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How do I Cover a Shrub With Burlap?

Before the winter winds and snows begin, you may need to cover some shrubs and plants to protect them through the coming cold winter. Burlap is a natural covering that people have used for years. Burlap helps insulate the shrubs, keeping them safe from wind, snow, animal damage, freezing and thawing. Burlap is easy to work with and inexpensive. Wrap your shrubs in the fall after the leaves drop. Keep the shrubs covered until spring.

Things You'll Need

  • Pruning shears
  • Burlap
  • Scissors
  • Twine
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Instructions

    • 1

      Prune away any branches on the shrub that are dead, diseased or weak.

    • 2

      Unroll the burlap.

    • 3

      Place the burlap on one side of the shrub, beginning at the bottom. Leave 5 inches or more on the ground, so the wind cannot blow underneath the burlap.

    • 4

      Wrap the burlap around the shrub two to three times. Make sure you cover the top of the shrub with burlap. Do not wrap the twine too tightly or you may break branches off the shrub.

    • 5

      Cut the burlap when you have the shrub covered.

    • 6

      Tie the burlap with twine. Beginning at the bottom, wrap the twine around the shrub and tie the two ends of twine together. Continue to wrap the length of twine around the shrub in a spiral fashion, to keep the burlap snug. Wrap the twine to the top, and then back down again, ending where you began.

    • 7

      Tie the end of the twine to the beginning end of twine.