can also use burlap as a plant cover. It does a good job of cutting wind and slowing heat loss from the soil. That’s enough to get tomatoes and peppers through the nights in the 40’s that will soon be here.

Because burlap is heavier than floating row cover, you’ll want to support it with stakes (just like the shade cover) so it doesn’t rest on the leaves, but let the edges trail all the way to the ground like a tent.

Additionally, you’ll want to pull the burlap back in the morning so the plants can absorb heat and light from the sun.

Where it falls short: Keep in mind that burlap soaks up water, and wet fabric loses most of its insulating value. Treat burlap as a buffer for cool nights, not as protection against a hard freeze. For that, you’ll want to put frost cloth underneath it.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Tight weave or loose weave? It depends on the application. A loose weave (5 oz.) is lighter and lets more light and air through, so it’s better as a shade provider than an insulator. The heavier weaves (10 oz. and 12 oz.) offer more insulation and less light penetration so they’re better as soil covers/weed barriers or for tenting for cold protection.
2. Will burlap protect against frost? As long as it doesn’t get wet, burlap offers pretty good protection against light frost. Heavier frost tends to allow it to soak up water, and once it does, its insulation value goes out the window. Frost cloth is a better choice for that.
3. Can I use it as a weed barrier? Yes! Burlap is a great organic alternative to plastic barriers. Just keep in mind that after a season or two it will break down and need to be replaced. (The upside of that is you can leave it to decompose in the garden and it’ll add carbon back to the soil.)
4. How long does it last? If you leave it in the garden year round, burlap fabric generally only lasts for a couple of years. If, however, you pull it up at the end of the season and store it your shed or garage, it can last 4 or 5 years. Just make sure it’s dry and kept dry in storage. Otherwise it’ll mildew and rot.

So there it is. When it comes to plant protection options, along with floating row cover, screens, plastic mulch and compost, make sure that a roll of plain old burlap is in your garden shed. You’ll be pleasantly surprised how easy, versatile and effective it is.

If you’ve any questions or suggestions, feel free to drop them in the comments below!