Cheesecloth for Trees and Shrubbery

Cheesecloth

• Cheesecloth is 100-percent cotton gauze, woven very loosely into sheets that are 36 inches wide. After the cheesecloth is folded, it is cut into lengths, ranging from a few feet for household use to 30 feet or more. Cheesecloth is used in food preparation, from straining jellies to cheesemaking. Because the cheesecloth is not treated with any chemicals, this makes it suitable for use in the garden as well. Cheesecloth's loose weave and ease of handling makes it useful for small landscape applications.

Cicadas

• Cicadas are large insects, measuring from 1 to 3 inches long. They feed on leaves and lay their eggs in tree bark. In the process, they damage tree branches and shrubs. Several different varieties appear in the United States at intervals of as little as two or as many as 17 years. Agricultural extension offices keep track of the life cycles of cicadas and can predict the insects' appearance in an area. The period that trees and shrubs might need protection is short, about three weeks. Once you start to hear the cicadas chirping, wrap your trees and shrubs in cheesecloth. After three weeks, or when you no longer hear the chirping, remove the covering.

Birds

• You can protect fruit-bearing trees and shrubs from the predations of birds with cheesecloth. Wait until the tree or shrub has flowered and begun to set fruit. Once the fruit begins to develop, wrap the tree or shrub loosely with cheesecloth and secure it with safety pins. Remove the cheesecloth after harvest.

Winter Protection

• Cheesecloth wrapping can protect shrubs and trees against winter winds and injury. Tie the branches with packaging string. Start at the base and tie the loose end of the string to a strong branch. Wind the string up around the tree or shrub three or four times, lifting the branches as you go to hold them in place with the string. Tie the end of the string to the stem. Then wrap the tree or shrub with cheesecloth and secure it with a safety pin. Remove the cheesecloth and string in mid-March.