We were burlaping cedars all day this past Friday, and I cannot say that it is my favorite job in the trade. Sure it is better then cleaning out forgotten compost piles (that was my Thursday), but when the wind picks up and you are eating jute for lunch it gets a bit tiring.

To me jute burlap is like fiberglass insulation it really irritates my skin. I found that wearing long sleeves helps the jute strands stay off my arms and avoids that need to scratch. Also wear safety glasses to avoid getting the strands in your eyes….oh and keep your mouth closed.

A lot of people use wire to tie the burlap together. This method for me takes too long and my hands are usually bloody and tired by the end of the day. I found that using plastic zip ties not only speeds up the process but the burlap is much easier to take down the next spring. Just use a pair of side cutters and ’snip’!

And don’t throw out the burlap in the spring. Try and dry it out and put it in a box to reuse for next winter. The jute burlap will last about 3 winters.

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