Fall Gardening with Burlap Bags
You may have noticed how nice other peoples’ gardens look every year. They are probably using burlap bags. This versatile fabric is biodegradable and can be used to grow vegetables or to store items.
What is Burlap?
Burlap is a coarsely-textured durable fabric that is made from jute plants. It is part-wood and part-cloth. The biggest producers of burlap include the countries of Bangladesh and India.
This fiber became important in the US landscaping industry with the rise of rot-resistant burlap, which has a longer shelf life.
Using Burlap for Landscaping
Burlap has become popular with people who either lack the space for a garden or are looking for a different way to grow their vegetables. Biodegradable burlap sacks are the most widely used items on the market today.
Germination
Burlap bags can be used to speed up the growth process in slow-growing plants, like parsley and carrots. You can ramp up the growth of the seeds and keep the earth moist by immersing some burlap in water and putting it on top of the seeds that are in your landscaping. Once the seeds begin to sprout, the bag should be removed in order for the plants to receive adequate sunlight.
Controlling Weeds & Storage
In lieu of using weed killer, burlap bags can be placed underneath wood, and used like mulch to prevent weeds from taking over a garden, which can help your plants grow. Keep in mind that the bags can take between two and three years to completely break down.
Leaves, compost, and gardening tools can also be stored inside of the bags.
Container Gardening
Burlap can be used for container gardening using specific techniques. For the purposes of this blog, we will use tomatoes, which can be grown using this method. You can ask a coffee shop if they have any bags (sometimes they will give them to you for free), or you can buy them through a supplier.
Each bag should be cut into four equal pieces. Turn each piece inside out and sew them by hand or with a machine. Do not sew the center. Each piece of burlap should be cut large enough to put a tomato plant into the shortest side. Sew all of the openings shut. Leaving about four inches of space, put soil into the top of each bag and tie the tops closed using a rope. The bags should be hung so that the tomatoes will grow upside down.
Growing Other Vegetables Using Burlap
You can grow other kinds of vegetables with burlap. Take one of the bags and open the end of it, then fill 3/4 of the bag with all-purpose potting soil. Close the bag and shut it with a staple gun. The dirt-filled bag should be placed on the ground in direct sunlight. Cut a 3-inch square in the center of each bag and 4 additional squares about 4 inches apart. Pull the cut burlap out. The bags should be watered until the water reaches the bottom of each bag. Remove half an inch of dirt out of the squares and plant each vegetable separately, ensuring that only the stem is sticking out. To conserve water, cover the top of the plants with organic mulch. Water them every day whenever the first inch of dirt is dry or until water reaches the bottom of every plant.
NYP-Corp makes and distributes a variety of burlap products for any industrial, agricultural, or horticultural environment.